All Saints
Preaching
Hear My Voice
Preaching The Lectionary Psalms for Cycles A, B, C
Psalm 24 celebrates the orderly reign of God over creation. It presupposes a world that has not been disrupted by tragedy or displacement -- in other words, the world as it was before the exile of Israel in 587 B.C.
From the vision of an ordered universe, the psalmist takes us to the holy mountain for worship. He poses the question, "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?" (v. 3).
The answer the psalmist offers is given in terms of the orderly reign of God over humankind expressed in the Law of Moses -- the Torah. The law is to human existence what the shores are to the sea (v. 2). The law provides boundaries that form the shape of human character. It is only in strict observance of the law that worshipers may approach God "with clean hands and pure hearts" (v. 4).
Our Christian sensibilities may be troubled by the idea that only those with "clean hands and pure hearts" may enter into worship. The whole notion of "clean" versus "unclean" is one of those issues rendered irrelevant by the grace revealed in Jesus. Our approach to worship would be more in the spirit of "whosoever will may come."
But there may not be as much conflict here as first appears. The idea of "clean hands and a pure heart" is not necessarily limited to ritual or ceremonial interpretation. Even in Christian worship, there are elements of mental and emotional preparation which precede worship. For example, Paul's instruction to the Corinthian church to "examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28), is a clear indication that certain expectations must be met before worship can take place. The same is true for Jesus' admonition to "be reconciled to your brother or sister" before participating in worship (Matthew 5:23-24).
There is a sense in which we all approach God with unclean hands and impure hearts. We are like Isaiah in the presence of God -- people of "unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). But God wants us to worship and provides resources for us to become clean and pure. In the case of Isaiah, it was a burning coal that made his lips clean. For the rest of us, it is a cruel cross that opens the door to the sanctuary.
-- J. E.
From the vision of an ordered universe, the psalmist takes us to the holy mountain for worship. He poses the question, "Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?" (v. 3).
The answer the psalmist offers is given in terms of the orderly reign of God over humankind expressed in the Law of Moses -- the Torah. The law is to human existence what the shores are to the sea (v. 2). The law provides boundaries that form the shape of human character. It is only in strict observance of the law that worshipers may approach God "with clean hands and pure hearts" (v. 4).
Our Christian sensibilities may be troubled by the idea that only those with "clean hands and pure hearts" may enter into worship. The whole notion of "clean" versus "unclean" is one of those issues rendered irrelevant by the grace revealed in Jesus. Our approach to worship would be more in the spirit of "whosoever will may come."
But there may not be as much conflict here as first appears. The idea of "clean hands and a pure heart" is not necessarily limited to ritual or ceremonial interpretation. Even in Christian worship, there are elements of mental and emotional preparation which precede worship. For example, Paul's instruction to the Corinthian church to "examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28), is a clear indication that certain expectations must be met before worship can take place. The same is true for Jesus' admonition to "be reconciled to your brother or sister" before participating in worship (Matthew 5:23-24).
There is a sense in which we all approach God with unclean hands and impure hearts. We are like Isaiah in the presence of God -- people of "unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). But God wants us to worship and provides resources for us to become clean and pure. In the case of Isaiah, it was a burning coal that made his lips clean. For the rest of us, it is a cruel cross that opens the door to the sanctuary.
-- J. E.
