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Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
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Like Rain on New Mown Grass |
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Psalm
72 Twelfth
Sunday after Trinity August
10, 2008 Joy, grief, wealth, poverty hope, despair, war, peace, life, death. No, I’m not talking about the plot of a new movie, these are some of the human emotions and experiences that are dealt with in the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are very realistic about the human situation. They recognize the trials and sorrows of life, but they are also filled with hope, because they look beyond the circumstances of life to a God of power and purpose, who is also a God of love, who desires to do good things for His children. The Psalm writers face many trials but always in the faith that “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt thou refresh me” (Ps. 138:6). They go through the night of sorrow, but always believing “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps.30:5). That is one reason why the Psalms are so beloved by Christians. But the meanings of the Psalms are not always readily apparent, so, even though we read them daily as we follow the Bible reading guide in the Prayer Book we know as the “Psalms and Lessons for the Christian Year,” I am convinced many Christians do not understand them. Thus, I hope to teach from the Psalms for a few weeks, attempting to show the meaning and application of the Psalms to our lives today. Psalm 72 deals with the age old hope of lasting world peace. It is concerned about a world that is divided and violent and unfair, and it addresses the question, will it ever get better? The author, David, king of Israel, knew our only hope of establishing peace is found in God, so this Psalm is a prayer to God to bless him and to enable him to be the kind of king who leads his people into the ways of peace. It is, more specifically, a prayer for Solomon, who will be king after David. Some have suggested it was written near the end of David’s life, and that it expresses his dying prayer for Solomon. But it could have been written at anytime in Solomon’s life. It asks God’s blessings on the king and on the king’s son, and there is no reason why it couldn’t have been written for a birthday or Passover, or other significant occasion. The first thing we can see in this Psalm is the blessings of good government. Simply stated, good government contributes greatly to the peace of the citizens. Under good government, King David says in verse 2, the poor, meaning those who are poor because they have been cheated or oppressed, will be defended. In a land blessed with good government, the simple, that is, those not in positions of power, will be “kept.” “Kept” here simply means they will be preserved from those who would take advantage of them. They will be protected from those who would use personal, political, or financial power to harm them. The righteous, who live honorably and are just in their dealings with others, will flourish according to verse 7. Falsehood, meaning, dirty dealing, cheating, swindling and injustice, will be punished. As verse 14 says, “He will deliver their soul from falsehood.” There will be prosperity; “an heap of corn,” the “city shall flourish like grass upon the earth,” verse 16 tells us. Prosperity almost always follows good government, for good government protects the moral means of gaining and building wealth by promoting hard work, initiative and innovation. The whole picture here is of free and happy people living and working hard, and enjoying the fruits of their labors. Second, good government is based on truth. Thus, in verse 1, David asks God to give him, “Thy judgments.” Truth does not change. Truth remains constant. It does not see color, economic status, education, or any of the marks that often are used to set people up for special treatment. “Thou shalt not steal” always means “thou shalt not steal.” To the employer it means he will pay a decent wage. He will not steal from his employees by giving them less than they deserve. To the worker it means he will give a decent day’s work. He will earn his wages. He will not steal from his employer by doing less than his pay demands. To the poor man it means he will get a job and provide for himself, and his family. He will not steal from others by forcing them to provide for him. Since this truth is for all, it naturally promotes justice. The business owner receives his money’s worth from his employees. That is justice. The employees receive fair pay and fair treatment for their work. That is justice. The poor man has the opportunity to train for and get a job. That is justice. The community is not forced to support those who are able, but unwilling to take a job. That is justice. Good government preserves justice. The third thing we see in this Psalm is the coming of a King who will rule in perfect justice. David was a good king, but he was not perfect. He was a sinner, like all people, and he even used his power as king to do evil to others and indulge his own desires. Solomon started well, but also had his problems. For a time he lost his faith and wallowed in doubt and despair. He also abused his power to indulge his own desires. Every human being has flaws in his nature, and those flaws express themselves in flawed actions and attitudes. That’s called “sin.” And every ruler sins. But One is coming who will establish an empire of complete justice. This justice is based on righteousness, and will bring peace. He will truly and always defend the oppressed and the cheated. He will always bring the oppressors and cheaters to justice. He will never abuse His power. He will always rule for the benefit of His people. He will never join with them in their evil. His rule will be like the rain upon the mown grass ( vs. 6). I had to mow my lawn recently. I was letting it grow because I knew mowing it would just about kill it for this year. We have been without rain for so long. But my neighbors have a vested interest in my lawn because we all live in the same neighborhood and our property values depend in part on the way we all keep our lawns. So I mowed it out of a sense of civic duty, and it turned brown and it crinkles when I walk on it, and it is ugly, but it’s all the same length, and I’m sure some people think it looks better. I can imagine a cool rain falling on that dry, dying grass. I can imagine the roots of the plants drinking in the water, drinking in life and hope. We are like the grass. We have been mowed, cut down by spiritual enemies, oppressed by demonic powers, harmed by self-seeking people, starved by drought and trampled by the world. Christ is like the rain, bringing life and health and hope. His rule is life itself. In His Kingdom, the wrongs will be made right, and real peace and justice become reality. Many people think we have to wait until some future date to experience the government of Christ. Not so. It is already here. It already lives among us. The Kingdom of Christ is the Church. No, the Church is not the Kingdom in completion. It is not the Kingdom in fullness. It is not the Kingdom in perfection. That is yet in the future. But it is here, nevertheless. We are beginning to taste the Kingdom here and now in the Church, as, and only as, we submit ourselves to our King and Ruler. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, rule in our hearts as absolute Sovereign, and may Thy Kingdom, written of so long ago in this Psalm, come in fullness, on earth as it is in Heaven. In the Name of Christ, Amen. The Rev. Dr. R. Dennis Campbell, Vicar, Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
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