Delivered by Pastor PJ at
Cross of Glory on November 15 & 19, 2009
Series: Making It Thru (Psalm 23)
Scriptures: Psalm 23:1-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Matthew 26:19-32
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We are in a sermon series called Making It Thru. We have been studying Psalm 23 verse by verse, piece by piece, in order to see how God helps us make it through the challenges and stresses of life. I did a little investigation this past week to see what researches say are the leading causes of stress in our life. Among the leading causes in every study were relationships, particularly strained relationships. It didn’t matter if it was a relationship with a co-worker, a classmate, a family member, a neighbor, a church member, or a friend. Any strained relationship in a person’s life is incredibly challenging and stressful.
I heard a story about a man who shared with his pastor that he and his wife had fought every day for the past five years. “Every day?!?” the pastor asked in astonishment. “Yes, every day,” the man replied, “we really need your help to stop fighting.” The pastor asked, “Did you fight before coming here?” “Yes we did,” the man replied. “How did your fight end?” the pastor inquired. The man said, “She came crawling to me on her hands and knees.” “Really,” the pastor asked, “and what did she say?” The man continued, “She said, ‘Get out from under the bed and fight like a man!’”
Strained relationships are incredibly challenging and stressful. Would you agree? I totally agree. With a network of strong, healthy relationships we can make it through just about anything – financial struggles, sickness, addictions, the loss of a job, the loss of loved ones. But when there is a strained relationship in our life, it sucks the joy, energy, and peace right out of us.
Our verse for today from Psalm 23 reveals the Good News that God helps us make it through the challenges and stresses of strained relationships. David, the author of Psalm 23, writes, “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.” In order to get at the heart of the Good News, it helps to consider what David has in mind when he refers to the word “table.”
Depending on our life experiences, different things come to mind when we see or hear a word. Take the word “bear” for example. A bear is a massive mammal with shaggy fur and huge claws. But, depending on our life experiences, different things might come to mind when we see or hear the word “bear.” For instance, my dad spent the summer flying for a tour company in Alaska. When he hears the word “bear,” he might think of the Grizzly bears he saw. Those of us who live in Chicago, might think of something else when we hear the word “bear.” What could that be? Right, the Chicago Bears. If you spend time around little children, you might think of teddy bears. Or if you have been following the economy lately, you might think of a bear market, which is a downward trend.
When David saw or heard the word “table,” several different things came to mind due to his life experiences. Over the past several weeks we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how David’s experience as a shepherd shaped his perspective on God. If you missed any of these sermons you can catch them on our sermon blog or podcast. But David wasn’t only a shepherd. He was also born into a Jewish family and later became a king. Each of these life experiences shaped his perspective. I think when David used the image of a table, he had at least three different kinds of tables in mind – a Jewish table, a Shepherd’s table, and a King’s table. These three tables each give us a unique perspective on how God helps us make it through the challenges and stresses of strained relationships.
Before David was a shepherd, he was born into a Jewish family. As a Jewish person, he learned about one kind of table: a Jewish table. In that culture, to share a meal at someone’s table was a sign of fellowship. Inviting someone to eat at your table was the same thing as saying, “I am your friend. I will not hurt you.”
It was a lot like a school cafeteria. We’ve all been there. In a school cafeteria, you eat with friends. If you’re invited or welcomed to eat at a table with someone, it’s the same thing as them saying, “I am your friend. We’re cool.” If you are not invited or welcome at a table, it’s the same thing as them saying, “We’re not friends. Watch your back.” If you have a falling out with a friend, you might be shunned from their table. If you make a new friend, you might be invited to eat at their table.
So, as a young boy, David learned from his experience as a Jewish person that a table was a sign of fellowship. The fact that God would prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies was like God saying, “Even if others reject you or isolate you from their tables, you are welcome at my table.” Amidst the strained relationships in our life, there is one relationship we can always count on. God will always welcome us with open arms.
When David was a little older he became a shepherd and learned about another type of table: a Shepherd’s table. This table was a sign of protection. Shepherds had the responsibility of feeding their sheep. A few weeks ago we talked about how the winter snow would push the sheep down the mountain into the valleys. When the snow lifted, the shepherd would lead their flocks up to the grass on the hillside. These hilly pastures were known as tablelands. A shepherd needed to prepare these tables in order for the sheep to eat safely.
