From the Pastor |
Sermon - March 8, 2020
Throughout our lives, we take many different journeys. We travel to and from different places… in and out of different roles, jobs and relationships… Even our faith is a journey. Sometimes the journeys are simple and easy… other times they seem huge and even a bit scary. The truth is that all of life is a journey and there are risks… dangers we have to face along the way. There are physical dangers such as illness, injury, accidents and natural disasters. There are psychological and emotional dangers like depression, heartache, anger, fear and anxiety. There are economic dangers: recessions, unemployment, debt and theft. There are even many spiritual dangers: doubt, sin, corruption and evil. The journeys we take and the dangers we face can fill us with fear. There are always times when we feel alone… like we are traversing the miles (whether literal or figurative) by ourselves. This is why we need Psalm 121… it is a hymn of trust and confidence in God. The quiet assurance of God’s protection. One of the 15 “Songs of Ascents”, Psalm 121 was sung by the People of Israel as they traveled to Jerusalem for the Jewish Festivals. The stark geographic diversity of the region was such that travel was difficult and often dangerous. Jerusalem is located in the Judean Mountains 14 miles west of the Dead Sea, and 33 miles east of the Mediterranean. The city is situated on a large plateau at an elevation of 2,550 feet. No matter which direction you are traveling from toward Jerusalem, basically you are going up. Add to that the fact that the temple was located on the highest part of the city of Jerusalem, and the journey upward was true in terms of altitude, but also in terms of theology. Although this psalm was used most often for the journey to worship, to ascend to the holy mountain… to abide in the presence of God… it is a psalm about all of life… every aspect, all the goings and comings. Psalm 121 is about the journey of life and the promise of God. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?” The psalm begins with a pilgrim looking to the mountains. Acknowledging the dangerous journey ahead… The mountainous region, the arid climate… the hills and rocky passes that left many places for robbers to hide. Where can he or she find protection for this treacherous journey? The protection comes from, oddly enough… the mountain they raise their eyes to. Zion, God’s Holy Mountain… and the One who resides there. “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” From the very first verse, the author sets his sights on God for the journey. Throughout this beautiful Psalm, there is a focus that reminds us of a spiritual journey, where God is the destination. The Hebrew word “shamar” appears six times in these eight verses. We have quite a few English words we use to translate it… It means “to keep, guard, protect and watch over” “… he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you… The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” The Psalm expands the notion of the Lord’s watching and protecting to include an entire lifetime. The image we receive is that life itself as a journey. It assures the people that God is with them… protecting and watching over them… from the most basic danger of a foot slipping… to the greater danger of sunstroke… even the light of the moon (which in ancient times was viewed with superstitious fears.) No matter what the danger… God is a constant companion both day and night… whether coming or going… an ever-present help at all times. What a source of assurance, hope and strength! Like the people of ancient Israel… we also have the assurance of God’s presence and “shamar”… protection. It is the protection... the salvation that is secured through Christ for all who believe. For as John reminds us, Jesus is the connection… the bridge between heaven and earth. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” Jesus offered his own life… to be lifted up on the cross… to make eternal life possible for all who believe. Eternal Life… what a promise! But what does that have to do with God’s protection today? Everything! Too many people think that the promise of eternal life simply means immortality… it is our future life in heaven. But that is not what Jesus meant by “eternal life”. Jesus spoke many times about “eternal life”: John 5:24 says “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life…” Did you catch that… He said HAS… not will have! He even later defined eternal life when he was praying in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Eternal Life is knowing God… having a close, personal relationship with the God of Creation… it is living in the unending presence of God. Sin is the barrier that stands between humanity and God. It is because of sin that we were separated from God… we did not truly know God. So sin had to be removed! And that’s exactly what Jesus did when he was “lifted up” on the cross. Through Christ, sin no longer stands between God and human beings. Now, all who have faith… all who believe have been granted eternal life… the unending presence of God with us through every step of our journey through life. This is the promise NOW… not just in the future. So if we have been granted eternal life here and now… why do we need this Psalm today? Because we are still travelers… life AND faith is still a journey. There are still dangers and… well… we are human! We need the reminder that God is with us on our journey… God is protecting us now and forevermore… watching over us each and every day. Now, one problem we have is that too often we fall into the trap of thinking that if we are with God… nothing bad will ever happen to us. That is how the psalm makes it sound, doesn’t it? “(God) will not let your foot slip… The Lord will keep you from all harm”. Yet, experience tells us otherwise. We know that far too often “bad things happen to good people”. So, what’s up with that? I want to look at verse five for a minute: “The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;” The Lord is your “shade”… This word is also translated as “shadow,” as in “the shadow of [God’s] wings.” [Psalm 57:1] It is a comforting presence, an affirming assurance, a protective certainty when we think about what it means for a baby bird to be sheltered under… in the shadow of… its parent’s wing. It is a time of comfort and a sense of safety… We can embrace the shadow; relaxing in that grace. God’s shadow… is not a magical protection from the trials and pains of a dangerous and complicated world, but IS a constant companion and a source of comfort on the journey of our lives. And the more we claim that presence, the more we follow God’s guidance, the more we will be able to avoid the dangers ahead of us… for God is with us. Besides… when we are feeling hurt or victimized, it's useful to remember that Jesus himself endured horrendous treatment from others. There is nothing in life that could be worse than what Jesus endured on our behalf, when he was betrayed and deserted by his friends… ridiculed by those he came to save… beaten and tortured and then nailed to a cross… Therefore, you can be sure that God more than understands what you are going through. God’s protection is found in the eternal life promised through Christ… is God’s unending presence with us… When all is well and we are happy… God is there with us. When bad things happen, God is still right there with us… God feels our pain, and is very present with us, and through it all, God works to bring out the best in even the worst of situations. Life is a journey… our faith is a journey… and we have the assurance that: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going… both now and forevermore.” The strength and comfort that this Psalm brings to us goes with us from the beginning to end of our life's journey, as well as helps sustain and uplift us with God's presence and protection along the way. So lift your eyes to the mountains… and remember “My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth...” from the very one who made the mountains and valleys, the heavens and the earth: Our help… each and every day… comes from God!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Yeon Shin
|