When we have had more than enough
The psalm which will be read this Sunday is quite short. Martin Luther, reading it, noticed that “great and weighty matters may be comprised in a few words, if they proceed from the spirit and the unspeakable groanings of the heart, especially when our necessity is such as will not suffer any long prayer.” It is, perhaps, a good, simple, and humble prayer for any who feel disappointed, neglected, or even deceived or mistreated.
Psalm 123
1 Unto you I lift up my eyes, *
you who are enthroned in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress,
3 Even so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, *
until he show us his favor.
4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, *
for we have suffered more than enough contempt.
5 Long has our soul suffered the scorn of the wealthy *
and the spitefulness of the proud.
Many words could be used to describe the heart, and the God, that come into sweet communion as this song unfolds; far more than the psalm itself uses. It is both intensely personal, as it opens in verse one, and, at the same time, speaks for the whole community, and of universal experience. Who has never felt they have had “more than enough contempt?”
We are, in this world, encouraged to “defend ourselves,” “stand up for ourselves,” and “fight for ourselves.” This advice will only carry us so far. Hurts, disappointments, and vulnerability are unavoidable by mere mortals. Suffering, which is another way of saying “patience,” must be cultivated in every heart. But, without hope and confidence, it is nothing more than a coping strategy.
The psalmist says, “It is to you, LORD, that I lift my eyes.” It is a very nice pairing with the previous two psalms: 121, “To the hills I lift up my eyes,” And 122, “Now our feet are standing, within your gates, O Jerusalem.” We have climbed as far as we can go. All that remains is to look to the hand of the master. Effort has come to an end, trust and endurance are the cardinal virtues now.
John Calvin (to round out our Reformation heroes’ roster) observed, “We know how shamefully servants were treated in ancient times, and what reproaches must be cast upon them, whilst yet they durst not move a finger to repel the outrage. Being therefore deprived of all means of defending themselves, the only thing which remained for them to do was, what is here stated, to crave the protection of their masters. The same explanation is equally applicable to the case of handmaids. Their condition was indeed shameful and degrading; but there is no reason why we should be ashamed of, or offended at, being compared to slaves, provided God is our defender, and takes our lives under his guardianship; God, I say, who purposely disarms us and strips us of all worldly aid, that we may learn to rely upon his grace, and to be contented with it alone.”
I caution that this attitude of rest does not free us from the burden of labor. Cheerful, or grieved, as we may be, there remain the burdens of the day, which must be attended to. It is restlessness, frustration, anger, and hopelessness which find their dissolution in the gift of God, received from his own hand, in his own time.
—Fr. Eric
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