After suffering a nearly fatal stroke more than seven years
ago, I have been living with death as a close companion
every day and every night since the gracious extension of
my new lease on life began. Therefore, I find it personally
most meaningful that the psalmist lists death, that last and
greatest enemy of humankind, among the enemies who are
oppressing him: “The terrors of death have fallen upon me,
fear and trembling come upon me and horror overwhelms
me.” At verse 16, however, the psalmist completely reverses
his course: “But I call upon God, and the Lord will save
me… Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain
you.”
So after moaning and complaining to God, the psalmist falls
back upon his trust in the Lord, and reaffirms his belief that
God will cast all of his enemies, including death, into the
lowest pit. Certainly the psalmist is here foreshadowing the
message of a happy Easter morning, which always so
triumphantly follows a good Lent, when we reflect upon and
humbly confess our sins. So as faithful Christians we all
believe and affirm that in Christ’s mighty resurrection from
the dead, He has conquered death once and for all. As
Christ’s devoted followers, we also believe that we who
share in His new life are thus enabled to cry out with the
Apostle Paul: “Oh death, where is thy victory? Oh grave,
where is thy sting?”
Psalm 55; Genesis 41:1-13; 1 Corinthians 4:1-7;
Mark 2:23-3:6
These Lenten meditations were written by the people
of St. Barnabas' for the people of St. Barnabas' as part
of our recognition of the 50th anniversary of the founding
of this church. We hope that you will find them helpful
in your own Lenten devotions.
