A Romans 8 Interlude

I still intend to return to Romans 8. I have, since the last post, memorized more. And I think I am almost ready to write reflections on another section of the great chapter on Living in the Spirit. But, I have a distraction. Another Psalm has caught my eye. I think I read it at least 5 times (it is very short). I know I read it in at least three different translations. When I finally got an idea as to its meaning, I felt compelled to write.

So, back to Romans 8 later. Today I wish to reflect on Psalm 131.

Introduction

There is an old parable -- I heard it somewhere, but I cannot access where I heard it. This parable, technically, has very bad theology.

There is a guy where I live, who does talk radio -- a significant part of his talk is political. He regularly says, "I am president of the bad analogy club. As president of the club, I am going to use a bad analogy to illustrate." Then he goes on to give an analogy which allows better discussion of the single part of the political discussion that needs to be analyzed. His intro, "bad analogy club," is rather genius. That is the function of the analogy -- we isolate just one thing and then by seeing it an another context, one is able to discuss the topic from other angles. Some analogies are good and some a bad. But the function helps us see a part of the issue differently. Then, we have to return from the analogy, and use the analogy to compare to the thing we are discussing and see how the analogy both gives both a good and bad "take" on the thing being discussed. The genius of saying bad analogy --up front -- is that it acknowledges, up front, the fact that at some point the analogy will break down. This allows the comparison on just one single analogous item to be analyzed. It is a way of isolating one part of the whole and making a comparison. The purpose is analysis.

I return now to the parable (which is a form of analogy). I repeat this analogy is bad (Christian) theology. I tell it not for the theology, but to illustrate the perils of hoping for humility (by "perils of hoping for humility," I don't know this is the best way to state what I mean).

Here is the Parable (Analogy)

An ancient story is told of a man who wanted to overcome sin so that in the next life he might be in the presence of God. Much of his adult life, he worked and worked to overcome sin. Finally, as he reached an older age, he accomplished his goal. He had overcome sin. He thought, I will be able to be in the presence of God in the next life. And he was very comforted. He was comforted, until a dream interrupted his comfort. He interpreted the dream as a message from God. In the dream, God told him that, yes, he had indeed overcome sin. Yet, he was not going to be able to spend the next life in the presence of God for one simple failure: he was very no longer humble. He had overcome sin, and in doing so, he had become proud. This lack of humility was a barrier. He would not spend the next life in the presence of God.

So from that time on, the man -- who had already conquered sin -- spend many years in his old age working to be humble. He lived to be a very old age. Finally, in his mind he was very near death. However, just in time, he accomplished this goal of living humbly. Now, just as he was nearing death from great age, he had accomplished not only overcoming sin, but also he was very humble. He had met his goals just in time. Surely he would spend the next life in the presence of God.

But as he weakened from very old age, and as he came very near unto death, he had another dream. In it God said, "You have overcome sin, and you have learned to live very humbly. Are you not very proud of what you have accomplished?" And the old man knew that he was proud, and he also knew as he passed from this life, that his pride has erased his humility, and he would not spend the next life in the presence of God.

Just when I got really humble, I was proud of my own humility (and my humble state was lost)

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD
    from this time on and forevermore.

A song of Ascents. Psalms 120-134 fall into this category. These were recited by Jewish persons on their way, usually, to Jerusalem for one of the feasts. Travelers tended to travel in groups, and these particular Psalms are labeled and grouped with the heading < שִׁיר הַֽמַּעֲלוֹת > (Shir Ma-haloth) or Song of the Climb; Song of the steps. These songs are familiar, relatively short, and memorable. They have rhythmical cadence and often have repeated phrases. They were easy to learn and sing together in a walking group. They have the divine name, YHWH, imbedded withing them quite frequently. Of the Songs of Ascent, only 122, 124, and 131 also have the heading "Of David" (Psalm 127 is labeled of Solomon).

David, the Psalmist (I'm presuming, here, the headings contain accurate history; at the very least the tradition is very strong. The headings are widely accepted as a later addition, and there is considerable debate as to whether these can be considered historically reliable), is the author of 73 of the 150 Psalms. Many of David's Psalms are deeply thoughtful, theological, and even philosophical. They are the thoughts of a deep thinker. They are the meditations of one who devotes time to dissecting all the words of God and the events of God's people.

But Psalm 131 goes in a different direction. Verse 1 sets the stage of humility. It is an effort to NOT think so deeply. Repeated phrase "not" emphasizes this: "Not my heart is lifted up...", "Not my eyes are raised too high" (as to be haughty), and "Not do I occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous." David had taken great effort to simplify his thought so that he might rely solely upon God.

In verse 2, the humble thinking process metaphorically makes David infant-like. He compares himself to a weaned child. The comparison here emphasizes calm. As opposed to an infant feeding at his mother's breast, requiring constant help constant adjustment, constant attention -- the weaned infant may cuddle with the mother in a state of contentedness. There is a moment, often lasting only too short, where the child surrenders. He or she no longer fights sleep. As the child's eyes grow heavy, both mother (and sometimes father) and child contentedly enjoy the short moment of -- in modern vernacular -- cuddle. The satisfaction and comfort before sleep overtakes. David says he has cultivated that quiet time. "I have calmed and quieted my soul." I am like, "a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is within me" (an alternative reading in the NRSVue, "my soul within me is like a weaned child."

The Psalm is short and worthy of meditation. In the state of contented satisfaction, comes David's final plea (I think both for himself as well as Israel), "O Israel, hope in YHWH from this time on and forevermore!"

There is humility and calm leading to trust as David has cultivated, not deep thinking his relationship with YHWH. My NRSVue has this heading, "A Song of Quiet Trust." I may have read this Psalm many times prior, but today it jumped out at me calling me to trust in Him like a helpless, contented, dependent child.