Isaiah 38: 1-6, 21-22, 7-8; Hezekiah’s lament from Isaiah 38; Matthew 12: 1-8
On July 2, we heard Matthew’s good news in the context of his own call to discipleship, repeated here, Jesus quoting God’s word: “’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” King Hezekiah is suffering from an infection from a boil and is dying. His lament the king himself wrote after he recovered. It is worth reading/praying the whole of it, Isaiah 38: 10-20, for we only have pieces of it as our response. “Surely it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness…You have cast all my sins behind your back” (v. 17). Like all the psalms which are classified as laments (lamah is Hebrew for why?), it ends with thanksgiving and joy.
Jesus surely lamented often. Those solitary prayers on the mountain could not have been all sweetness and light. How do you feel about lamenting to God? Pouring out your troubles to God, or Jesus—or maybe Mary. God surely wants us to share all we are and feel. Then the dying/rising dynamic takes over: bitterness/ welfare, sorrow/ joy. Review your week or month. When have you felt wretched, and what happened next? How will you respond? Don’t hesitate to keep on complaining!
Please give us perspective on our complaints, Jesus. We are so blessed compared to most in our world. Thank you for food, shelter, medical care, and so much more! (This is NOT double-speak. First, we get the complaining out of our system and then we can be grateful!)