Good Friday
4/14
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm. I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’ As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.
- Psalm 40: 1-4, 16-1
My heavens, I’m not sure that I am very good at “waiting patiently for the Lord!” No, I have my own directions, my own schedules, my own destination; and I don’t like waiting one little bit. This Good Friday Psalm reflects an unbelievable patience and wait shown on Golgotha hill. It is that shown by Jesus of Nazareth as he suffers and goes to the cross. He waits for the culmination of suffering love, a long wait, a hard wait, an undeserved wait.
Yes, on Good Friday we do see the painful and passionate reality of the Cross. An innocent man is condemned and executed. Things seem to have come to a sad and sorrowful end. Jesus waits for the end… his friends wait for the end. And yet… the rest of the Psalm speaks of the
ultimate action of God on this Friday afternoon… “He drew me up from the desolate pit… he set my feet upon a rock… he put a new song in my mouth.” Suffering love has triumphed. Death will not have the final word.
The Psalmist then voices the invitation to trust in God. “Happy are those who make the Lord their trust.” For all of us there will be pain in life. For all of us there will be sorrow. For all of us there will be waiting, sometimes dull, sometimes excruciating. We wait and we hope on this Good Friday. We look for God’s culmination of love. The Psalmist’s prayer is ours, “God, you are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!”
Is there something for which you are
waiting on this day? Is your patience stretched? How might you connect with the God who has suffered with you and for you? What does it mean for God to be you help and deliverer?
- The Rev’d Dr. Jim Lemler
Rector