Daily Devotional • September 8
Psalm 41
1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
2 The Lord protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land—
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.
4 I said, “Have mercy on me, Lord;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die and his name perish?”
6 When one of them comes to see me,
he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
then he goes out and spreads it around.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.
10 But may you have mercy on me, Lord;
raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 Because of my integrity you uphold me
and set me in your presence forever.
13 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
Meditation
Some four decades ago or so, a movement known as Liberation Theology purveyed the notion that God has a “preferential option for the poor.” This Psalm offers solid justification for such a thought: “Happy are they who consider the poor and needy!” Those who do so are promised multiple rewards: deliverance from adversity, life, safety, protection from enemies, and sustenance through illness.
The Psalmist here considers himself in need of such divine munificence, and seems to be trying to remind God subtly of his own virtue in his behavior toward the “poor and needy.” He is acutely aware of the thinly-veiled activity of his detractors, who are engaging in slander and gossip against him. “All my enemies whisper together about me.” The apex of his angst is that some of these back stabbers are among those he has considered his closest friends—“Even my best friend, whom I trusted … has … turned against me.” Betrayal by one’s friends, or even a spouse or other family member, is surely one of the bitterest experiences a human being can be asked to endure. Without belittling the plight of those who are literally impoverished or needy, being on the receiving end of betrayal is an authentic experience of suffering.
As with Psalm 63 yesterday, we arrive at a conclusion that is simultaneously inspiring and jarring to the genteel sensibilities to which “first world” contemporary Christians are largely conditioned. God’s mercy is seen as providing scope for exacting revenge—“raise me up, and I shall repay them.” Divine favor is understood as part of a zero-sum game—“By this I know that you are pleased with me, that my enemy does not triumph over me.” It can be challenging to let ourselves inhabit this territory, to make these prayers our own. Yet, it is worth the effort, not because the sentiments suddenly become truly wholesome, but because of what the effort reveals to us about our own condition.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins is retired Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in the Episcopal Church.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
All Saints’, Beverly Hills, California
The Diocese of Okinawa – The Nippon Sei Ko Kai
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins is retired Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in the Episcopal Church.
