Lent
March 6, 2019
Scripture Reading: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.’
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling-place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation. –Psalm 91:1-2, 9-10, 14-16
“As long as you live in my house, you obey my rules.” Is a phrase, I dare say, most teenagers have heard in one form or another. Hopefully, teenagers hear this phrase as a form of discipline guiding them to be more self-sufficient. It is often implied in the final discourse over routine discussions regarding cleaning a room or carrying out the trash. In more serious learning moments, it may be applied to avoiding violent behavior or use of illegal drugs. We sometime forget that this must have been the situation with the Prodigal Son who decided living in his father’s house was not the life for him until he learned the hard way that indeed it was the life for him.
Family in general is born in relationships as is the family of God. Today’s scripture is describing life in the family of God. The word above translated “scourge” is a metaphor, especially of a disease, regarded as sent by a divine chastisement*. Living in God’s will protects us from evil and from scourges as we learn the disciplines of a loving God.
We have a more nuanced understanding of illnesses today. We know about germs and contagion and no longer believe that all diseases are God’s direct chastisements. We also, however, cannot deny that our individual and collective behavior can and does contribute to our health status. Think about the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis**. In our relationship with God, we learn through God’s love how to become whole and how to love in oneness with all in a just society.
Prayer: Most High God teach me your will and your way that leads to wholeness, oneness, and justice. Amen.
*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5061.htm
** https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.