Hearing, Seeing, Believing

John 20:11, 25

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb...

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe."

...............

John 20 is about the resurrection of Jesus. But it's also about how we respond and arrive at our own belief in the resurrection. Two characters in particular are highlighted here: Mary Magdalene and Thomas.

Mary's reaction to recent events truly captures the emotional gravity of what has transpired. Facing the empty tomb and thinking that someone had stolen Jesus' body, Mary stood weeping, certainly holding her face with both hands, grieving deeply for this shocking loss.

We can imagine what Mary was feeling as she stood by the tomb. We forget that Jesus' death was such a shock. Just days before, he was welcomed to Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna. The King, the Messiah had arrived! He taught in the temple courts. He shared a meal with his dearest friends. Despite Jesus' own hints and predictions, the disciples had no idea what was coming.

Processing this shock and grief, Mary stood by the tomb, and the tears came fast and she let them escape freely. He's gone, she thought. He's really gone.

But she looked in the tomb one last time. What did she see? She was met by an unexpected sight indeed. First two angels addressed her. And then she was met by Jesus, though she doesn't recognize him, her grief and despair blinding her. And what do they each in turn say to her? They ask why she is weeping. They comfort her. And then Jesus opens her eyes by calling her by name. She hears this familiar voice she knows so well, calling her personally by name, and she believes.

In contrast to this intimate picture, John 20 next highlights the doubting response of Thomas. Following the encounter with Mary, Jesus appears miraculously in a locked room and presents himself to all the disciples - all except Thomas. Later, when told about this, Thomas is incredulous. He says he will only believe it if he can see and touch Jesus for himself.

Thomas's response is not unlike the objections we hear in our present day and age. When you share the good news of Christ's miraculous resurrection with 21st century Americans, you may find that our post-enlightenment culture refuses to accept any truth-claim that cannot be verified empirically.

There is actually some validity to this cultural intuition. While the Bible describes an open system where divine intervention is real and accepted, there is also an observable order to the natural world where rules of cause and effect are our default expectation. The scientific method was actually built on Christian assumptions, that natural laws implied the existence of a Law-Giver. Generally, we should base our beliefs on observable and verifiable fact, and various Scripture passages support this (cf. Deut. 18:20-22, 1 Cor 15:12-19, 1 Pet 3:15, 1 John 1:1).

But what do we make of John 20:29? Jesus presented his wounds to Thomas. We see the incredible humility of a holy God, who has already left heaven and suffered a criminal's death on our behalf, but is here condescending to the objections of a doubting friend. Jesus complies, proves his divine nature, and rightly receives worship from Thomas in response - he believes and proclaims that Jesus is in fact God the Creator in the flesh. And then, as he often does, Jesus concludes the episode with a word of explanation, and this one is especially pointed to all of us reading about it centuries later.

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (20:29)

Have you believed? Though you cannot hear or see Jesus today, will you be blessed by believing the good news of the resurrection? There are facts and clues upon which to base your faith today. Have you searched the scriptures, passed down faithfully and accurately through the years? Have you trusted the testimonies of dear friends, or listened to the hymns and stories of old? Do you hear the ring of truth in a God who becomes man and suffers in your place? Will you receive this blessing and find life in his name? (20:31). He is calling - how will you respond?

The Upsidedown Kingdom

John 18:36‭-‬38

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him."

...............

The Creator has been put in chains. Our Maker has been betrayed by his closest friends. The King of the universe stands humiliated before the governors of men. Moments before, he was describing the glory he shared with the Father before the world began. Now, he is condemned by a kangaroo court and rejected by a crowd who preferred a known murderer. What does he say in his defense?

My kingdom is not of this world.

As we have seen time and again, the Gospels portray a Savior who is not what we expected. From his humble birth by an unwed teenager, to his obscure upbringing in Nazareth, to his ministry of parables and dining with sinners -- this is not the Davidic Messiah that they were hoping for.

John 18 brings this upsidedown narrative to its climax. Clearly Peter thought that striking the high priest's servant with a sword was fitting with Jesus' mission. The disciples had lived through decades of government oppression, unable to worship and govern themselves freely. Other zealots and insurrectionists had come and gone, offering a rebel's hope against the monolithic Roman empire. And Jesus had proven his supernatural power before their very eyes. Surely he would turn that power against the injustice of Rome and free Israel once and for all!

