Give no heed to those who are greedy, attend not to those who do wrong.
For, like the green grass of spring, they soon fade and wither away.
Trust in the Most High, and seek goodness;
live harmoniously upon the earth in peace and with assurance.
Take delight in the Beloved, and enjoy the bountiful gifts of Love.
Commit your life to the Beloved, confident that Love will act on your behalf,
Making clear your pathway, bright as the sun at midday.
Be still before the Beloved, and wait quietly in the Silence;
pray for those who prosper by deceitful means,
and for those who live by their own devises.
Recognize your own anger as unfulfilled desire and,
lift your thoughts to higher planes;
For those who act out of anger, separate themselves from Love;
While those who live in harmony shall know peace, assurance, gratitude, and love.
In a little while, those who live with greed, will prosper no more;
the darkness of ignorance will pass, as a new dawn enlightens the world.
The lovers of darkness shall perish, while the humble shall inherit the earth,
and find delight in sharing its abundance with all.
Those who are greedy plot against the weak, those without worldly power,
and rationalize their selfish deeds.
The Beloved watches patiently,
knowing they will stumble and have to face their own downfall.
Those with power make war despoiling nations, killing the poor and innocent,
murdering in the name of peace!
O, if they only knew that their greed will kill their own spirit;
their hearts will be broken.
How much better is the little of those who know Love,
than the abundance of the greedy ones.
For the spirit of the selfish will be broken;
while those who live in love, shall dwell with Love.
Love walks with the upright, and their heritage is forever;
In difficult times, they will be assured,
even in times of famine, their spirits will be filled.
But those who live by usurped power will perish;
Like a refining fire, their deeds will burn and vanish away in smoke.
Those who are greedy borrow, using the assets of others,
money they cannot pay back;
The upright are generous and give.
Blessed by Love, they know inner peace, but the selfish cut themselves off from Love.
Our lives come from the Most High and Love walks beside those with open hearts;
Those who know Love are blessed and shall be filled with the Spirit;
thought their lives may seem difficult, Love raises them up.
From my birth to my elder years,
I have watched the upright blessed with inner strength and faith.
Living as beneficial presences in the world, their children come to know Love.
Turn from ignorance, and become all that you were born to be;
thus will you fulfill your birthright.
The Beloved love justice and will enable all who call upon Love to grow in love.
The upright of heart will know the fulness of life, their children will be blessed.
Those who give avarice a home,
set their children on the path that leads to darkness.
The upright of heart know Silence;
when they speak, it is with wisdom and justice.
For Love abides in their hearts; their way is made sure.
Those who do wrong look to justify themselves, they seek to subdue the upright.
Their greed begets fear and guilt; they condemn themselves.
Closing their hearts to Love, they live unaware of their own deep poverty of heart.
Desire only Love and walk your days with the Beloved;
you will radiate with joy, blessing others with Love’s presence.
I have seen the greedy ones, their ways are overbearing,
they puff themselves up with pride.
When I pass them, I see only an inflated balloon;
even so, I take time to honor the Divine Spark hidden within them.
Look at the innocent, consider those honest of heart;
they leave a rich inheritance to their children.
But those who live with greed, end their days empty,
they leave legacy of hollow vanity to their children.
The saving grace of the upright comes from the Beloved;
Love is their refuge in times of trouble.
Love leads the way and they arrive home safely,
delivered from those who tempt them with power.
Love invites all to open their hearts.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Psalm 37 could easily fit in the book of Proverbs (wisdom sayings). It is collected wisdom from a community committed to living as compassionate, generous people. This community invests in their neighborhood in a way that would make Mr. Rogers proud. They know what to do for the well-being of all, and in this psalm, they have preserved that wisdom. And they warn against not following the societal norms of trusting the goodness of God and neighbor. It is a community that loves each other so well, they even love their enemy.
Psalm 37 describes the evildoers as those who are angry and have unfulfilled desires. They worry and fret, which leads to bad choices. In fear, they turn away from Love and become selfish and act with their own interests first, forgetting what is best for everyone. They feel guilty, so they justify themselves by tearing others down. The evildoers (who are community members) let fear get the best of them. They forgot, even for a moment, to trust in the goodness of God and their neighbors. It could happen to any of us.
The purpose of Psalm 37 is to remind all of us that there are ways of living together that work, and there are ways that will wither and fade because they are not sustainable. The wicked will eventually loose ground, and those who choose to live rightly, will inherit the land. As Walter Brueggemann says, “The land will belong to those who have a public capacity for neighborliness” (From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 123) and when we talk about the land, we mean a safe place that will sustain the community for generations. Compassionate neighbors will inherit a compassionate neighborhood.
