Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading
Psalm 51:1–17

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (NRSV)

Reflection

Often at bedtime when young, my twin brother and I would ask each other’s forgiveness for any number of perceived sins committed on or to each other—from tattling to battling. We felt our contrition would absolve us.  

Psalm 51 is the Lord-appointed King David’s repentance and regret for an unidentified guilt he never confesses to or apologizes for. This psalm of penance has been called the Sinner’s Guide, and indeed, it is a call to acknowledge our offenses with humility and to seek God’s forgiveness. Who hasn’t heard David’s plea “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me?” Certainly, we should seek the same.  

But therein lies the rub. King David’s sins are no trivial transgressions. To grasp that, you must read 2 Samuel 11–12, which recounts his ugliest of sins and his abuse of power against Bathsheba. In brief, he spies the married Bathsheba, has her brought to him, rapes and impregnates her, and then murders her husband by sending him to the front lines of battle to die. Their son is born but becomes gravely ill. Psalm 51 is actually David’s appeal to the Lord to forgive his sins and spare his son.  

The upshot: while the Lord forgave David, the child died. The powerful lesson: even when God forgives our sins, he doesn’t necessarily remove their painful consequences. 

The sins of David have powerful parallels to our world today, but they are best explored at another time and another place. What we must take away from Psalm 51 is the understanding that whatever sins weigh deeply on each of us, we have the opportunity to rejoice in the incomparable grace that the Lord and his son Jesus offer us. To appreciate the power of penance of Psalm 51, please listen to this YouTube song, Psalm 51: Have Mercy on Me, O God.   

Prayer

Merciful God, forgive us our propensity, like David, to sin against you by what we say, do, and fail to do. Thank you for permitting us to confess our lapses, repent, and receive your unconditional forgiveness so we can experience a closer relationship with you. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.   

Written by Tim Schellhardt, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church  

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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