Psalm Meditation 1191 ¶Second Sunday of Easter ¶April 16, 2023 ¶Psalm 75 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+75&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶Sometimes we pass judgment on others based on something besides what is just, right, and fair. We let our opinions be swayed by how well we know those on one side or another, how much we agree with one side or the other, or some arbitrary characteristic of those on one side or the other. I know that it is a good idea to make the best impression possible when going to court. I was part of a court case to determine fault in an automobile wreck in which I was involved. I wore a suit, the folks on the other side wore torn jeans. The other driver was found at fault, not just because of how we were each dressed. I don’t believe it hurt to be well dressed and polite to the judge. ¶God is not as influenced by our looks and behavior. God sees much more deeply than surface appearance and our behavior in a given moment. Also, God is not out to punish us when we slip or jump off the ‘straight and narrow.’ God is much more interested in teachable moments that help us get back on track than berating us for each and every misstep along the way. The psalmist uses the examples of the boastful and wicked to let us know that neither is a good choice for those who wish to follow God. In these cases in particular, boasting and wickedness contain their own punishment as folks discover that those who boast rarely have room to do so, and the wicked will be caught up in their wickedness eventually. ¶We are free to judge each other in whatever way we see fit. However, ours is not the final judgment. It is God who has the last word; the word that puts down or lifts up. It is God’s intent to lift us up as much as possible. ¶April 10, 2023 ¶LCM lcmanifold@gmail.com http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/