One thing shepherds had to prepare for was the attacks of predators. Of special concern to the shepherd was the adder, a small brown snake that lives underground. Adders are known to pop out of their holes and nip sheep in the nose. The bite infects sheep and can kill. As a defense against the snake, the shepherd pours a circle of oil at the top of each adder’s hole. This makes it hard for the adder to leave its hole. He also applies oil to the heads of the sheep, so if it does leave the hole, it glides right off the sheep.
We have all experienced times when people take nips at us with hurtful words or hurtful actions. If we let these attacks sink down deep they can be infectious and deadly to our spirits. They can cause us to feel very angry or very insecure. David discovered in his life that God can protect us from these hurtful attacks.
You might remember that David was the youngest of eight brothers. His father, Jesse, and his brothers did not think very highly of him. When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house announcing that one of his sons would be the next king of Israel, Jesse never even considered David as an option. He brought all his other seven sons in and forgot to call David. Samuel asked if Jesse had any other sons, and Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep,” (1 Samuel 16:11). Samuel called for David. God said that this is the one, and asked Samuel to anoint David’s head with oil.
The oil on David’s head was a reminder that God noticed him, that God loved him, and that God saw something special in him. From that point on, hurtful words seemed to glide right off him because he knew how much God loved and valued him. Here are a few examples:
One time a giant man named Goliath came and challenged the people of Israel to a dual. No one would fight him. David was still a young boy, but he went out to face Goliath. Goliath laughed at him and insulted him saying, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Goliath’s hurtful words just glided right off David. David replied, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied,” (1 Samuel 17:43-45). And we know who came out a-head in that battle.
Another time David was praising God by dancing with all his might. His wife, Michal approached him afterwards and asked how he could be such an embarrassment to himself and her. Her hurtful words glided right off him. David replied, “I was dancing for the Lord who chose me … I will celebrate before the Lord and become even more undignified than this,” (2 Samuel 6:20-22).
One other time a man named Shimei followed David, cursing as he went and throwing stones and dirt at him. Shimei’s hurtful words just glided off him. The men with David wanted to kill Shimei, but David said, “Leave him alone and let God deal with him.” Later Shimei came back to David and apologized (2 Samuel 16 & 19).
Like David, we are anointed with oil. A few weeks ago we witnessed the baptism of Dominic Milo. In our baptisms we are anointed by God as a reminder that God notices us, loves us, and sees something special in us. From that point on hurtful words can glide off of us because we know how much God loves and values us. This is not easy, but we grow in our ability to do this the more we spend time with God and allow God to remind us how loved and valuable we are.
In addition to discovering how God can protect us from the hurtful attacks of others, David also discovered how God can protect us from making hurtful attacks on others. Besides the adder snakes, another thing shepherds looked for when preparing the table were white cammas. White cammas are poisonous weeds. They look very tempting to sheep, but are very deadly. Even just a nibble would spell certain death. The shepherds pluck out the white cammas before they can do damage.
When our relationships get strained, we sometimes say words that are just as deadly as the white cammas. In the heat of the moment it might seem tempting to spew rude or vicious comments. But in retrospect we can see these words for the poison they are. They only hurt and make matters worse. David discovered that God can pluck these words out of our mouths before they do damage. In another Psalm he writes, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer,” (Psalm 19:14). David found that prayer helps us take a breath and think about whether our thoughts and words will be pleasing to God. It also allows God the opportunity to pluck the harmful thoughts and words right out.
So David learned from his experience as a Shepherd that a table was a sign of protection. Then David became a king and learned about another table: a King’s table. The king’s table was a sign of so many things in the ancient world. It was a sign of abundance and blessing. The amount of food on the king’s table could feed 150 Jewish officials, as well as all the visitors from other lands (1 Kings 10:4-5; Nehemiah 5:7). But for David, the king’s table became a sign of something else too. It became a sign of mercy.