But this hope was false and it shows how our biases can deceive us, even when the truth is explained over and over.

No, the kingdom of Jesus would not come through violent force, but through a humble sacrifice. Our Darwinian intuition, that might makes right, had blinded us to the beauty of a better way. What we really needed, more than a political Savior, was the forgiveness and new heart that only a resurrected Jesus could offer. Our sights were set too low -- why would Jesus defeat one Roman ruler when he had the power to destroy death itself for all time and open up eternal life to any one who believes in him?

What does this mean for us today? Even for those who know and love this upsidedown gospel message, are we quick to put our trust in political promises? Or even more likely, do we forget to turn the other cheek, and instead hold a grudge or take revenge on others in small subtle ways? Each day we are offered choices between the way of the Cross and the way of the world. If our King was willing to swallow his pride and take a hit for us, surely we should expect to do the same. He even promised it would be so.

Lord, give me grace today to be more like Jesus. Help me to love even my enemies who are right now working to hurt and ruin me. Let me be a faithful citizen of that kingdom which is not of this world.

From Judge to Savior

Psalms 38:1, 4, 9, 15, 18, 21-22

Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath...

Without a Savior, there is only judgment. My approach to my Maker can only be fear. I know what I am. I know what I've done. And I know that He sees and He must right every wrong. He will punish every wicked thought, every wicked desire. He must do so, for the sake of his name and the good of his children. Without a savior, without someone to make things right, he can only be to me a frowning Judge.

For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear...

The weight of guilt is inescapable. That feeling I get when I'm hiding something from a friend or family member. I've broken a prized possession of theirs, or forgotten to keep a promise I made. My tail goes between my legs. I know it's time to eat crow/humble pie/my words (pick your figure of speech). The burden of guilt can only be lifted through the painful pathway of exposure. The scalpel must come before healing.

Lord, my every desire is known to You;
my sighing is not hidden from You...

And why do I hide, when he already knows my deepest thoughts and desires? I don't trust that he knows best, that he can handle whatever I need to tell him. I must repent of the hiding before I can repent of what I am hiding.

I put my hope in You, Lord ;
You will answer, Lord my God...

The only alternative to hiding is to turn completely to face my Maker and start trusting that he can make good out of my foolishness. Hope implies that I believe he is good and trustworthy and he will respond in the best way possible, even if it might hurt my pride. I am Eustace the dragon, and it will take strong claws to tear away at the iron flesh I hide behind.

So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin...

Simply speak and the scalpel can begin. There will be anxiety, no doubt. I have hurt others. I have hurt myself. I have hurt my Maker and grieved his holy heart. But with confession, the judge begins to become a savior. He can only give the mercy I need once the crime has been exposed. A lifeguard cannot rescue me while my arms are flailing around. I must rest in his arms completely.

Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.
Hurry to help me,
Lord, my Savior.

And finally I am his. Seeking to be near the very one I was hiding from. I have turned 180 degrees. I even ask him to hurry, because by faith I am finally understanding the depth of good that he has planned even for a fool like me.

Hurry to help me Lord!
You are my only hope!

Paradise!

Luke 23:35-43

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

...............

The rulers. The soldiers. The crowds. His closest friends. And now a condemned thief.

All betraying, murdering, and mocking the Son of God. Save yourself! they all cried, as if they deserved to be shown proof of his majesty and power. Surely the pride of man that began with Adam seeking to have knowledge like God's is now culminated in this humiliation of God hanging powerless on a tree. All thanks to the cruel wisdom and power of men.

Except, there were some unlikely friends at the cross. A man from the council named Joseph, and a handful of women, made sure that Jesus' body was cared for and respectfully buried. A centurion standing guard over the execution proclaimed Jesus' innocence, surely a sign that some grasped the injustice being committed. 

And the thief. Certainly the boldest of these friendly characters, the thief saw the absurdity of mocking this innocent man, especially when the thief was getting exactly what he deserved. 

