Psalm Reading for March 31, 2024 (Easter)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This selection from Psalm 118 is a song of joy and victory that is appropriate for Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection.  Obviously, the original context preceded that event by many centuries. (We note that Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 were featured in our lectionary reading for the Liturgy of the Palms last Sunday, so the verses this week provide some amplification to that theme of joy.)

Scholars tell us that this is the last of six Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were Psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  It is likely that this Psalm is associated with the Jewish feast of Tabernacles and other Jewish festivals.

This Psalm begins with a liturgical phrase that frequently appears in the Psalms, especially here and in Psalm 136, as well as others.  We surmise that this may have been a call and response between the worship leaders (possibly the Levites) and the congregation:

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let Israel now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.

In the verses from 14 to 24, the Psalmist explores the nature of Yahweh, his blessings, and the response of the grateful congregation.

The Lord is acknowledged as the Psalmist’s strength and song — and the Psalmist then describes a new characteristic that he has begun to experience from the Lord:

he has become my salvation.

He then explores what this salvation means to him — victory, for one thing.  In an allusion to the nomadic life of his ancestors, or perhaps to the encampments of a military campaign, he refers to the songs of praise sung in the tents like those used in the feast of Tabernacles:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
“The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”

Salvation also means life, not death:

 I will not die, but live,
and declare Yah’s works.
Yah has punished me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

The Psalmist calls for the gates of righteousness to be opened to him — this is likely both literal and figurative, as the congregation is led in procession into the temple.  The occasion is the opportunity to give thanks to Yahweh.  But it is also clear that there are requirements for those who enter:

This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous will enter into it.

The Psalmist again gives thanks that Yahweh has answered his prayer and has become his salvation.  And then there is a verse quite familiar to readers of the New Testament:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
 This is Yahweh’s doing.
It is marvelous in our eyes.

The cornerstone was the bondstone at the corner of the foundation of the building. This image is used by some of the prophets as well.

From the Psalmist’s perspective, this metaphor probably suggests that Israel is the cornerstone that was rejected by the Gentiles but has become a great nation through the blessing of the Lord.

However, from a Christian perspective this proverb describes the ministry of Christ — rejected and crucified, he is nonetheless the chief cornerstone, chosen by God and raised to life in order to provide the foundation of a new spiritual temple.

This verse is quoted by Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) as a comment on his parable of the wicked tenants who reject the messengers from the landowner, and then kill his beloved son.  Jesus is the cornerstone whom the wicked tenants have rejected.

In the New Testament, the chief cornerstone is clearly identified with Jesus:

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

This selection of the Psalm concludes with an exhortation very appropriate for the observation of Easter Sunday:

This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!

This day, of all days, is a day of rejoicing!

APPLY:  

This selection from Psalm 118 is perfect for Easter Sunday, reminding us that God brings life out of death, and hope out of despair.

We are especially reminded that Christ, though rejected, despised and crucified, has been vindicated by his resurrection.

No wonder the early church saw this Psalm as a prophecy of Christ.  Jesus himself refers to himself as the stone rejected by the builders who has now become the chief cornerstone. The carpenter’s Son has begun the process of building his church!

RESPOND: 

There are so many hymns we sing in church that allude to Christ as our cornerstone and the foundation of our faith.

One of my favorites extols Christ:

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone;
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the church in one.

Though the historic “temple” of the Christian church has been built with elaborate chambers and columns, arches and domes and spires, metaphorically, by Christians of every denomination and tradition, one thing is certain — they all build upon Christ as the one foundation.

Lord, I rejoice that you are the cornerstone of my faith, and the structure of my life is founded upon you.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Omaha North Presbyterian Church cornerstone” by Ammodramus is in the public domain.

Psalm Reading for March 24, 2024 (Liturgy of the Palms)

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.”
Psalm 118:22 (World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is a festive Psalm that is commonly associated with the Feast of the Tabernacles rather than Passover, and celebrates Israel’s nomadic past, and the sojourn in the wilderness.

It appears to be a processional Psalm that worshipers might sing as they approach the Temple.  As they climb, the Psalm’s verses reflect their progress. They begin by calling for the gates of the righteous and of the Lord to be opened.  Then there is notice paid to the stones — specifically the cornerstone, as though the worshipers are passing a particular point in the Temple. Then they approach with boughs in hand up to the horns of the altar.  The altar is the place of sacrifice, and the horns are at the corners of the altar which a person seeking refuge might grasp for sanctuary.

