Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This year, Monday Matters will focus on wisdom conveyed in the treasures of the book of Psalms. We'll look at the psalms read in church before Monday Matters comes to your screen.

Love your enemies. Really? Do I have to?

After the Civil War, many people in the North felt it was their right and duty to crush the South. Members of Lincoln’s party pushed for swift retribution. At one gathering, as President Lincoln spoke about binding up the wounds of the nation, working for reconciliation and forgiveness, Representative Thaddeus Stevens pounded the table and said, “Mr. Lincoln, I think enemies ought to be destroyed.” Mr. Lincoln responded, “Mr. Stevens, do I not destroy my enemy when I make him my friend?”

Psalm 23, maybe the most familiar of all the psalms, includes this vision of the Lord, our shepherd: “You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me,” or perhaps more familiarly, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” The psalm suggests that there’s a need to be in relationship with all of God’s children, even those we don’t like. Even those who trouble us and threaten us. Even our enemies.

There’s a lot about enemies in the scripture, and especially in the psalms. For a people clearly threatened with extinction, the calls for violence against enemies are undeniably brutal, so harsh in fact that the lectionaries often leave out those passages. In the many voices we hear in scripture, we can certainly find rationale for violence, as contemporary leaders have discovered.

In the early 1950’s, Howard Thurman made this observation (which he could be saying this week). He wrote: “One encounters persons of deep piousness and religiosity who are intolerant and actively hostile toward their fellows. Some of the most terrifying hate organizations in the country are made up in large part of persons who are very devout in their worship of God.” He continues: “I cannot be at peace without God, and I cannot be truly aware of God if I am not at peace with my fellows. For the sake of my unity with God, I keep working on my relations with my fellows. This is ever the insistence of all ethical religions.”

Alongside those scriptural voices calling for vengeance, we hear the voice of Jesus who says that we are not only to love our neighbor. We are to love our enemy. The expansive nature of that commandment sets Jesus apart. These days we may not be facing enemies who would try to physically destroy us. We can give thanks for that. We can recognize that in some places on our globe, people of faith do face that kind of danger. But in our time, we do all face those who threaten to undo us. How is a table set for us in the presence of those who trouble us? What does that mean for us?

While many of the psalms seem to call for rather violent destruction of our enemies, I’m grateful for that short passage from Psalm 109. The psalmist acknowledges that “the mouth of the wicked is opened against me. They speak to me with a lying tongue, they encompass me with hateful words and fight against me without a cause. Despite my love, they accuse me. But as for me, I pray for them.” In other words, this ancient psalm echoes counsel I’ve been given when I encounter people who trouble me. I’ve been told that the first step is simply to pray for that person.

And as we pray blessing on our enemies, as we extend forgiveness even when it hasn’t been requested, we acknowledge in confession the ways we have participated in division, the ways in which we need to be forgiven, the ways in which we have troubled others.

Finally, we commit ourselves to the promises of baptism, which says that we seek and serve Christ in all persons (even our enemies). We respect the dignity of every human being (even our enemies). Let’s be clear. I don’t want to do it. Harboring hatred toward enemies is so deliciously satisfying, feeding righteous indignation. Let's also be clear that love of enemy does not mean tolerance of injustice. This is not easy.

Which is why when we make our baptismal promises, we say “I will with God’s help.” Experiment with loving your enemy this week. With loving those who trouble you. Lincoln was onto something.

-Jay Sidebotham