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

The second thief responded with fear of God when everyone else, even Jesus' disciples, were either running away or openly mocking this Savior. They mocked him even while admitting he had saved others by powerful acts and signs. How their pride constrasts so starkly with the fearful humility of the second thief!

And then Jesus responds to the thief's simple faith with one of the most precious and profound gifts he could utter:

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise

Paradise! Reunion with our Maker! Final peace with God! Given simply and freely to a bleeding criminal. All he had to do was ask for it and be willing to associate himself with this foolish-looking Savior.

Today, we Christians are called to follow in this man's footsteps. Two passages in the epistles specifically call our attention to Christ's ultimate sacrifice: Phillipians 2 and Hebrews 12. These chapters highlight that Jesus humbled himself as a servant, died an unjust death for us, but also that he was motivated by the joy of Paradise set before him. And both passages go on to challenge us to persevere in trials and not give in to our temptation to grumble and complain. In closing, read these two other chapters and see how the apostles interpreted and used the story of the crucifixion to turn our eyes away from earthly pains toward eternal joys in Paradise. I pray that I could have the faith of that thief, who took an opportunity for mocking and grumbling and chose instead to ask for Paradise.

Philippians 2:5-16

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

The Psalmist and Carl Sagan

Psalm 33:10-15

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; 

he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, 

the plans of his heart to all generations. 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, 

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 

The Lord looks down from heaven; 

he sees all the children of man; 

from where he sits enthroned 

he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 

he who fashions the hearts of them all 

and observes all their deeds. 

Isaiah 40:13-15

Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,

or what man shows him his counsel? 

Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? 

Who taught him the path of justice, 

and taught him knowledge, 

and showed him the way of understanding? 

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, 

and are accounted as the dust on the scales; 

behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 

...............

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."

-Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

The Psalmist, Isaiah, and Carl Sagan draw a line between the vastness of the observable universe and the absurdity of man's vain attempts to control one another. Nations make bold claims, even messianic claims, but they are a vain hope, a faint flicker of hope, compared to the surpassing permanence and power of our Maker who sits enthroned in the heavens. Nations fight and quarrel over land that appears like a postage stamp next to the light years of cosmos that exists under the rule and reign of Almighty God.

And it does our souls good to stand in wonder and consider our fragility, our finitude, our tiny blip on the cosmic radar compared to the long arc of time that stretches before and after us. We are better men for considering our humble state and letting that awe and wonder shape our confidence in God. 

Sagan and his contemporaries thought that Science did a better job than religion at provoking this awe and humility. Sadly, there are just as many atrocities derived from atheism (Soviet Russia, Maoist China) and science (Nazi eugenics, modern abortion) than there have been wars of religion. This speaks to the universal corruption of man, which bleeds through our best efforts and brings us to our knees before our Maker. Sagan stopped short of true humility, ironically claiming himself to understand man's place in the universe, as if he could stand above it all and see the forest for the trees in a way the rest of us could not. Pride masquerading as humility.

True humility will lead individuals and entire nations to trust not in laws, bureaucracies, executive orders, or political promises but to trust in the God who sees them as drops in the bucket. True humility cannot stop at a vague mystical feeling of smallness or nothingness. It must go on to turn its eyes to what is truly great and permanent - the living God who reigns over us with meticulous attention to every detail of our lives, even numbering the hairs of our heads and each day of our lives before they happen. Look to him, hope in his personal love for you, and your humility will turn from nothing into something:

The king is not saved by his great army; 

a  is not delivered by his great strength. 

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, 

and by its great might it cannot rescue. 

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, 

on those who hope in his steadfast love.

(Psalm 33:16-18)

Faith in His Mercy

Luke 18:6-8

And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" 

...............

This chapter revolves around examples of true faith, and each example defines faith as utter dependence upon the mercy of almighty God.

1. The widow. The first example of the persistent widow connects faith and mercy explicitly. Jesus teaches that our God will surely hear the cries of his people for justice. But then he questions whether such cries are even happening - "will he find faith on earth?" We are called to be like the persistent widow, who proved her faith in God's mercy by the unrelenting nature of her prayers. She persevered to the end and saw the merciful character of God proved true.