The Psalm begins with a familiar refrain that we find repeated often throughout the Psalm, extolling the love of the Lord that endures forever.

The rejected stone that has become the head of the corner (i.e., the cornerstone) comes with no explanation — no doubt the reference might have been clear to the people of that time.  We speculate that it might relate metaphorically to David, who was the least of his family and yet was chosen to be king. Perhaps it relates to Israel itself as a nation.  See the Apply section for possible interpretations by the Christian community.

The boughs that are carried in the festal procession suggest the Feast of Tabernacles — the waving of willow boughs and palm branches was a common feature of this important Jewish feast.

The Psalm closes as it began:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

APPLY:  

From the Christian perspective, this Psalm resonates with Messianic themes that evoke the life and passion of Jesus.

God’s love that endures forever is consummately expressed in Jesus.  And the New Testament writers were eager to identify the cornerstone rejected by men with Christ — the cornerstone is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, and in Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and twice in 1 Peter 2:6-7.

In each case (with the exception of Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6), the references are to the passage in Psalm 118:22.

From the New Testament perspective, the stone that is rejected and which has become the cornerstone is an obvious metaphor for Jesus.  He has been rejected by the builders, which may suggest the priestly caste and Pharisees. Nevertheless, he has become the cornerstone and foundation of our salvation.

This is a Psalm of unmistakable joy and praise as pilgrims enter the city, and reflects the tone for the exultant beginning of Holy Week. However, we do well to note the ominous foreshadowing of Jesus’ arrest and sacrificial death:

Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

RESPOND: 

It is always appropriate to sing praise to God.  But this Psalm is a reminder that even as we praise him, there is shadow here.  The rejected cornerstone is my Lord, who has become the cornerstone of my own life and faith.  But I recall with shame how I too have praised him, and yet at times betrayed him.

There is no small comfort in these words:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

Lord, I praise you and worship you.  Thank you that you have become my Cornerstone, my Savior, my Light.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Jesus as cornerstone (Efeziers 2:20)” by bastiaandegoede is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Gospel for May 28, 2023 Pentecost Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 7:37-39
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus speaks these words at the temple at the conclusion of the Feast of Booths:

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

The Feast of Booths (Sukkot in Hebrew, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or Tents) is one of the three major Feasts of the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 16:16). These were feasts that required Jewish men to appear in person at the temple and present sacrifices, if at all possible.  These three feasts included:

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as Passover or Pesach (usually in late March or early April).
• The Feast of Weeks, known as Pentecost (fifty days after Passover).
• The Feast of Booths (in September or October) which included, among other features, the observation of Rosh Hashanah (literally the “Head of the Year,” beginning the Jewish liturgical year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, which was a day of fasting and repentance).

The Feast of Booths was quite a festive celebration, following five days on the heels of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Families constructed temporary structures out of tree branches and lived in them for about eight days.  In doing so, they remembered the wandering of their ancestors in the wilderness of Sinai after the Exodus from Egypt.

Jesus apparently notices some of the ceremonies that are unique to the Feast of Booths, and makes reference to them as illustrations of his own life and ministry.  For example, one of the features of the Feast of the Tabernacles was a water ceremony.  The priest drew water from the Pool of Siloam and poured it into a silver basin near the altar.

Jesus seems to draw on this ceremony as a visual illustration of himself as the living water that completely satisfies the thirst for God.  Jesus declares that the Scriptures have promised that whoever believes will overflow with living waters:

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

There is a parallel with Isaiah 55:1-2, when the prophet quotes Yahweh:

Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters!
Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat!
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

And in Zechariah 14:8 and Ezekiel 47:1, metaphorical waters burst forth from the temple and Jerusalem and overflow the land.  Jesus has applied this same imagery to those who believe in him.

This imagery is more fully explained in the next sentence in John 7:39:

he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive.

The Holy Spirit is described as the living fountain that flows into the believer and then outwardly for the blessing of others.

Jesus, we are told, is speaking in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit:

 For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.

This doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit doesn’t yet exist.  The Holy Spirit is the eternal God, the Third Person of the Trinity — the Holy Spirit has been operative since the beginning, as we see in Genesis 1, and throughout the Hebrew Bible; and the Holy Spirit has clearly been an active agent in the conception of Jesus and in his life and ministry.

What John refers to is the sequence of chronological events that we find in the ministry of Jesus.  After his resurrection and his return to the Father, the Holy Spirit comes as the manifestation of God’s Spirit in the life of believers and in the church.  At that time, Christians will begin to experience the “fullness” of the Holy Spirit within them, like an inner fountain of water.

