Psalm 98; Luke 21.5-19
I wonder if you have ever been part of a community where there is a strong community spirit, with all the unifying action centred within one building? It can be a very powerful experience. Everyone working together with a common purpose, a common focussed aim. King Herod rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem with the aim of unifying the Jews, and persuading them that he was a bona fide Jew, one of them. It was a magnificent structure, trying to emulate the glory days of King Solomon and within this grand building, there were daily sacrifices of animals. It was the focus for the Jewish community and every year people would travel to Jerusalem for the major festivals, to celebrate them together. Unified in this place of worship.
People were marvelling at the grandness of the temple and Jesus cuts across their thoughts with a prophecy that it would all be pulled down and sure enough this happened in AD 70 at the end of first Jewish Roman war. This prophecy would have sounded anathema to those listening - surely God would not allow the temple dedicated to him to be destroyed? Surely the daily sacrifices made in the temple would ensure God’s protection and blessing just as in the time of King David?
But as is clear elsewhere in the gospel, things were not perfect within the temple. The Pharisees focussed on the outer appearance rather than the inner thoughts. God looks at the heart and if our actions are not done with a pure heart and clean motive, with dedication, love, focus and reliance on God, then we are nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
Jesus’ next words are pretty dire, but let’s look at thr psalm first then return to them.
Psalm 98 commands us to sing a new song to the Lord for he has done marvellous things. The significance of a new song is that we reflect and think deeply about what God has done and continues to do for us today. We celebrate and give thanks for today’s blessings - the little and big things God has done for us today. Even for the fact that we can breathe and taste and smell and touch, can hear and speak and love.
This is not always easy, especially when life is tough and dealt us a raw deal. Kate Bowler has written a book about her experiences of living with stage 4 cancer. She is very honest about how easily we slide into believing that being a Christian is to live a blessed life in which every thing is perfect and we are rewarded for our faithfulness - this is known as the prosperity gospel and is very prevalent in parts of the US. That is not how life or God works. In her illness Kate has received an abundance of love from others but more importantly from God - an overwhelming sense of God’s love for her and that experience is very precious to her and overrides all her worries and fears. Even if we do not feel that love, it is still real for each one of us. And praising God for everything, with joy and gladness, opens us up more to this love.
The psalm goes on to encourage all of creation to join in with this celebration. I do not know about you, but when I am busy and bowed down with too many things to do, then I so easily fail to thank God. I know that spending time worshiping God raises my spirits, literally, and all the worries feel less pressing, less overwhelming. So I ask myself and you when was the last time you danced around your sitting room while singing a hymn or song to Jesus? When did you last join others in extended worship to God? I do not just mean the four hymns we sing today, I mean time when you connect deeply with Jesus either at home or with others in a choir, a worship event, a meditation service, or a walk in nature. You know what works for you, what lifts your soul. So I encourage you, seek these things out and spend time with Jesus. Do not let Satan persuade you otherwise and pull you down.
Instead meditate on the penultimate verses in psalm 98 - “Let the sea thunder and all that fills it, the world and all that dwell upon it. Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the hills ring out together before the Lord.” They are a wonderful imagery of the whole of creation praising the creator. Let these verses be real for you.
There is a sting in the tail, for that verse immediately goes into stating that God comes to judge the earth. “In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity” and this links to the destructive of the temple that Jesus foretold and leads into the warnings of the end times in the middle verses of our Luke reading:
Jesus went on to say that others will come claiming to be him, the Christ, and there will be wars and insurrection, nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, there will be earthquakes, famines and plagues in various places. Do you feel we are in those times? There have been many horrible periods over the centuries, and times when our ancestors have felt they lived in the end times and we may think they are now, for there is plenty of dreadful things happening around us and the future seems bleak. But Jesus said these things are to be expected. The converse is true that if they do not happen then perhaps we should ask why not? In all of this turmoil, Jesus exhorts us to not be terrified. He goes on to say that some of his followers will be arrested and persecuted and brought before kings and governors, for trial, and that they should not be afraid because the Holy Spirit would give them the words to say with a supernatural wisdom. In doing this they will be witnesses to Jesus and by their endurance will gain their souls.
To draw this together. Stop getting sucked down by the news, sing praises to Jesus, declare daily what he is doing for you with a new song, focus and meditate on who he is - Almighty God, sovereign Lord, creator of all things, that he is in control. That he loves you beyond measure and reach out to his love with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
Amen