The rub: Is my lack of prayer because I don't believe He is merciful? And does this weak faith result from ignoring his word and not dwelling on his kind heart, displayed at the cross?

2. The tax collector. Along with persistence, our faith in God's mercy must be accompanied by undeserving humility. The Pharisee made a list of his successes. But God was more impressed with the taxman who knew he deserved nothing before a holy God.

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:13, 14)

The rub: Do I hope God will accept me for my list of good deeds, or because I simply have faith in his kindness toward the humble?

3. The children. The kids rushed to him, eager to see, hear, and touch this man who seemed to relate and sympathize with them in some unique way. The kids were often looked down upon in this culture, but Jesus saw them. He noticed them and paid attention to them. And Jesus defined true faith using the kids as his model and example: because they so unashamedly trusted him.

The rub: Do I come to him like a child, trusting he will accept me as I am?

4. The blind beggar. What if you had no possessions, no friends, no purpose, and no real hope that life will get any better? And no eyesight. You are blind. Then, you hear rumors of a healer who is both willing and able to make cripples well. And, he is walking toward you right now. How you respond in his presence will directly reflect what you believe about him. And this beggar responds in a way that perfectly fits his need and Jesus' ability to meet that need: "Son of David, have mercy on me!" His faith was dependent upon the reality of God's mercy.

The rub: Do I cry out persistently, humbly, like a child, like a beggar? Or am I the opposite? Occasional in prayer, self-reliant, presumed mature, secure in my comfortable lifestyle. Can this be faith? Can this be trust in the merciful character of God? Do I dwell on his mercies? Do I even believe in them?

Lord, remind me of your kindness. Let me never give up seeking You, learning about your mighty deeds and promises, and crying out for mercy on a daily basis. I am your child, you are my Father. I rely completely on you and stake all of my hope in your merciful love. Amen.

How Do We Respond to Injustice?

Psalms 28:3-6

Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

Blessed be the Lord !
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

...............

On Friday, December 14, 2012, at 9:30am, a 20-year-old man ended the lives of 20 schoolchildren and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. The public response was immediate and emotionally charged. Parents wept for their lost children, while others across the country held their children a little longer before bedtime, imagining how painful it would be to lose those we hold most dear. The innate sense of justice we all feel was stirred to the point of brimming over. We were reminded that evil is still real, and we could not suppress the instinctual craving for justice in the aftermath of wicked deeds like these.

In Psalm 28, we get an interesting balance in the mind of the believer: the twofold truth that we are both desperately in need of God's forgiveness, and desperately ready for God to punish others who act wickedly. We want the final judgment to come, and for all things to be made right. But we know we belong in the lake of fire ourselves, so we cry out for mercy, utterly dependent on God's grace to spare us from our just penalty.

Really, humility and justice must hang together in the Christian's life, for one cannot exist without the other - at least, not in any authentic way. For example, our thirst for punishment against mass murderers would surely disappear if we lost our ability to humbly identify with the fragile dependency of our dear children. Our sympathy toward these little ones corresponds to our fierce opposition to any force that would spoil their delicate lives. Here's how Jesus embodied this balance:

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." (Mark 9:42)

Likewise, a lack of justice will always coincide with a lack of humility, and vice versa. For example, if I did not care deeply for the weak and vulnerable child, I would not have the deadly serious mind of Christ toward any threat to their safety. In fact, it is safe to say that God's justice is an extension of his humility. No one feels the wickedness and gravity of sin more than Him who has known the fullest depths of humility. This humility is what has led to God's wrath being satisfied on our behalf - at the cross, there is simultaneously justice for sin, and justification for the sinner. As Paul said:

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:23, 24, 26)

Our humility must also be defined by a deference to the supremacy of God in all things. The psalmist here considers the wicked man's greatest crime to be that he disregarded the works of the Lord (28:5). To have a vision and passion for God's glory is to be both truly humble and also highly sensitive to how sin perverts and distorts God's glorious love and holiness.