APPLY:  

Jesus uses vivid metaphors and images to illustrate his all-sufficiency in our lives.  Earlier in his ministry, Jesus had told the Samaritan woman at the well:

whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 14:14).

Water is a wonderful metaphor that describes all that Jesus means to our lives — we cannot live without water; water quenches our deepest thirsts; water washes us clean.

And by our faith in him, when we have drunk deeply of his living water, we in turn will become fountains of living water through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us!

RESPOND: 

Living life in the Spirit requires a certain level of balance.  We tend to think of the infilling of the Holy Spirit as an ecstatic, exuberant experience.  But it becomes clear from Scripture that there is also a lot of waiting around!

Jesus tells his disciples to wait until the power of the Spirit has been given to them; and John’s Gospel explains that the coming of the Spirit in fullness would not be accomplished until after Jesus had been glorified.  What this suggests is that the spiritual life isn’t merely about dramatic, kairos events — events that occur in a decisive and opportune moment.   The spiritual life is also about process — the kind of slow, organic growth that Jesus speaks of in so many of his parables (the mustard seed, the vineyard, the wheat and tares, etc.)

Bernard of Clairvaux, the great mystic and Cistercian monk from the 12th century, once wrote that the best preparation for Christian witness was to sit alone and keep silence.  He writes, perhaps inspired by Jesus’ words in John 7:37-38:

If you are wise therefore you will show yourself a reservoir and not a canal.  For a canal pours out as fast as it takes in; but a reservoir waits until it is full before it overflows, and so communicates its surplus…We have all too few such reservoirs in the Church at present, though we have canals in plenty…they (canals) desire to pour out when they themselves are not yet inpoured; they are readier to speak than to listen, eager to teach that which they do not know…Let the reservoir of which we spoke just now take pattern from the spring; the spring does not form a stream or spread into a lake until it is brimful.
[Selections from the Writings of Bernard of Clairvaux, Living Selections from the Great Devotional Classics, Upper Room 1961.]

Lord, I pray that I may be a reservoir of your living water, inpoured with your Spirit.  Then, may your Spirit be poured out from me into the lives of others. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Living Water" by KLMP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for April 9, 2023 (Easter)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This selection from Psalm 118 is a song of joy and victory that is appropriate for Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection.  Obviously, the original context preceded that event by many centuries. (We note that Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 were featured in our lectionary reading for the Liturgy of the Palms last Sunday, so the verses this week provide some amplification to that theme of joy.)

Scholars tell us that this is the last of six Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were Psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  It is likely that this Psalm is associated with the Jewish feast of Tabernacles and other Jewish festivals.

This Psalm begins with a liturgical phrase that frequently appears in the Psalms, especially here and in Psalm 136, as well as others.  We surmise that this may have been a call and response between the worship leaders (possibly the Levites) and the congregation:

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let Israel now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.

In the verses from 14 to 24, the Psalmist explores the nature of Yahweh, his blessings, and the response of the grateful congregation.

The Lord is acknowledged as the Psalmist’s strength and song — and the Psalmist then describes a new characteristic that he has begun to experience from the Lord:

he has become my salvation.

He then explores what this salvation means to him — victory, for one thing.  In an allusion to the nomadic life of his ancestors, or perhaps to the encampments of a military campaign, he refers to the songs of praise sung in the tents like those used in the feast of Tabernacles:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
“The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”

Salvation also means life, not death:

 I will not die, but live,
and declare Yah’s works.
Yah has punished me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

The Psalmist calls for the gates of righteousness to be opened to him — this is likely both literal and figurative, as the congregation is led in procession into the temple.  The occasion is the opportunity to give thanks to Yahweh.  But it is also clear that there are requirements for those who enter:

This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous will enter into it.

The Psalmist again gives thanks that Yahweh has answered his prayer and has become his salvation.  And then there is a verse quite familiar to readers of the New Testament:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
 This is Yahweh’s doing.
It is marvelous in our eyes.

The cornerstone was the bondstone at the corner of the foundation of the building. This image is used by some of the prophets as well.

From the Psalmist’s perspective, this metaphor probably suggests that Israel is the cornerstone that was rejected by the Gentiles but has become a great nation through the blessing of the Lord.

However, from a Christian perspective this proverb describes the ministry of Christ — rejected and crucified, he is nonetheless the chief cornerstone, chosen by God and raised to life in order to provide the foundation of a new spiritual temple.

