Proper 24
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring the Message
You are righteous, O Lord,
and your judgments are right.
You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me
because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is the truth.
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
but your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.
Alternate Image
The Singer meets a man slow of speech and mind on the road. They sit together in the shade of a large tree and visit. The slow man says that when he was a child his mother hit his head frequently and that was the reason why he is slow. He smiles and says that was good because it led him to go to a foster home where he was loved. He said he was mugged last month on the road; that was good because he met so many loving, caring people in the hospital. He said he used to have a house but it burned down; that was good because he loved being outdoors under God's roof. Of course, he mentioned that he got rained on sometimes, but that was good because he needed a bath. He tells story after story of the good that has taken place in his life. The Singer is mesmerized by his stories and then asks the man what his occupation is. The man replies he is a lawyer. A lawyer that has learned the laws of the road; the road of life. He is happy because he can share his understanding of the law with those he encounters. His pay is the delight he has in the law.
Reflection
Is the law a gift or a curse to you? The lex, the law of Jesus' time under Roman occupation could be harsh; rules enforced by outsiders. How different from the law, the torah, of the Hebrews. The torah means "teaching" and includes the insights one receives from those teachings. The law is a blessing to those who learn from it. The law is not limited to the nimble of mind who can comprehend all the parts and complexities of the law, but open to all who will listen and learn. To be faithful and righteous, therefore, is not so much to obey all the rules as to use creative images to understand relationships in life. To be righteous is to learn, love and embrace the life God gives us.
and your judgments are right.
You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me
because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and your law is the truth.
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
but your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.
Alternate Image
The Singer meets a man slow of speech and mind on the road. They sit together in the shade of a large tree and visit. The slow man says that when he was a child his mother hit his head frequently and that was the reason why he is slow. He smiles and says that was good because it led him to go to a foster home where he was loved. He said he was mugged last month on the road; that was good because he met so many loving, caring people in the hospital. He said he used to have a house but it burned down; that was good because he loved being outdoors under God's roof. Of course, he mentioned that he got rained on sometimes, but that was good because he needed a bath. He tells story after story of the good that has taken place in his life. The Singer is mesmerized by his stories and then asks the man what his occupation is. The man replies he is a lawyer. A lawyer that has learned the laws of the road; the road of life. He is happy because he can share his understanding of the law with those he encounters. His pay is the delight he has in the law.
Reflection
Is the law a gift or a curse to you? The lex, the law of Jesus' time under Roman occupation could be harsh; rules enforced by outsiders. How different from the law, the torah, of the Hebrews. The torah means "teaching" and includes the insights one receives from those teachings. The law is a blessing to those who learn from it. The law is not limited to the nimble of mind who can comprehend all the parts and complexities of the law, but open to all who will listen and learn. To be faithful and righteous, therefore, is not so much to obey all the rules as to use creative images to understand relationships in life. To be righteous is to learn, love and embrace the life God gives us.
