by Wayne Josephson
Trinity Lutheran Church, Fowler
This Sunday, March 28, is Palm/Passion Sunday. The Gospel for Passion Sunday, Luke 22:14-23:56, tells the story of Jesus’ suffering and death. Psalm 31, also read this Sunday, reflects Jesus’ story, but at the same time may reflect our story.
The psalmist runs to God for help (31:1-2).
“In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”
Then the psalmist recites for God, with verve and candor, the trouble to be faced (9-13).
“Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends— those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me and plot to take my life.”
Next, the psalmist expresses confidence in God, fully expectant that God is able to intervene in the trouble (14-15).
“But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.
Finally the psalmist petitions vigorously (15-16):
“My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.”
The two big verbs–deliver and save–point to God’s steadfast love as the remedy to all trouble.
The sequence of candor, confidence and petition is an effective way of telling the story of Jesus’ suffering and death:
Candor: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) describes for God the abandonment experienced in the suffering.
Confidence: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46), says the One
“who became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
Petition: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
Note that Jesus prays for others, not himself.
That’s the story of Jesus classically formulated in the hymn of Philippians 2:5-11. This is also the way we, in our faithful living, refer our lives back to God who hears prayer, overrides trouble, keeps promises. The psalm surely tells us about Jesus; but Jesus never comes alone, but always with his faithful companions who participate in “the cost and joy of discipleship.”