This is the gospel-balance that helps us respond to the Newtown massacre in the way that God does - with deadly seriousness and the just fires of hell, motivated by a humble love and longing for the protection of innocence and the glory of God. I pray I can walk in the light of the cross of Christ, which speaks mercy to me while simultaneously paying for my crimes against God and man. I pray I can walk like Micah:

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
(Micah 6:8)

Christian Well-Being

Psalm 25:11-13

For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.

...............

I work for a well-being company. This company is more widely known simply as a health insurance company. But we have also been re-branding ourselves as fundamentally working towards the physical, emotional, and (yes) even the spiritual well-being of our members. We have begun to offer incentive programs that add extra benefits to members who eat healthier, exercise more, and otherwise make good lifestyle choices.

I applaud these efforts, but I have had to also ask myself what true "well-being" is all about. Is it all about minimizing pain and maximizing happiness? Four servings of vegetables + 40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise + 20 minutes of silent meditation + a solid 401k account = a lifetime of peace? Is it that simple? Then why does true joy seem so rare today? The recipe for the peace of the human soul must be more than this.

I think the missing ingredient is much deeper than these things and hardens back to what mankind lost at the beginning of history: peace with our Maker.

Psalm 26 speaks to this reality when it defines true well-being as rooted in our relationship to God. But this relationship cannot be manufactured by some 5-step program or regimen of good deeds. The psalm elaborates by saying this relationship must involve our forgiveness, our humility, and our obedience.

The absolute necessity of having our guilt removed is spoken of in countless places in the Bible. Romans 5:1-2 is especially relevant here as it connects our justification with our restored peace with God:

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

The demand for our humility is illustrated in another passage with absolute clarity as well:

"But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:6)

And the idea that our well-being is contingent on our obedience to God is alluded to in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20:

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

So, how can I achieve a deep sense of well-being and peace that I can then carry with me through the ups and downs of every day life? It must start with a longing to restore our relationship with the One who made us for Himself. This will take forgiveness, humility, and a new life of obedience to our wise and holy Teacher. The psalmist knew this. If we want to ask God for this kind of well-being, why not start right here by making these words the cry of our own hearts:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
(Psalm 25:4-7)

Get Blessed!

Psalm 24:3-5

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

...............

Who doesn't want a little blessing their life? You may have met folks who respond to greetings by saying "I'm blessed, how are you doing?" There is something universally pleasant about feeling blessed - feeling like the sun is shining just for you, like Someone has had favor on you today.

Verse 5 promises blessing, and that should make us stop and consider what this blessing is all about and what we have to do to get it.

The word "blessed" just means "happy." When Jesus taught the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, he was describing what the truly happy man is like, and there are some parallels to this psalm that are worth noting.

For one, the blessed person is someone who is pure in heart. That is no easy task actually, and you know it if you've tried it. Sins of the heart are the deepest and hardest to uproot. Hidden sins of hatred and lust, for example, are singled out by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount as being the root of murder and adultery - in fact they are the heinous equivalent of those outward sins. Paul also singles out the inner sin of covetousness as being particularly impossible to escape due to universal human depravity (Romans 7). We are in fact at war within ourselves, even those who have the indwelling Spirit of God within them. To be pure in heart is a tall order.

Another similarity I see with the beatitudes is the emphasis on humility as the gateway to a relationship with God. Jesus said "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." The psalm reminds us that the earth is the Lord's, and yet we too are promised this inheritance if we humble ourselves before him and live a life knowing that he owns the world and the fullness thereof. This is ironic to the modern mind - we are truly happy and will inherit the whole world if we live in selfless humility.

Another point to consider: since verse 5 fits the pattern of parallelism found throughout Hebrew poetry, the words "blessing" and "righteousness" appear to be set as equivalent here. To the Christian's ears this is no surprise - the happiest gift he has received is the righteousness that comes not from works but that which is the gift of God received by humble faith. To be right with God - to have final peace with Him and be welcomed on his "holy hill" - is to experience the deepest and most lasting joy. It is an eternal joy. And it causes us to say...

"I am blessed."

Later in Psalm 32, David will reiterate this connection between blessing and righteousness. I will close with Paul's reference to this passage in Romans 4, which puts it specifically in the context of the righteousness granted to us through faith in Jesus:

"And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
(Romans 4:5-8 ESV)