Psalm 126 (antiphon: v. 5) “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.”
The words from this week’s antiphon should sound familiar.
They are prayed during the committal service at most Christian funerals. They
express our current reality. We are living in a broken world outside of Eden.
Each will experience misery, sorrow and loss. Yet, we do not grieve as those
who have no hope as Paul reminds us. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) We look to that
glorious day when we shall be with the Lord. In the meantime we are encouraged
to take each of our burdens to the LORD. He knows our needs and has promise to
hear us when we pray. We are guided by a Savior who entered our humanity to
provide rescue and life.
This psalm is titled A Song of Ascents. It is the seventh in the series of 15 songs for
pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. This song likely was composed after the exile, in
wondrous gratitude for God’s restoration, and in prayer for a furtherance of
that work.
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy: The gladness
of the first half of this psalm was real, but only part of the picture. With
wisdom the psalmist reminded himself and all of us that great joy is often
preceded by a season of tears, as if they are seeds we sow that will bring a
crop of joy to be later reaped.
F.B. Meyer noted that some farmers soak (steep) their
seeds before sowing them, and then applied the idea: “It is well when Christian
workers steep their lessons and addresses with their prayers and tears. It is
not enough to sow; we may do that lavishly and constantly, but we must add
passion, emotion, tender pity, strong crying and tears.”[2]
A Collect for harvest: Eternal God, you crown the year with your goodness and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season: grant that we may use them to your glory, for the relief of those in need and for our own well being; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]
Collect for Psalm 126: Lord Jesus, our life and our resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your Passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the Church, so that, after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever. [4] -19 October, 2021
[1] The Christ, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[4] Collect for Psalm 126, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church. Vol. I © 1994 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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