Living in the Spirit

September 12, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 149
Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
   his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
   let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let them praise his name with dancing,
   making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
   he adorns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
   let them sing for joy on their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
   and two-edged swords in their hands,
to execute vengeance on the nations
   and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters
   and their nobles with chains of iron,
to execute on them the judgment decreed.
   This is glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!

Vengeance is mind–Deuteronomy 32:35

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. — Romans 12:19-21

Several of these Psalms have been sprinkled through the lectionary this year, starting with praising, and singing and ending with retribution. We are all human. When we feel we have been mistreated, our immediate response may demand we create the justice we think we deserve, particularly if the action was embarrassing. Doing so often just makes things worse. I am not sure we should overcome evil with good by likening such behavior, to being like heaping burning coals on their heads, but it is clearly the right thing to do.

Prayer: Lord, guide us to find the right way to deal with what we deem to be the mistreatment we experience in life. Amen.

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.