The great commandment that Jesus
mentions several times before He is taken away to be put to death is emphasized
at the beginning and at the end of today’s Gospel (Friday of Week 5): This I command you: love one another. Three
simple words at the end of the passage. (John 15:17).
The command is better explained
at the beginning of the passage: Love one
another as I love you. That has particular meaning for us as we continue
our journey through the psalms asking the question, “How does he love us?” In
light of the great commandment given above, our search takes on new immediacy.
Whatever we discover about how God cares for us, that is what we must do to the
best of our abilities. Sometimes we uncover things which are too far beyond our
human capacities, but at all time and in all ways, we must seek to do whatever
we can, whatever we are ready to do, and whatever the Spirit of God prompts us
to do. Keep that in mind as we continue with this Psalm series over the weeks
to come.
We are still looking at Psalm
23:
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort. (23:4)
·
Last week we studied a hymn which suggested that
the staff becomes the Cross, and that may be our guide.
·
I remember when I was Pastor of our parish, and
I could see from the altar so many people who were obviously in pain and who
spent a good deal of time simply staring at the crucifix over the altar. That
was what got them through the time of suffering they had to endure.
·
What might be your “valley of darkness?” Is it
some experience that you got through and survived, or might it be something
that you are actually going through right now? Look to the “crook and staff”---look
to the Cross. Experience the comfort which God alone can give.
·
I remember a very difficult and painful time in
my own life. I was at a concert in a Lutheran church. Behind the altar was a
beautiful mosaic of Christ the good shepherd. During the concert, I became
transfixed by looking at the mosaic, and it seemed to come alive, and Christ’s
eyes were on me, and I sensed power and comfort coming from the image and
entering my heart and soul, and I was filled with comfort and love so much so
that the difficult time I was having simply came to an end right there in that
lovely little church. (The music, by the way, was by J.S. Bach, to whom I often
look as a patron.
·
Perhaps we are incapable of offering comfort to
the power and the degree that Our Lord is able to do; but whenever we see
another person in pain, Christ may use us to bring His comfort to that
person. And when we read the stories in the news or on the Internet about
people who are suffering, perhaps we can pause from our reading and hold those
people up in prayer and ask Christ to comfort them. In this way, we are living
in the space of Psalm 23.
We are moving very slowly
through Psalm 23. And that is fitting, since it is so full of the love and care
of our God. We continue on Sunday.
God bless you.
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