Lent is a time of trying to See differently and discern the direction God has for each of us. The Psalm today is familiar to nearly everyone whether they attend church or not. Psalm 23 is so often used at funerals that probably everyone has heard it at least once. The fact that it is used at funerals also can obscure its promise of God’s presence and providence at all times. “I shall not want,” “I shall be in green pastures,” “You are with me.” All these phrases from the Psalm are comforting and encouraging.
Like the Psalm, the other lessons this week are about discerning
God’s presence and way. From the Old Testament, we hear of Samuel being sent to
Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king of Israel. (I Samuel
16:1-13) At first, Samuel cannot determine which son because God says, the Lord
does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks
on the heart. In the end, it is the youngest, David, who is the chosen one
even though he is youngest and in fact is out with the sheep instead of
gathered with the rest of the family.
The Gospel (John 9:1-41) tells of the healing of a man born
blind. The disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?” The answer would have surprised everyone because in the
First Century, such an affliction was assumed to be punishment for some terrible
sin. Jesus instead responds, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he
was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” Because the
healing is done on the Sabbath, the Pharisees confront the man and his parents.
When the man affirms If this man were not from God, he could do nothing,
the Pharisees throw him out of the synagogue. Later Jesus states, “I came
into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those
who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and
said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you
were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin
remains.”
The Pharisees could not see beyond the obvious—Jesus broke
the Law by healing on the Sabbath, therefore he could not be good. Samuel had
trouble seeing past the strength and good looks of Jesse’s older sons. It can
be easy to see superficially and make assumptions. The panhandler must
be a drug addict or the grumpy clerk must be an unfriendly person. Really
seeing, as God does, means we recognize that there is more than one side to
each story and each and everyone is a beloved child of God.
Recognizing that is the start of living as children of light
as the Epistle (Ephesians 5:8-14) urges. We are to live as children of
light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and
true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Seeing through the eyes
of God helps us see the table [prepared] before me…[and the] cup running
over with good things. We recognize your goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever. More importantly, the table is not just for me or for you. It is
for everyone. The bountiful cup is poured out to all people. God’s goodness and
mercy are available without restriction or rules or boundaries. Such is the
Good News of God.
Whether you envision a table of PB and J sandwiches, the Eucharistic table, the Last Supper, the table at the end of the world from CS Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader (like the image) —the love of God provides what we need! You might want to ask God to show you the Table prepared for all people and help you discern how to work to share the cup of God’s blessing with everyone.
|
Psalm 23 1 The Lord is
my shepherd; * I shall not be in want. (Book of
Common Prayer) |
You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. (Contemporary English Version) |
