Dear Faith Family,
The famed scholar of the psalms, Walter Brueggemann, once wrote,
"The Bible is not interested in making lists of what is acceptable, as much as it is interested in transformational intentionality."
What spurred the Old Testament Professor's comment was his observation of apparently contradictory passages in our psalm from Sunday. The confusion begins with the psalmist's discovery of what God does and doesn't want from us--which is something we all want to know, right!
For you will not delight in [atoning] sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a [peace] offering.
The sacrifices of God are broken and contrite spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:16-17)
So, according to the psalmist, God is not so much interested in our ritual and religious acts done to make restorations for our sin or pacify His frustration with us. Instead, God wants only a spirit and heart that breaks when our relationship with him is askew. Great! God doesn't want me to do all those "religious" things--sacrifices, offerings, going to church, daily prayers, reading my bible, etc. What He really wants is for me to take our relationship seriously so that when I offend it, I feel the pain of wounding a loved one.
This passage is quite modern! It checks all the boxes of generations moving away from religious structures. Here, it seems is no religion, just a relationship. But then the psalm continues and seems to contradict itself.
Do good in Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in [peace] offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(Psalm 51:18-19)
Wait a minute. I thought the psalmist said God will not delight in sacrifices and offerings? Yet here, the Psalm seems to say that God does delight in sacrifice and offerings--even adding more ritual examples of what God finds acceptable! So, which is it? Does God want me to do "religious" things or not?
It is easy in a season like Lent, where we are invited to do more "religious" things like fasting weekly, praying the Examen regularly, entering into Lectio Divina rhythmically, etc., to lose sight of why we are doing these things.
Perhaps, we think that in doing them--or any number of "Christian" activities--God will be pleased with us. And God's pleasure, after all, leads to the good things we are after in life, whether spiritually, emotionally, or even physically. Or maybe, subconsciously, we do them because we hope that doing so makes us a little better. Maybe even making up for some of the ways in which we are not who we want to be.
Here, just as we begin the final leg of our pilgrimage, the psalmist leads us to consider the intentionality of our interactions with God. The psalm's end is not to get us to ask, "What does God want?" but rather, "Why am I doing what I'm doing?"
The life we after through Lent--a favored life, forgiven, clean, whole, and new--is given to us, being formed within us. That's what verses 6-12 of Psalm 51 testify. God delights in the wholeness of our life in Him and in showing us how to live wisely (v.6). He has, is, and will purge, clean, wash (v.7), open ears to gladness, mend bones to dance (v. 8), not go hunting for sins but rather blot out iniquities (v.9), create a clean heart, renew a steadfast spirit (v. 10), not remove His presence but fill with His Spirit (v.11), restore joy, and exuberantly uphold life (v. 12). After such a list, what is there left for us to do?!
Our "sacrifices" and "offerings" during the Lenten season are not efforts to earn favor or make amends. Jesus has already done that for us. The intention of our "religious" practices has been transformed at the depth of our inability to truly live (v. 3-5). No, we do these things because we desire to daily life more and more in sync with His goodness, purpose, and presence. Life as people who know and are known for the truth of who and Whose we are (v. 13-15).
So, faith family, let us take a moment to consider your intentions during this journey through the Lent season. Freed from attempting to do what only God can do (and has done!), may our practices do what they are meant to: help us walk in step with the Way so that others might do the same.
Out of sheer generosity, He put us in right standing with Himself.
A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in
and restored us to where He always wanted us to be.
And He did it by means of Jesus Christ.
(Romans 3:24)
Love you, faith family! God bless.