Scripture – Matthew 3:13-17 NRSVUE
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
From Brian Mack
When I was praying the scriptures in response to the first eleven verses of psalm 40, I found myself returning again and again to the word “pit”. In Biblical times, pits were often dug by hand to be used as cisterns to collect rainwater. In such a context, a pit was essential for survival in a region that was arid. Pits were sometimes dug to be used as traps for animals that would provide sustenance. Mostly in scripture, however, pits were associated with danger, despair, or even death. The story of Joseph being thrown into a pit by his brothers (Genesis 37:20) or Jeremiah being lowered into a muddy cistern and left to die (Jeremiah 38:6) come to mind.
In psalm 40, the pit represents a time of deep emotional or spiritual distress for David. The imagery he uses of being an entrapped prisoner or a traveller floundering in an inescapable quagmire of clay is a powerful one. We are not made privy to the exact nature of his distress, but we can imagine it as being a time of experiencing feelings of danger, vulnerability, betrayal, injustice, or despair. Whatever the cause of David’s despondency, he cries out to the Lord, waits patiently for a response to his prayers, and when delivered from his plight offers songs of praise to God and vows to do the will of the Creator.
In the context of the world in which we live today, we are often overwhelmed with a sense of fear about what lies ahead for us individually or collectively. In the daily news, we are bombarded with stories that bring us angst. The geo-political world that we grew up in is being turned upside down. Alliances are being cast aside, patterns of trade are being disrupted, and commitments to international law are being torn asunder. Like David, we may feel that we are floundering in a morass of unforgiving clay. As the psalmist did so long ago, we can lift up our concerns to God, wait patiently for a response secure in the knowledge that we are not alone, and give the Holy One praise for being our constant companion, our protector, and our source of guidance in all that we do. Thanks be to God.
Contemplation and Conversation
What might the “pit” and the “rock’ represent in our lives today, and how have you seen God bring stability or hope out of a time of waiting or struggle?
Prayer
Gracious God, you are the One who hears our cries.
Put a new song in our mouths even when the way forward is unclear.
Fill us with praise, trust, and hope and help us to lift ourselves and others from the pit of uncertainty. Amen.
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