Reflection on Psalm 23:5

For the past month, I've been starting my day by prayerfully reading a Psalm and looking for a word or phrase that "jumps out" at me.  I then use that word/phrase as a centering prayer.  I try to avoid making this an academic exercise, focusing instead on how the Spirit is leading and speaking through this word or phrase.  I will be posting reflections several times a week and decided that Psalm 23 is a great place to begin.

"God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies…"  Psalm 23:5a

For many Christians, Psalm 23 has been de-fanged, tamed, domesticated.  It has almost become a cliche for many and it's difficult for cliches to unsettle, challenge, or inspire.  We often think of this Psalm as one of comfort and there are certainly comforting images in abundance here.  But in identifying this Psalm as one of comfort, it's possible that we'll miss being challenged and convicted.  I'm guilty of this and in not really taking this Psalm seriously, it's easy for me to push cruise control whenever I hear/read this Psalm.

Like many of you, I've been hearing this Psalm my entire life, and because of this familiarity I assumed several things about this verse:

1. The table that God is preparing is only for me.  I always assumed that God was making this table for me.  In my mind, I've pictured a long table, outdoors in a green valley.  The sun shining, a spread like you would see at old-fashioned covered dish meals.  Not catered, but homemade food - the good stuff.  Desserts included.  And one chair.  For me.
2. The meal is a victory celebration.  As I turned over this image in my head during my reflection time this morning, I began to realize that what I've pictured most of my life is that this meal is a form of gloating.  God is preparing a victory feast for me so that my enemies could see it and know that God had chosen me and given victory to me.

3. God is serving me.  Altogether inadvertently and uncritically, when I pictured this particular verse, I imagined that God was actually serving me, even celebrating me.  How presumptuous!  The picture in my head was that of God preparing this table for me, celebrating a victory that I assumed was mine. 

4. My enemies are out of luck.  And in my overactive imagination, these imagined enemies of mine hate to be left out.  They know they are defeated, that I am victorious, and no, they can't have any fried chicken or banana pudding.  This is my table, my food, my victory.

I don't want to be to harsh on the uncritical images that formed in my mind when I was young.  After all, these are the images of a child and it's not surprising that a child would think in simple and self-centered ways.  The problem is that I never really took the time to actually update the image as I grew in my faith.  So, pretty much every time I heard or read Psalm 23, this image would flash in my mind.  As a result, I've been missing the point.  Badly.  Here's what the Spirit helped me understand today:

1. This table is for all.  There are more chairs than can be counted.  There is room for everyone who is hungry and willing to grab a seat.  Notice, the Psalmist says, "God prepares a table before me" NOT "God prepares a table for me".  That's a pretty big difference.  Though I'm still going to picture the old-fashioned covered dish…
2. The meal is God's victory celebration.  There is no gloating here - no losers, only winners.  One thing about the victory of God - it is reconciliation.  God's victory in Jesus Christ makes this reconciliation possible.  It brings together that which has been broken, healing that which was fractured, mending that which was torn.  If there is boasting, "let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (2 Corinthians 10:17)
3. God is serving all.  This is the radical nature of the Gospel - every seat at this infinitely long table is a seat of honor.  And Jesus is serving.  We might share Peter's response - no way, Jesus.  You're not serving me.  I'll serve you.  I picture Jesus smiling and saying to us: "No, that's ok.  Why don't you serve one another?  Your sister three seats down would probably enjoy some of that casserole."  The word that kept coming to mind during my prayer time was hospitality.  If Christians and churches would simply look for ways to be more hospitable to all, what a difference that would make in our world!

4. There are no enemies.  Jesus Christ came to save us from sin and death.  He also wants to save us from our willful stupidity and eager desire to make and then destroy enemies.  Jesus tells us to love our enemies.  That's hard.  It's downright impossible without God's help.  That's why God prepares a table - sit down, fix a plate, talk it over.  Of course, life's not that simple.  But you've got to start somewhere and breaking bread together has always been a good starting point.

A word on that last point:  No enemies?  Isn't this naïve?  Wishful thinking?  The possible responses are familiar - "what about murderers/rapists/terrorists/etc.?"  "There are people out there that want to kill us!"  "What about Hitler/Bin Laden/whoever?"  "This is not the way the real world works!"  Perhaps not, but it is the way the Kingdom of God works.  It's helpful that we don't decide the boundaries and we don't set the rules.  Neither do we set the table.  God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, so that we might break bread together and be reconciled.  May it be so...