This verse is quoted by Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) as a comment on his parable of the wicked tenants who reject the messengers from the landowner, and then kill his beloved son.  Jesus is the cornerstone whom the wicked tenants have rejected.

In the New Testament, the chief cornerstone is clearly identified with Jesus:

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

This selection of the Psalm concludes with an exhortation very appropriate for the observation of Easter Sunday:

This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!

This day, of all days, is a day of rejoicing!

APPLY:  

This selection from Psalm 118 is perfect for Easter Sunday, reminding us that God brings life out of death, and hope out of despair.

We are especially reminded that Christ, though rejected, despised and crucified, has been vindicated by his resurrection.

No wonder the early church saw this Psalm as a prophecy of Christ.  Jesus himself refers to himself as the stone rejected by the builders who has now become the chief cornerstone. The carpenter’s Son has begun the process of building his church!

RESPOND: 

There are so many hymns we sing in church that allude to Christ as our cornerstone and the foundation of our faith.

One of my favorites extols Christ:

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone;
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the church in one.

Though the historic “temple” of the Christian church has been built with elaborate chambers and columns, arches and domes and spires, metaphorically, by Christians of every denomination and tradition, one thing is certain — they all build upon Christ as the one foundation.

Lord, I rejoice that you are the cornerstone of my faith, and the structure of my life is founded upon you.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Omaha North Presbyterian Church cornerstone” by Ammodramus is in the public domain.

Psalm Reading for April 2, 2023 (Liturgy of the Palms)

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.”
Psalm 118:22 (World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is a festive Psalm that is commonly associated with the Feast of the Tabernacles rather than Passover, and celebrates Israel’s nomadic past, and the sojourn in the wilderness.

It appears to be a processional Psalm that worshipers might sing as they approach the Temple.  As they climb, the Psalm’s verses reflect their progress. They begin by calling for the gates of the righteous and of the Lord to be opened.  Then there is notice paid to the stones — specifically the cornerstone, as though the worshipers are passing a particular point in the Temple. Then they approach with boughs in hand up to the horns of the altar.  The altar is the place of sacrifice, and the horns are at the corners of the altar which a person seeking refuge might grasp for sanctuary.

The Psalm begins with a familiar refrain that we find repeated often throughout the Psalm, extolling the love of the Lord that endures forever.

The rejected stone that has become the the head of the corner (i.e., the cornerstone) comes with no explanation — no doubt the reference might have been clear to the people of that time.  We speculate that it might relate metaphorically to David, who was the least of his family and yet was chosen to be king. Perhaps it relates to Israel itself as a nation.  See the Apply section for possible interpretations by the Christian community.

The boughs that are carried in the festal procession suggest the Feast of Tabernacles — the waving of willow boughs and palm branches was a common feature of this important Jewish feast.

The Psalm closes as it began:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

APPLY:  

From the Christian perspective, this Psalm resonates with Messianic themes that evoke the life and passion of Jesus.

God’s love that endures forever is consummately expressed in Jesus.  And the New Testament writers were eager to identify the cornerstone rejected by men with Christ — the cornerstone is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, and in Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and twice in 1 Peter 2:6-7.

In each case (with the exception of Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6), the references are to the passage in Psalm 118:22.

From the New Testament perspective, the stone that is rejected and which has become the cornerstone is an obvious metaphor for Jesus.  He has been rejected by the builders, which may suggest the priestly caste and Pharisees. Nevertheless, he has become the cornerstone and foundation of our salvation.

This is a Psalm of unmistakeable joy and praise as pilgrims enter the city, and reflects the tone for the exultant beginning of Holy Week. However, we do well to note the ominous foreshadowing of Jesus’ arrest and sacrificial death:

Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

RESPOND: 

It is always appropriate to sing praise to God.  But this Psalm is a reminder that even as we praise him, there is shadow here.  The rejected cornerstone is my Lord, who has become the cornerstone of my own life and faith.  But I recall with shame how I too have praised him, and yet at times betrayed him.

There is no small comfort in these words:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

Lord, I praise you and worship you.  Thank you that you have become my Cornerstone, my Savior, my Light.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Jesus as cornerstone (Efeziers 2:20)” by bastiaandegoede is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Psalm Reading for April 17, 2022 (Easter)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COMa

OBSERVE:

This selection from Psalm 118 is a song of joy and victory that is appropriate for Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection.  Obviously, the original context preceded that event by many centuries. (We note that Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 were featured in our lectionary reading for the Liturgy of the Palms last Sunday, so the verses this week provide some amplification to that theme of joy.)

