Old Testament: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
New Testament: Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel: John 9:1-41
Psalm 23
When I was in first grade Sunday School my friends and I memorized Psalm 23 and I have never forgotten it. Psalm 23 is the most familiar of all the psalms, and well it should be. It teaches us to trust in God’s protection and provision for us. The two metaphors of the poem are God as shepherd and God as host.
God is our shepherd and therefore we should want for nothing. I have never tended sheep, but I understand that they are not very smart and must have a protector to keep them safe. King David, the credited writer of this poem, was a shepherd himself so he was very acquainted with tending sheep. So we, like the sheep, are led to rest in green pastures by still waters, where we are protected and safe. I imagine myself in this idyllic setting and my soul feels revived. It is the perfect place to be. It makes me want to be guided in right pathways.
I know that the psalms were written for ancient Hebrews in their worship, and I do not want to take the poem out of context. But, it speaks to me, today, in my life, and I think it is appropriate to use it for my worship, too. Psalm 23 is read at both Jewish and Christian funerals, and though it is a reflection on loss, I think it is much more for the living. The common translation “the valley of the shadow of death” is better rendered “the valley of deep darkness.” Most people have experienced the valley of deep darkness. I certainly have. Whether it is clinical depression, great loneliness, or other terrible pains of this life, both mental and physical, we can identify with the debilitating emptiness of deep darkness. But Psalm 23 tells us not to fear this evil, because God is with us. He even offers comfort with his rod and staff, the shepherd’s tools of protection. The rod was a sturdy club to use against wild animals who would otherwise prey on the sheep. The shepherd’s staff with its crook on the end guided the sheep and pulled them away from danger. I am glad that Episcopal bishops carry this wonderful symbol.
The center point of the psalm is God’s saving presence “for you are with me.” The psalmist now speaks in the second person. He is no longer speaking about God, but instead is speaking to God. I have read about Fred Shuttlesworth, our Birmingham hero. I wish I had met him because he is the bravest man I know of. He was utterly fearless. He said that he knew that God was with him and would protect him. I bet that Fred Shuttlesworth had Psalm 23 memorized. My husband Jack is fearless, too. God protected him in the days of his civil rights law cases when his life was threatened, and has continued to protect him. As He does for Jack and Fred Shuttlesworth, our gracious host offers us a table in the presence of those who trouble us. God prepares for us a meal of good things to eat, anoints our heads with oil, and gives us an overflowing cup of wine, the symbol of abundance. These three provisions are all we need for a happy life.
In verse 6 is the great Hebrew “hesed,” a word hard to translate in English. Hesed is God’s goodness and mercy, His steadfast love, His zeal, grace and compassion. Hesed will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in God’s house for as long as we live. In this house we are secure, safe, and in harmony with the divine God. Today in our materialistic and narcissistic society, this poem’s theme speaks loudly. Though we think our needs are great, they are not. God is our shepherd and our host and we have need of nothing else.
Rebecca Drake
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