Psalm 145
Matthew 20:1-16
The men toiling in the fields from sun-up to sun-down in our gospel reading must have been exhausted, but those hanging around Labor Ready didn’t have an easy time of it either. They were at the mercy of a landowner to give them employment; families need food which cost money. Certainly, these household heads would’ve preferred working. Remaining available and being consistently passed over with financial worries preying on the mind is no picnic.
In the gospel, God is the merciful landowner, in the psalms a King. In the psalm, the word ‘all, every, kol’ is used seventeen times, suggesting and highlighting the universal and comprehensive nature of God’s generous care (6). In movies, books and plays, kings and courts celebrate exuberately, usually with a lavish feast, when they can do a good deed for their people. In other words, they find joy in generousity.
If we contemplate the psalm-gospel connection, we may remember acts of generosity and compassion warrant joy and celebration. An acrostic peom, such as this psalm, seeks to expand and extend its emotion exposition to the full potential of the alphabet and the language. Likewise, should not our gratitude for the King’s generosity be expressed with excessive jubilee? And like the King, should we not also find joy in being merciful, compassionate and generous?
Journal Questions:
- Have I ever been unemployed? What did I do with my time? How did I feel during and afterwards?
- When have I felt joy because of relief from financial worry?
- What is my general attitude towards charity? When have I enjoyed being generous?
References: Refer to blog post entitled Resources
© 2017 Marilyn MacArthur, all rights reserved
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