“The Lord has done great things for us.”
The Psalm speaks about the joyous
return of Israel from exile and captivity.
“The Lord has restored the fortunes of
Zion.” As we hear in our 1st reading from
the Book of Baruch, Jerusalem is to take
off her robe of misery and to put on the
splendor of God forever. Truly,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
But there is more -- as the Psalm says,
“The Lord has done great things for us
as well. What could be more wonderful
than what Christ does for us, in leading
us out of our spiritual captivity in a sinful
world, to a place of splendor where the
Father dwells. We are restored by the
Lord’s grace, and our spiritual dryness
is filled with the baptismal waters, like
the dry stream beds of the Negeb.
But we must do our part – the sowing
of tears is a time of repentance for us.
It is just as John the Baptist proclaims
in the Gospel – we must be baptized in
repentance, for the forgiveness of our sins.
And what is the sign of true repentance?
It is when one produces good fruit by
what we sow. As the Psalm says,
“Those who go forth weeping, carrying
sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy,
carrying their bundled sheaves.”
Finally the Psalm reminds us that the
truly great thing the Lord has done for us
is to send His only begotten Son to be by
our side. Jesus’ presence is a guarantee
of a spiritual harvest that leads to our
own salvation.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist reminds us, 'We are filled with joy,' because
the Lord has done great things for us! Tell of how these verses
speak to you during this Advent season of the arrival of our incarnate Lord.
2. The Psalm says, 'Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.'
Describe how repentance has led to salvation in your spiritual life.
I love the joyful ascent of Psalm 126. However, it brings to mind a battle within -- the distance between head and heart.
ReplyDeleteAs with many theological lessons, I don't have a problem with MENTAL ASSENT... understanding and agreeing with God. I know that Jesus is my Savior and that the greatest gift He gave us was to atone for our sins, and thus recreate a path to eternity after the fall of Adam.
I have a much harder time with FAITH -- believing through my experiential knowledge or just because God is Almighty. Verse 3 says, "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad." I can agree the proclamation is true and I see it in the lives of others. But do I feel the statement is true for me?
I confess that I struggle with it. I am currently enduring a very emotional time of testing with family relationships. God asks us not to wish away the hard times, but rather to offer up praise and gratitude THROUGH the hard times. I am doing this. Or, I remind myself to do this several times a day. It helps for a while, until I start remembering all the insults and unfairness that I encounter with a particular family member who is in authority over me. I try to view her as a beloved creation and that we share the same loving Father. I try to show her compassion. I offer my difficulty to Mary, Undoer of Knots... to untie the misperceptions. I have actually been fighting for years -- I am battle-weary.
When I think of it, I immerse myself in the Word to get direction, a drop of wisdom. The Lord reminded me recently that healing comes through humility. Yes, that same "humility" which goes against our human nature and requires a strong surrender, an oxymoron indeed. The tears flow, the heart aches, but there is a peace that accompanies giving God everything and simply saying, "Jesus, I trust in you."
Jesus came to us in ultimate humility, as a helpless baby with not even a cradle or pillow, but scraps of cloth for cover and hay for his head. And when he grew up and stood accused, brutally whipped, and crucified, he turned the other cheek, asking forgiveness for those who do not know what they do. The example set by this Suffering Servant is so very hard to follow, yet that is what he asks. He promises us that His way is THE WAY to set us free. To overcome. To taste the final victory.