Scholars tell us that this is the last of six Hallel  Psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were Psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  It is likely that this Psalm is associated with the Jewish feast of Tabernacles and other Jewish festivals.

This Psalm begins with a liturgical phrase that frequently appears in the Psalms, especially here and in Psalm 136, as well as others.  We surmise that this may have been a call and response between the worship leaders (possibly the Levites) and the congregation:

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let Israel now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.

In the verses from 14 to 24, the Psalmist explores the nature of Yahweh, his blessings, and the response of the grateful congregation.

The Lord is acknowledged as the Psalmist’s strength and song —  and the Psalmist then describes a new characteristic that he has begun to experience from the Lord:

he has become my salvation.

He then explores what this salvation means to him —  victory, for one thing.  In an allusion to the nomadic life of his ancestors, or perhaps to the encampments of a military campaign, he refers to the songs of praise sung in the tents like those used in the feast of Tabernacles:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
“The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”

Salvation also means life, not death:

 I will not die, but live,
and declare Yah’s works.
Yah has punished me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

The Psalmist calls for the gates of righteousness to be opened to him —  this is likely both literal and figurative, as the congregation is led in procession into the temple.  The occasion is the opportunity to give thanks to Yahweh.  But it is also clear that there are requirements for those who enter:

This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous will enter into it.

The Psalmist again gives thanks that Yahweh has answered his prayer and has become his salvation.  And then there is a verse quite familiar to readers of the New Testament:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
 This is Yahweh’s doing.
It is marvelous in our eyes.

The cornerstone was the bondstone at the corner of the foundation of the building. This image is used by some of the prophets as well.

From the Psalmist’s perspective, this metaphor probably suggests that Israel is the cornerstone that was rejected by the Gentiles but has become a great nation through the blessing of the Lord.

However, from a Christian perspective this proverb describes the ministry of Christ —  rejected and crucified, he is nonetheless the chief cornerstone, chosen by God and raised to life in order to provide the foundation of a new spiritual temple.

This verse is quoted by Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:42; Mark  12:10; Luke 20:17) as a comment on his parable of the wicked tenants who reject the messengers from the landowner, and then kill his beloved son.  Jesus is the cornerstone whom the wicked tenants have rejected.

In the New Testament, the chief cornerstone  is clearly identified with Jesus:

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

This selection of the Psalm concludes with an exhortation very appropriate for the observation of Easter Sunday:

This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!

This day, of all days, is a day of rejoicing!

APPLY:  

This selection from Psalm 118 is perfect for Easter Sunday, reminding us that God brings life out of death, and hope out of despair.

We are especially reminded that Christ, though rejected, despised and crucified, has been vindicated by his resurrection.

No wonder the early church saw this Psalm as a prophecy of Christ.  Jesus himself refers to himself as the stone rejected by the builders who has now become the chief cornerstone. The carpenter’s Son has begun the process of building his church!

RESPOND: 

There are so many hymns we sing in church that allude to Christ as our cornerstone and the foundation of our faith.

One of my favorites extols Christ:

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone;
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the church in one.

Though the historic “temple” of the Christian church has been built with elaborate chambers and columns, arches and domes and spires, metaphorically, by Christians of every denomination and tradition, one thing is certain —  they all build upon Christ as the one foundation.

Lord, I rejoice that you are the cornerstone of my faith, and the structure of my life is founded upon you.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Omaha North Presbyterian Church cornerstone” by Ammodramus is in the public domain.

Psalm Reading for April 10, 2022 (Liturgy of the Palms)

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.”
Psalm 118:22 (World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is a festive Psalm that is commonly associated with the Feast of the Tabernacles rather than Passover, and celebrates Israel’s nomadic past, and the sojourn in the wilderness.

It appears to be a processional Psalm that worshipers might sing as they approach the Temple.  As they climb, the Psalm’s verses reflect their progress. They begin by calling for the gates of the righteous and of the Lord to be opened.  Then there is notice paid to the stones — specifically the cornerstone, as though the worshipers are passing a particular point in the Temple. Then they approach with boughs in hand up to the horns of the altar.  The altar is the place of sacrifice, and the horns are at the corners of the altar which a person seeking refuge might grasp for sanctuary.

The Psalm begins with a familiar refrain that we find repeated often throughout the Psalm, extolling the love of the Lord that endures forever.