The world we live in doesn’t always inspire us to believe that the humble, compassionate, and loving people will outlast the greedy, selfish, and violent. But we cannot be paralyzed by fear and apathy. We have hope. We have hope in the Love of God; in the Love we share with our neighbors.
Our scriptures, our spiritual practices, the way we live in community reminds us of this hope. The only way we can prove to our neighbors (and enemies) that Love is the way is to exist as a community who embodies the character and promises of God. We must do justice, love kindness, and give generously of ourselves.
Check out other psalm reflections in the links below or find more of my writing published in Presbyterian Outlook or listen to my experiments in podcasting on the Period Pastor Podcast. Follow me @periodpastor
I began writing Psalm reflections during Lent of 2020. Shortly after, we decided to close the church building, work from home, and worship via zoom. Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C). Starting in Advent 2019, the church decided to worship with the texts from Year D, which is still not circulated as are years A, B, and C. Year D was created with the goal of including scriptures that were left out or not used as frequently as others. While we were using Psalms in year D, most other lectionary followers were using Year A. In Advent of 2020 we rejoined those who use the lectionary in year B. Advent of 2021 year C. When we returned to in person worship, we took the psalm reflections out of the order of worship. I continued to write them for the blog. Advent of 2022 year A. I left church work in July of 2023 but continued the practice of writing psalm reflections. Advent of 2023 year B.
I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings to make text selections.
1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 25, 2nd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Luke 1:68-79, 3rd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Isaiah 12:2-6, 4th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 36, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 19, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 71, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 138, 6th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 1, 7th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 37, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 99
Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 91, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 27, 3rd Sunday in Lent Psalm 63, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 126, 6th Sunday in Lent (Palm or Passion Sunday) Psalm 118 or 31
Easter: Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 150, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 30, 4thSunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 148, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 67, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 97, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104
Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 or Psalm 22, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 77 or Psalm 16, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 30 or Psalm 66, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 82 or Psalm 25, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 52 or Psalm 15, 7thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 85 or Psalm 138, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 49, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 50 or Psalm 33, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 80 or Psalm 82, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 71or Psalm 103, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 81 or Psalm 112, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 1, 14thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 51, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 79 or Psalm 113, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 146, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 137 or Psalm 37, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 66 or Psalm 111, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 121, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 65 or Psalm 84, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 32, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17, 23rdSunday after Pentecost Psalm 98, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 46.
Sources and notes:
previous reflection
I don’t understand why anyone would choose war. It is heartbreaking.
Sometimes, evil and injustice are paralyzing. I am so overwhelmed with the enormity of it all, that I feel small and powerless, so I freeze and do nothing. I become trapped by fear and that frozen fear only solidifies apathy. I can’t do anything so why try?
On my best days, I remind myself that I can only do what I can do (small things). I am grateful for the opportunity to work with DfG to get menstrual health kits to the Poland/Ukraine border. With the enormity of the situation and so much out of my control, it has been helpful to focus on the one small thing I can do to provide disposable and washable pads to those feeling their homes.
The only proof we can offer of a God of love and justice, is to exist as a community who embodies the character and promises of God. We must do justice, love kindness, and give generously of ourselves.
I believe that this starts with small things in small places; in our homes and neighborhoods.
A few commentaries connect this psalm with Matthew 5:5 “meek inheriting the earth”.
