Reflections
Psalm 116: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6. 8-9 (Read)“He has freed my soul from death.”
It is said that Jesus called out this prayer
on the night He was betrayed, and went
to His death with these words on His lips.
The psalm is a simple prayer of thanks to
God that the psalmist might have used after
escape from the “snares of the netherworld,”
as he called upon God, “O Lord save my life!”
But unlike the psalmist, our Savior does not
ask to escape death; instead He begins to
teach the disciples that the Son of Man must
suffer greatly and be killed. Jesus summons
the crowd and begins to preach on the redemptive
value of His death, saying that 'whoever loses his
life for my sake will save it.' (Gospel, Mark 8: 31-35)
Having become the prayer of Our Lord on the night
of his Passion, the Psalm says to us believers that
there is hope, that we too will “walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.”
In Sunday's first reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds
us that the suffering servant is not disgraced, is not
put to shame.(Isaiah 50:7) It is that same spirit of
defiance in the face of death that empowers the
suffering servant to set his face like flint, knowing
that the Lord God is his help.
Because we are little and “brought low,” we depend
on our God to “incline His ear” to us when we call.
We cannot raise up ourselves; we are at the mercy
of God's grace. We cannot become divine, and
therefore God in His love for us became like us
and inclined Himself to our humanity
For this we are grateful, and we join with the
psalmist who celebrates as we do, “For the Lord
has freed my soul from death.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says that the "Lord has freed my soul from death." Speak about
how the Lord has worked in your life to give you hope that you are saved and raised
you up away from the "cords of death."
2. The Psalm says, "The Lord keeps the little ones." Are you one of His 'little ones?'
Explain how by humbling yourself you have a better chance of being pleasing in the
eyes of God.
I am one of His little ones! The Lord has mercy on me each day. In my weakness, He is great. In my failures, He is victor. His power shines through precisely because I am powerless, unable.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
I serve an almighty God who frees my soul from death over and over. He is ABLE when I am not. He created me and knows my imperfections; only He is able to touch my heart and orient me toward repentance, humility and courage.
We have many reasons for loving the Lord, but are most affected by his loving kindness when relieved from deep distress. When we call upon the Lord to deliver our souls, we will find him gracious and true to his promise. Neither ignorance nor guilt will hinder our salvation, when we put our trust in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteLet us all speak of God as we have found him; and have we ever found him otherwise than just and good? It is of his mercies that we are not consumed by sorrow and sin. We should deem ourselves bound to walk as in his presence.
It is a great mercy to be kept from being swallowed up with over-much sorrow. It is a great mercy for God to hold us by the right hand, so that we are not overcome and overthrown by a temptation. But when we enter the heavenly rest, deliverance from sin and sorrow will be complete; we shall behold the glory of the Lord, and walk in his presence with delight we cannot now conceive.
There is a hidden secret victory behind the Cross. Most of us are afraid to carry a cross. It requires us to sacrifice ourselves, deny ourselves. Sometimes we have to do that which we do not wish to do.
ReplyDeleteTo take up our cross is one way to please God and offer up ourselves and yield to Him. Look at the example of Jesus. God exalted Him and raised Him up high because of his complete submission to God by enduring the cross.
Because of Jesus we are free from "the cords of death." The way of the cross is the "cords of love" which bind us together. That is why I would say there is a victory leading to everlasting life. Without pain, no glory. We have to share his suffering to glorify Him.
Carol and I also feel like we are the little ones. We try to be good neighbors, and
ReplyDeletewe try and do what is right. Yesterday, I was a table host at the Interfaith Annual
Meeting. On Monday morning, Ron and I inspected more sections of the view fencing for the the HOA Board. Little actions by little people.
Carol and I have met with Jimmy Carter, and his wife, and I’ve been seated next to
Pat Nixon for breakfast. And, I went to John Kennedy’s Inaugural Ball. These big,
important people have enormous pressures on them. And I read about the rich
and famous, and “the Hollywood types,” ……and always I’m reminded about how
hard it is for a rich man to get to heaven. Last week we went to the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library in Simi Valley……….so many decisions affecting so many people.
Thank God, I’m one of the little people.