Reflections
Psalm 137: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 (Read)
“How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?”
This Sunday's Psalm is a prayer of the Jewish people
in exile in Babylon. As Sunday's 1st reading tells us,
the Lord became angry with the people of Judah
because of their many infidelities. (2 Chronicles 36:14-16)
And when they mocked the messenger of God,
God allowed them to be carried off to Babylon as slaves.
“By the rivers of Babylon, we sat mourning and weeping.”
But God's chosen people could not forget Jerusalem
and the covenant God had made with them. “If I forget
you Jerusalem, may my right hand wither. May my tongue
stick to my palate if I do not remember you.” And more
important, God did not forget them.
It is the same way with us. We sin against God and He
allows us to be carried off into a kind of self imposed exile,
where we separate ourselves from Him for a time.
“How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land?”
When our hearts are hardened by sin, how can we sing
a song of the Lord? When we are in the darkness because
we prefer the darkness, how can we sing a song of the Lord?
When we are separated from the Lord and indulging in things
of the world, how can we sing a song of the Lord?
It is only when we are in the light, then can we sing a song
of the Lord.
As Sunday’s 2nd reading tells us, “Even when we are dead in our
transgressions, God brings us to life with Christ.” (Ephesians 2:5)
And the Gospel reminds us in a powerful way that although we
are a wicked people who hate the light, God sent His Son not to
condemn us, but to save us and lead us into the light. (John 3: 17-21)
That is how we free ourselves from our own spiritual exile.
It is only when we are in the light, when we become a light unto
the world, then can we sing a song of the Lord!
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. This Sunday's Psalm Response is, "Let my tongue be silenced,
if I ever forget you!" When you are separated from God because of sin, have you noticed how it becomes difficult to praise and worship Him? In a way your tongue becomes silenced for a time. Explain how you can get your voice back and start again singing a song of the Lord.
2. Our psalmist tells us that it was difficult for the Jewish people captive in Babylon to sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land. Is it sometimes difficult for you to speak of your faith in the company of non-believers? If you are being persecuted by a world that does not acknowledge you as one of its own, how do you overcome your reticence and speak boldly of your faith?
ReplyDeleteIn Ps 137, the psalmist has complete loyalty and devotion towards God. The psalmist's love for Jerusalem and Zion is not separate from the love of God. The psalmist's devotion to God is seen when he deems it impossible or unthinkable that he would forget Jerusalem. His devotion takes the form of a solemn vow invoking upon himself the penalty of total or partial paralysis, in which case he would lose control of the most important organs of a musician - his hands and tongue.
Psalm 137 may have provided comfort and encouragement for the post-exilic Jews who were rebuilding the temple and walls of Jerusalem. The psalm may have encouraged them to continue in their complete loyalty to God, move on with their lives and put their hope and trust in God.
The message of Ps 137 to us the followers of God is that when the present world system may pressurize us to mock God and ultimately abandon our faith, we should continue to honour the Lord and persevere in trusting him. Even though it may seem that we live in exile far removed from God, literally or figuratively, in those situations, we should refuse to participate with the ungodly in the mockery of God. Instead, we should stand firm in our faith and remain loyal and devoted to God. No matter how difficult the present circumstances may be, God's followers can trust the Lord because he is sovereign and in control of the course of history and ultimately he will vindicate his honour and the faith of his people. Thus, the sovereignty of God over everything gives us hope and comfort.