“Psalm 37—along with Psalms 49;73; and the book of Job–is often labeled a theodicy, because it implies the question, How can God be just while there is so much evil in the world? “Theodicy” means literally, “justice of God”; while this label may be too restrictive, there is some rationale for considering Psalm 37 to be a homiletical exploration of the issue of God’s justice. The word “justice” (mispat) occurs in vv. 6, 28, 30 (the phrase “when brought to trial” in v. 33 NIV also represents the same Hebrew root).” NIB pp. 408-409
“The only proof we can offer that God rules the world is the tangible existence of a community that is shaped by the character of God and God’s claim. We prove that God rules the wold when we trust in God (vv. 3, 5), “do good” (vv. 3, 27), commit our way to God (v. 5), “give generously” (v. 21), “speak justice” (v. 30), open ourselves to God’s instruction (v. 31), and “take refuge in” God (v. 40). Such humble dependence on God is, in effect, to “inherit the land”—it is life as God intends it, abundant and eternal.” NIB
“This is a pastoral psalm. It offers counsel about a perennial question. What will the members of the religious community take as a the decisive clue to the way life should be lived? Will it be the prosperity and power of the wicked or the providence of God? The choice is between the pressures of the present and the promise of the future. The choice is between faith and no faith. It is important to describe the fundamental point of the psalm in this way. The psalm has often been read as advocacy of a doctrinaire moralism that believes evil is punished and good is rewarded in some kind of deterministic, simplistic way. There are lines in the psalm that, taken by themselves, may seem to invite such a reading. The whole and all the tis said must be considered.” Mays pp. 158-159
“The psalm is an acrostic poem, that is, a poem composed of the scheme of the Hebrew alphabet. In Psalm 37 there are two poetic lines to a letter, the first line beginning with the appropriate letter of the alphabet. The alphabet provides the primary structure of the psalm.” Mays p. 159
“Exhortation about the wrong way and the right way to respond to the success of the wicked is given in verses 1-9; in this imperative section all the related themes of the poem are stated and repeated. The rest of the poem is a sequence of variations on the themes.” Mays p. 159
“The psalm addresses a specific spiritual predicament. It is not a sequence of abstract general statements. It reaches out to offer nurture in a situation in which keeping the faith is difficult. The addressees of the imperatives at the psalm’s beginning are not spoken to as the self-confident righteous. They are people who are in danger of falling into frustrated envious vexation and even destructive anger (vv. 1, 7, 8). They are bewildered by the incongruence between faith and experience. Their consciousness has been captured by the success of people who do not follow the way of the LORD. If they dwell on this provocation, their whole mood of life will become bitter and uncertain. The teacher knows that this is a real possibility for the religious. In the exhortations he warns them and invites them to another way. In the descriptions of the LORD’s way with the righteous and the wicked, he seeks to persuade them to hold to this other way.” Mays pp. 159-160
“This is the most obviously sapiential of all the psalms. Indeed its is a collection of sayings that might easily be found in the book of Proverbs. It appears to be a rather random collection of sayings without any order or development. However, there is an important qualification to that statement, for this psalm is aromatic and so is crafted with pedagogical purpose. That carefully ordered arrangement corresponds to the claim made for the substance of the psalm; that is, the world is exceedingly well ordered, and virtue is indeed rewarded.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p. 42
Psalm 37 offers 5 statements about land: v.9, vv. 10-11, v. 22, v. 29 and v. 34. “It is evident that the statement about the “meek inheriting the earth” (Matt. 5:5) can and must be taken in a more general context of responsible conduct and land retention. The connection is inescapable. The five stateless that dominate the psalm are in face synonymous. there is no developments in the sayings, but each reiterates the main point. Land possession is closely linked to Yahweh, his governance and purpose. The psalm refute every notion that the land can be had on our own terms. The land is not autonomous, nor are those who have it, but it relates to the Creator (Lev. 25:23) and true wisdom is to live in responsible awareness of the Creator and his intention. That basic affirmation is exposited through various other guidelines in the psalm, all of which seek to characterize acceptable land-yielding behavior.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms pp. 43-44
“The book of Proverbs is the primary example of that [wisdom tradition]– the norms found therein, discerned in the actual conduct of life, came to be regarded as nonnegotiable givens guaranteed by God the creator. It is not at all surprising that the same theological-ethical reflection would also be found in the book of Psalms, which, like Proverbs, also functioned (among other uses) to socialize the young into society’s norms.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 121
“Verses 1-2, negatively, focus o the life of the “wicked” and “wrongdoers,” those who violate the norms of the community and acts foolishly in their self-serving destructive ways. Such behavior might cause others in the community to “fret,” to conclude that the world is going to “hell in a hand basket”. The plasmic proverb assures that such conduct has no future and will “fade” and “wither”. These two verses show a connection between the deeds of the wicked and wrongdoers and the inevitable consequences, “fade” and “wither”. They saying evidence no doubt that such deeds lead to such consequences. This wisdom arises from noticing many examples of such disapproved behavior. The conclusion ins thus data-based. But implied in the data is the overarching conviction that the world is ordered in this way according to the intent of the creator God.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid pp. 121 -122
“… this kind of wisdom teaching arises form socioeconomic context of well-being and prosperity in which the “successful” socialize their young into patterns of behavior that will sustain the well-being of the family, clan, or village.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 122
“We should not think of “the wicked” as “lowlifes,” but rather as those who look out for themselves at the expense of the community. Those who adhere to YHWH, to the contrary, are those who care about, invest in, and tend to the well-being of the neighborhood. The land will belong to those who have a public capacity for neighborliness.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 123
“The sum of this psalmic wisdom is not a set of rules but a style and mode of life that continually acts out the abundant blessing given by the creator God. This is a world that works!” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 124
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