Friday 07 April 2017

Psalm: Psalm 135:8-21

Background

In the first verse of this section, we have the first hint oftension in the romance between the black woman and the shepherd.Their relationship seems to violate the cultural norms governingmarriage at that time. The woman wishes her lover was her "brother"(by which she probably means a close relative) because that wouldbe the ideal circumstance for their marriage in the culture inwhich they are living.

The woman has been brazen in her courtship of the shepherd, butwhen the time comes for the consummation of the relationship sheslips back into her cultural norms. She would like to be able toexpress something of her intimate love for her beloved publicallyand if they were related she imagines she could do that and bringhim into her mother's house.

Looking at these verses from the perspective of Jesus'relationship with the Church we are reminded of how Jesus kickedagainst cultural norms so that people who were excluded sociallyfrom all kinds of relationships - like with Zacchaeus (Luke19:1-10) and the woman at the well of Samaria (John4:1-30) - were embraced by his love. He publically acknowledgedand ate with "tax collectors and sinners" (Matthew 9:11), and redrew the cultural norms ofreligious society by appealing to the universal love of God. Themeasure of inclusion and exclusion is love such that no-one isexcluded. When God took on human form and came to earth to live asa human being, God made plain that God's love is in every part ofcreation and all creation is united in love.

In the words of one of my favourite Passiontide hymns:

My Song is love unknown,
my Saviour's love for me,
love to the loveless shown,
that they might lovely be.
O who am I,
that for my sake
my Lord should take
frail flesh and die?

Who am I? I am the Lord's beloved, the Church.

To Ponder

• What cultural norms are challenged by Christ today?

• Who are today's "tax collectors and sinners"? What is Jesus'attitude to them?