The rejected stone that has become the the head of the corner (i.e., the cornerstone) comes with no explanation — no doubt the reference might have been clear to the people of that time.  We speculate that it might relate metaphorically to David, who was the least of his family and yet was chosen to be king. Perhaps it relates to Israel itself as a nation.  See the Apply section for possible interpretations by the Christian community.

The boughs that are carried in the festal procession suggest the Feast of Tabernacles — the waving of willow boughs and palm branches was a common feature of this important Jewish feast.

The Psalm closes as it began:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

APPLY:  

From the Christian perspective, this Psalm resonates with Messianic themes that evoke the life and passion of Jesus.

God’s love that endures forever is consummately expressed in Jesus.  And the New Testament writers were eager to identify the cornerstone rejected by men with Christ — the cornerstone is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, and in Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and twice in 1 Peter 2:6-7.

In each case (with the exception of Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6), the references are to the passage in Psalm 118:22.

From the New Testament perspective, the stone that is rejected and which has become the cornerstone is an obvious metaphor for Jesus.  He has been rejected by the builders, which may suggest the priestly caste and Pharisees. Nevertheless, he has become the cornerstone and foundation of our salvation.

This is a Psalm of unmistakeable joy and praise as pilgrims enter the city, and reflects the tone for the exultant beginning of Holy Week. However, we do well to note the ominous foreshadowing of Jesus’ arrest and sacrificial death:

Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

RESPOND: 

It is always appropriate to sing praise to God.  But this Psalm is a reminder that even as we praise him, there is shadow here.  The rejected cornerstone is my Lord, who has become the cornerstone of my own life and faith.  But I recall with shame how I too have praised him, and yet at times betrayed him.

There is no small comfort in these words:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

Lord, I praise you and worship you.  Thank you that you have become my Cornerstone, my Savior, my Light.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Jesus as cornerstone (Efeziers 2:20)” by bastiaandegoede is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Psalm Reading for April 4, 2021 (Easter)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COMa

OBSERVE:

This selection from Psalm 118 is a song of joy and victory that is appropriate for Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection.  Obviously, the original context preceded that event by many centuries. (We note that Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 were featured in our lectionary reading for the Liturgy of the Palms last Sunday, so the verses this week provide some amplification to that theme of joy.)

Scholars tell us that this is the last of six Hallel  Psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were Psalms of praise and thanksgiving.  It is likely that this Psalm is associated with the Jewish feast of Tabernacles and other Jewish festivals.

This Psalm begins with a liturgical phrase that frequently appears in the Psalms, especially here and in Psalm 136, as well as others.  We surmise that this may have been a call and response between the worship leaders (possibly the Levites) and the congregation:

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.
Let Israel now say
that his loving kindness endures forever.

In the verses from 14 to 24, the Psalmist explores the nature of Yahweh, his blessings, and the response of the grateful congregation.

The Lord is acknowledged as the Psalmist’s strength and song —  and the Psalmist then describes a new characteristic that he has begun to experience from the Lord:

he has become my salvation.

He then explores what this salvation means to him —  victory, for one thing.  In an allusion to the nomadic life of his ancestors, or perhaps to the encampments of a military campaign, he refers to the songs of praise sung in the tents like those used in the feast of Tabernacles:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous.
“The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly.
The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!
The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!”

Salvation also means life, not death:

 I will not die, but live,
and declare Yah’s works.
Yah has punished me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

The Psalmist calls for the gates of righteousness to be opened to him —  this is likely both literal and figurative, as the congregation is led in procession into the temple.  The occasion is the opportunity to give thanks to Yahweh.  But it is also clear that there are requirements for those who enter:

This is the gate of Yahweh;
the righteous will enter into it.

The Psalmist again gives thanks that Yahweh has answered his prayer and has become his salvation.  And then there is a verse quite familiar to readers of the New Testament:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
 This is Yahweh’s doing.
It is marvelous in our eyes.

The cornerstone was the bondstone at the corner of the foundation of the building. This image is used by some of the prophets as well.

From the Psalmist’s perspective, this metaphor probably suggests that Israel is the cornerstone that was rejected by the Gentiles but has become a great nation through the blessing of the Lord.

However, from a Christian perspective this proverb describes the ministry of Christ —  rejected and crucified, he is nonetheless the chief cornerstone, chosen by God and raised to life in order to provide the foundation of a new spiritual temple.

This verse is quoted by Jesus in the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:42; Mark  12:10; Luke 20:17) as a comment on his parable of the wicked tenants who reject the messengers from the landowner, and then kill his beloved son.  Jesus is the cornerstone whom the wicked tenants have rejected.

