Meditation for December 17, 2008

From The Rev. Peter A. Munson

Psalm 53

1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."

All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;

there is none who does any good.

2 God looks down from heaven upon us all,

to see if there is any who is wise,

if there is one who seeks after God.

3 Every one has proved faithless;

all alike have turned bad;

there is none who does good; no, not one.

4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers

who eat up my people like bread

and do not call upon God?

5 See how greatly they tremble,

such trembling as never was;

for God has scattered the bones of the enemy;

they are put to shame, because God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come out of Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people

Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

Wisdom Is Seeking After God

The view of the Psalmist is pretty clear: those who are faithless - those who ignore God, those who act as if there is no God, those who are corrupt, those evildoers "who eat up my people like bread" (verse 4) will have a day of reckoning, and it will not be pretty. "See how greatly they tremble, such trembling as never was; for God has scattered the bones of the enemy; they are put to shame, because God has rejected them." (verse 5)

At times in my life I have been way too worried about what other people think. I suppose, at its core, this is a fear of rejection. The Psalmist would say our fear is in the wrong place. If it is rejection that we fear, we should be much more afraid of God rejecting us - not other people. Jesus put it this way: "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" (Luke 12:4-5) In other words, fear God, and only God.

If you want to look at these things in a more positive light, return to verse 2 in Psalm 53. "God looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God." To remind you of another verse, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10)

The Psalmist contrasts the fool with those who are wise. It all comes down to this in the end: the fool says "there is no God"; the wise person is the one who seeks after God. Wise people begin to get wisdom when they recognize the truth - that God is the source of all wisdom.

In this season of Advent... a season that can, if we let it, become too rushed, too energy-draining, too frustrating, with too much hype and hullabaloo, there is one strategy that will set us off in the right direction. That strategy? Seeking the Lord.

At your family gatherings...

While shopping and wrapping presents...

While picking up some things for dinner at the grocery store...

In our various 1:1 conversations throughout the day...

At worship on Sunday and at worship on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning...

As we watch the children in the Christmas pageant this Sunday...

As we participate in a Vestry meeting or in choir practice...

As we run or go to the gym or take a walk...

As we collaborate with our co-workers...

As we sit down for a meal or pause for a few minutes of quiet...

Will we seek the Lord?

That would be the wise choice. Most other choices are faithless, and do not do us or anyone else (or even God) much good.

"God looks down from heaven [this day, this Advent, this Christmas] upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God."

May you be that one, so that God can say to his Son, "Oh look, Jesus. Look at him! Look at her! There! Right there! See? Now there is a wise one!"