Dear Friends,
Our Daily Lectionary suggests that we read Psalm 91 this evening. Please take some time to read and absorb this comforting psalm. In these days of pandemic, we certainly need comforting, and Psalm 91 provides just that, with its vivid descriptions of God’s unflagging protection and refuge for God’s children. How welcome, especially now, in the face of this catastrophic pandemic, are these affirming words about our God who cares for us so deeply. At those times when I feel most anxious or lost – not only in these scary times, but also at many other times in life – I find myself acting on the wise counsel of Yair Hoffman, an Israeli Biblical scholar, who suggests that we read this psalm not just once, but repeatedly, over and over again.
Reading it again and again makes its cadences and meaning so familiar that I discover that I’m able to find deeper understanding of the troubles that assail me, and of the very notion of comfort itself. We would, after all, feel no comfort unless we could feel and were fully aware of suffering. We don’t know how or when this time of pandemic will end. But God’s comfort is ever-present. “No evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent,” verse 10 tells us.
All that said, it’s hard to trust completely in God’s comfort, especially when life goes awry. Read verse 10 again as you re-read the psalm. “No evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.” And yet, here we are, surrounded by a scourge that is not only near our tent, but possibly in it.
It’s important that we read the Bible, not that we read what we want it to say. We could come away from this psalm thinking that God is our “big brother” who will protect us from all the bullies and sadness that we’ll inevitably encounter in life. If we’re children of God, won’t God be the completely loving parent we all yearn for, generously supplying us with safe sanctuary and all the sustenance needed for an abundant life? No, dear friends; to think that is to decide that we are the god, and God’s purpose is simply to fulfill our needs.
It’s a paradox and a mystery, one that requires long, faithful thought. And my emphasis here is on faithful. Ultimately, it is certainly God who provides, but we are neither passive receptacles of the word of God nor helpless children of God. God is assuredly our great comforter, but God also empowers us. We must take responsibility with and for the gifts God gives us. As Christians, if we’re to understand and fully appreciate our relationship with God, we must work diligently and hard to try to understand ourselves and the very troubled world in which we find ourselves. Only if we open our hearts to see all the perspectives we haven’t previously examined will we be able to love God more fully and walk with confidence in our journey of faith.
As we read and study, and as we contemplate the Holy Week journey that we will soon make, we must be careful not to misuse the good news about God that our scriptures share with us. The fully human Jesus himself was tempted, just as we are. Recall, if you will, Matthew 4:1-11, our gospel reading from the First Sunday in Lent. This is the gripping story about the devil tempting Jesus. In the second temptation, the devil suggests that Jesus throw himself off the pinnacle of the Temple. Quoting from Psalm 91, the devil suggests that God will protect Jesus when he says, “You will not dash your foot against a stone.” (verse 12 of Psalm 91 and verse 6 of Matthew 4). Jesus, however, beats the devil at his own game, responding with Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Jesus emerges victorious from the temptation. So, I pray, will we emerge victorious from the temptation to retreat into the false safety of a one-way street of easy comfort in hard times. Our hope instead is to accept the challenge of faith in God’s care for God’s whole creation, including us and our current crisis. We must not fall into the devilish trap of testing our God. Rather, as we rise to the complicated challenge of faith, we must open ourselves to fully receive the solace of God’s love and enduring comfort.
Be comforted by our God this evening and all our days, and find comfort as well in this prayer.
Comforting, empowering God, As evening shadows fall across our world, thank you for the rest you provide as you comfort us. Strengthen us in body and soul that we might be confirmed in all the complexities of our faith and extend comfort to our sisters and brothers here and farther from us. May our efforts to seek understanding and solace be ongoing and strengthened thanks to your grace and love. Amen.