In the New Testament, the chief cornerstone  is clearly identified with Jesus:

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

This selection of the Psalm concludes with an exhortation very appropriate for the observation of Easter Sunday:

This is the day that Yahweh has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it!

This day, of all days, is a day of rejoicing!

APPLY:  

This selection from Psalm 118 is perfect for Easter Sunday, reminding us that God brings life out of death, and hope out of despair.

We are especially reminded that Christ, though rejected, despised and crucified, has been vindicated by his resurrection.

No wonder the early church saw this Psalm as a prophecy of Christ.  Jesus himself refers to himself as the stone rejected by the builders who has now become the chief cornerstone. The carpenter’s Son has begun the process of building his church!

RESPOND: 

There are so many hymns we sing in church that allude to Christ as our cornerstone and the foundation of our faith.

One of my favorites extols Christ:

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone;
chosen of the Lord and precious,
binding all the church in one.

Though the historic “temple” of the Christian church has been built with elaborate chambers and columns, arches and domes and spires, metaphorically, by Christians of every denomination and tradition, one thing is certain —  they all build upon Christ as the one foundation.

Lord, I rejoice that you are the cornerstone of my faith, and the structure of my life is founded upon you.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Omaha North Presbyterian Church cornerstone” by Ammodramus is in the public domain.

Psalm Reading for March 28, 2021 (Liturgy of the Palms)

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.”
Psalm 118:22 (World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is a festive Psalm that is commonly associated with the Feast of the Tabernacles rather than Passover, and celebrates Israel’s nomadic past, and the sojourn in the wilderness.

It appears to be a processional Psalm that worshipers might sing as they approach the Temple.  As they climb, the Psalm’s verses reflect their progress. They begin by calling for the gates of the righteous and of the Lord to be opened.  Then there is notice paid to the stones — specifically the cornerstone, as though the worshipers are passing a particular point in the Temple. Then they approach with boughs in hand up to the horns of the altar.  The altar is the place of sacrifice, and the horns are at the corners of the altar which a person seeking refuge might grasp for sanctuary.

The Psalm begins with a familiar refrain that we find repeated often throughout the Psalm, extolling the love of the Lord that endures forever.

The rejected stone that has become the the head of the corner (i.e., the cornerstone) comes with no explanation — no doubt the reference might have been clear to the people of that time.  We speculate that it might relate metaphorically to David, who was the least of his family and yet was chosen to be king. Perhaps it relates to Israel itself as a nation.  See the Apply section for possible interpretations by the Christian community.

The boughs that are carried in the festal procession suggest the Feast of Tabernacles — the waving of willow boughs and palm branches was a common feature of this important Jewish feast.

The Psalm closes as it began:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

APPLY:  

From the Christian perspective, this Psalm resonates with Messianic themes that evoke the life and passion of Jesus.

God’s love that endures forever is consummately expressed in Jesus.  And the New Testament writers were eager to identify the cornerstone rejected by men with Christ — the cornerstone is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, and in Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and twice in 1 Peter 2:6-7.

In each case (with the exception of Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6), the references are to the passage in Psalm 118:22.

From the New Testament perspective, the stone that is rejected and which has become the cornerstone is an obvious metaphor for Jesus.  He has been rejected by the builders, which may suggest the priestly caste and Pharisees. Nevertheless, he has become the cornerstone and foundation of our salvation.

This is a Psalm of unmistakeable joy and praise as pilgrims enter the city, and reflects the tone for the exultant beginning of Holy Week. However, we do well to note the ominous foreshadowing of Jesus’ arrest and sacrificial death:

Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

RESPOND: 

It is always appropriate to sing praise to God.  But this Psalm is a reminder that even as we praise him, there is shadow here.  The rejected cornerstone is my Lord, who has become the cornerstone of my own life and faith.  But I recall with shame how I too have praised him, and yet at times betrayed him.

There is no small comfort in these words:

Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loving kindness endures forever.

Lord, I praise you and worship you.  Thank you that you have become my Cornerstone, my Savior, my Light.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

“Jesus as cornerstone (Efeziers 2:20)” by bastiaandegoede is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.

