Many are the afflictions
of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34: 19-22)
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34: 19-22)
On this Palm Sunday and Holy Week it is
fitting to conclude our study of Psalm 34 with a look at the last 4 verses. We
can read these words in light of Good Friday and the Cross. David says that ‘the
Lord rescues [the righteous from their afflictions]’. He says ‘[God] keeps all
their bones; not one of them will be broken’. This reminds me of Psalm 22:17: “I
can count all my bones…”
Jesus quotes verse 1 on the Cross-“ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The psalm in its entirety is often read as a reference to (and description of) the
Crucifixion. Read it through and see how it parallels the Gospel accounts.
David ends Psalm 34 with exultation: “The Lord redeems
the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be
condemned.” As we tread the Way of the Cross this Holy Week, we know the ‘rest
of the story’. We know that Easter waits just around the bend and that indeed ‘the
Lord redeems the life of his Servant.’
We enter Holy Week on
Palm Sunday with songs of praise and cries of “Blessed is the One who comes in
the Name of the Lord!” With our Lord we will journey through the despair of
betrayal and abandonment. We will walk with Him to judgment and then to the
Cross. On Easter we will again rejoice with Alleluias.
I suggest you take some
time for lexio divino this week (the
form of meditative reflection the takes you into the story). Read the crucifixion
narrative in one of the Gospels. Then take time to ‘be’ one of the people in
that story. Feel the way they felt, hear what they heard, react as they did…
Will you stand in the
crowd crying ‘crucify him’? Can you sit in Pilate’s chair and ponder the ways
you might bend to peer pressure and judge others? Are you able to stand with
Mary at the foot of the Cross and bear the pain of her loss? Do you find
yourself running away with the disciples and hiding for fear when things turn
difficult? What is your response to the angel’s message, ‘He is risen’?
May you walk this Holy Week with intention and be blessed along the way
to Easter.
