Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s readings include Psalm 49, in which the psalmist employs a contrast between the children of the Kingdom of God and those who belong instead to death.

I suppose this rhetorical device, in which the psalmist delineates two distinct and contrasting paths, can lend itself to two different readings. The first is purely historical, in which we look for meaning in the objective facts of the psalmist's circumstances.

On the other hand, we can read this sort of contrast as a spiritual autobiography, not only for the psalmist, but for ourselves. This means that, with the psalmist, we try to imagine ourselves as children of the Kingdom of God, as those who belong to Christ — for such we are, if we have been baptized into Christ.

The alternative leads inevitably to death, and the ever-present fear of death leads to a preoccupation with all sorts of things that distract, but do not deliver from death. These things are all objects that we enjoy with our senses. The psalmist especially mentions wealth, success, and honor — but there are many sensorial distractions that we all face.

However, God delivers his children from ‘the grasp of death’ and so we are freed from the power of sin and death together. It appears then that living as a child of God means releasing our grip on all of these objects and instead pursuing Christ, the One who frees us from every form of bondage.

I find this latter way of reading the psalms to be both a prod and a comfort. It confronts my sins and preoccupations with objects, and reminds me where true meaning, peace and wisdom are to be found.

Yours in Christ,
Justin