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Psalm 23 |
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Contemplating the Shepherd's Psalm After declaring himself as the "Good Shepherd", Jesus says, "my sheep hear my voice." We can especially hear the shepherd’s voice as we center our prayer on Psalm 23. In the gospels, we find the words and actions of Jesus. In the epistles, we find the doctrinal meaning in these words and actions; but in the Psalms, we find the interior prayers and thoughts of the Son of Man. As we pray, “You anoint my head, my cup overflows,” we enter into the spiritual reality of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordon and the Spirit renews us in the Father’s pleasure. When we pray, “You lead me in right paths for your name’s sake,” we participate in Jesus’ triumph over temptation in the wilderness; and we are delivered in our trials. When we pray, "Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…,” we experience His passion and crucifixion; and we enjoy joint fellowship with his suffering, so that we can minister divine and authentic comfort and mercy to those who are hurting. When we pray, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” we are buried with Jesus in his descent into the depths of the dead in order to seek Adam and Eve and to conquer death. In this prayer, we become a community of hope in a world of despair. When we pray, “In verdant pastures you give me rest; beside restful waters you lead me; you refresh my soul,” we enter into the power of His resurrection, and we carry the peace, righteousness and joy of the coming Kingdom in the here and now on earth.
And finally, as we pray, “Surely goodness
and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in
your house forever,” we are joined to the glorified Lord in His
ascension to heaven and in his eternal reign culminated at his return.
This prayer causes us to gain a peculiar sense of the communion of the
saints, and we are then equipped to be “faithful sons and daughters in
the Father’s house.” |