After David was anointed the next king of Israel, the current king of Israel – King Saul – became very jealous of him. David was not welcomed in the king’s palace or at the king’s table. On numerous occasions King Saul tried to kill David. David had to run for his life. Many years later King Saul and his sons were killed in battle. After David assumed the throne as king, one of Saul’s grandsons came to him and pleaded for his life. The man’s name was Mephibosheth and he was crippled in both feet. David had every right as the king to retaliate against Saul’s family. He had every right to turn this man away. What good was he to him? He couldn’t even fight in his army or serve in his palace. But instead of retaliating, David shows mercy. He says to Mephibosheth, “I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table,” (2 Samuel 9:7).
How was David able to show mercy and prepare a table for one of his enemies? Part of it had to do with David’s love for Mephibosheth’s father. But a bigger part had to do with the mercy that David had received from God. David blew it on several occasions, and these weren’t just tiny blunders. He committed very hurtful acts like adultery and murder. As bad as he blew it, God never stopped showing him mercy.
We see an example of God’s mercy from another King’s Table, also know as the Lord’s Table. Jesus, God’s Son, our Lord, gathered his closest followers together for a Passover meal. It was a celebration of the time when God delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and saved their life. Remember, inviting someone to share a meal at your table was a sign of fellowship. Jesus was saying to his disciples, “I am your friend. I will not hurt you.” The tragic irony is that they weren’t willing to say the same for him. And Jesus calls them out on it. He says, “Before the end of the night, one of you will betray me and the rest will desert me.” Given this reality, what Jesus does next is incomprehensible. He breaks bread and passes the cup saying, “This is my body broken for you. This is my blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.” Despite their betrayal and rejection, he was willing to give his life for their forgiveness. And then Jesus said after his death and resurrection, he would meet up with them again in Galilee. What mercy! He not only forgave them. He was willing to give them a new start!
It was mercy like this that empowered David to show mercy to others. Considering how God had so mercifully prepared a table for him, how could he not prepare a table of mercy for others? God’s mercy has this affect in our lives too.
A friend of mine, named Sam, told me about a grumpy woman in her church. The woman always has something negative to say. Many times the woman hurt Sam’s feelings and strained their relationship. Sam wanted nothing to do with the woman and was ready to write her off. Then one day Sam was coming up for communion and caught sight of the woman in another line. Sam couldn’t help but think if God could show her such incredible mercy, how can she not know show mercy to this woman. Sam decided to prepare a table of mercy. She invited the woman to share a meal with her. During the meal and their conversation, Sam learned a lot about the woman – the struggles she faced, the fears she had. Sam gained a better understanding of where the woman was coming from and grew to love the woman. Sam’s love has had a radical impact on the woman’s life. It has completely changed the way she interacts with others.
So David learned from his experience as a king that a table is a sign of mercy.
When you think about the strained relationships in your life, who comes to mind? The Good News is that God prepares a table of fellowship, protection, and mercy in the presence of our strained relationships. This morning you might feel rejected and isolated from others. Come to the table where God welcomes you with open arms! Perhaps you are being nipped by hurtful words or actions. Come to the table, dip your hands in the font, and remember how much God loves and values you so the hurtful attacks can glide right off. Maybe you are the one saying and doing hurtful things. Come to the table, take a breath, and allow God to pluck the hurtful thoughts and words right out. Perhaps your relationship with God is strained. Maybe you have betrayed or rejected God in unimaginable ways. Come to the table and receive God’s mercy and new start. Or perhaps there is someone who needs your mercy, someone who could use an invitation from you to share a meal and talk. Come to the table and then go to prepare a table of mercy for them – make a call invite them to share a meal with you. At this kind of table we are filled once again with joy, peace, and energy. Amen!
Posts
Our first reading talked about preparing a table. Have any of you ever helped your parents get the table ready before eating a meal, like dinner? Here are some of the things we do to prepare a table. Come around this table. (Invite kids around altar) We start by cleaning the table off. (Wipe table) Then we set out the plates. (Put out plates) Next we get the napkins and silverware. (Put out napkins and silverware) After that we get cups for people to have a drink. (Put out cup) Finally, you bring out the food! I didn’t have any food to bring with me this morning, so candy is going to have to do. I hope you don’t mind. 