Gospel for May 31, 2020 Pentecost Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
John 7:37-39
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Jesus speaks these words at the temple at the conclusion of the Feast of Booths:

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

The Feast of Booths (Sukkot in Hebrew, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or Tents) is one of the three major Feasts of the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 16:16). These were feasts that required Jewish men to appear in person at the temple and present sacrifices, if at all possible.  These three feasts included:

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as Passover or Pesach (usually in late March or early April).
• The Feast of Weeks, known as Pentecost (fifty days after Passover).
• The Feast of Booths (in September or October) which included, among other features, the observation of Rosh Hashanah (literally the “Head of the Year,” beginning the Jewish liturgical year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, which was a day of fasting and repentance).

The Feast of Booths was quite a festive celebration, following five days on the heels of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Families constructed temporary structures out of tree branches and lived in them for about eight days.  In doing so, they remembered the wandering of their ancestors in the wilderness of Sinai after the Exodus from Egypt.

Jesus apparently notices some of the ceremonies that are unique to the Feast of Booths, and makes reference to them as illustrations of his own life and ministry.  For example, one of the features of the Feast of the Tabernacles was a water ceremony.  The priest drew water from the Pool of Siloam and poured it into a silver basin near the altar.

Jesus seems to draw on this ceremony as a visual illustration of himself  as the living water that completely satisfies the thirst for God.  Jesus declares that the Scriptures have promised that whoever believes will overflow with living waters:

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.

There is a parallel with Isaiah 55:1-2, when the prophet quotes Yahweh:

Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters!
Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat!
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

And in Zechariah 14:8 and Ezekiel 47:1, metaphorical waters burst forth from the temple and Jerusalem and overflow the land.  Jesus has applied this same imagery to those who believe in him.

This imagery is more fully explained in the next sentence in John 7:39:

he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive.

The Holy Spirit is described as the living fountain that flows into the believer and then outwardly for the blessing of others.

Jesus, we are told, is speaking in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit:

 For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.

This doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit doesn’t yet exist.  The Holy Spirit is the eternal God, the Third Person of the Trinity — the Holy Spirit has been operative since the beginning, as we see in Genesis 1, and throughout the Hebrew Bible; and the Holy Spirit has clearly been an active agent in the conception of Jesus and in his life and ministry.

What John refers to is the sequence of chronological events that we find in the ministry of Jesus.  After his resurrection and his return to the Father, the Holy Spirit comes as the manifestation of God’s Spirit in the life of believers and in the church.  At that time, Christians will begin to experience the “fullness” of the Holy Spirit within them, like an inner fountain of water.

APPLY:  

Jesus uses vivid metaphors and images to illustrate his all-sufficiency in our lives.  Earlier in his ministry, Jesus had told the Samaritan woman at the well:

whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 14:14).

Water is a wonderful metaphor that describes all that Jesus means to our lives — we cannot live without water; water quenches our deepest thirsts; water washes us clean.

And by our faith in him, when we have drunk deeply of his living water, we in turn will become fountains of living water through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us!

RESPOND: 

Living life in the Spirit requires a certain level of balance.  We tend to think of the infilling of the Holy Spirit as an ecstatic, exuberant experience.  But it becomes clear from Scripture that there is also a lot of waiting around!

Jesus tells his disciples to wait until the power of the Spirit has been given to them; and John’s Gospel explains that the coming of the Spirit in fullness would not be accomplished until after Jesus had been glorified.  What this suggests is that the spiritual life isn’t merely about dramatic, kairos events — events that occur in a decisive and opportune moment.   The spiritual life is also about process — the kind of slow, organic growth that Jesus speaks of in so many of his parables (the mustard seed, the vineyard, the wheat and tares, etc.)

Bernard of Clairvaux, the great mystic and Cistercian monk from the 12th century, once wrote that the best preparation for Christian witness was to sit alone and keep silence.  He writes, perhaps inspired by Jesus’ words in John 7:37-38:

If you are wise therefore you will show yourself a reservoir and not a canal.  For a canal pours out as fast as it takes in; but a reservoir waits until it is full before it overflows, and so communicates its surplus…We have all too few such reservoirs in the Church at present, though we have canals in plenty….they (canals) desire to pour out when they themselves are not yet inpoured; they are readier to speak than to listen, eager to teach that which they do not know….Let the reservoir of which we spoke just now take pattern from the spring; the spring does not form a stream or spread into a lake until it is brimful.
[Selections from the Writings of Bernard of Clairvaux, Living Selections from the Great Devotional Classics, Upper Room 1961.]

Lord, I pray that I may be a reservoir of your living water, inpoured with your Spirit.  Then, may your Spirit be poured out from me into the lives of others. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Living Water" by KLMP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.