Psalm 26 - When Righteousness Rears its Ugly Head

 




Jesus, as with many of the psalms, you again perfectly fulfilled Psalm 26. The language of this psalm reflects the righteous person in Psalm 1. David uses 5 of the exact words as in Psalm 1 - sit, walk, stand, wicked, and sinners. So, this psalm reflects the actions, attitudes, loves, and hates of the righteous.

But, Jesus, does it truly reflect you? Verse 4 is where I’m thrown off. Instead of hating the assembly of evildoers and not sitting with the wicked, you ate and drank with them. You were accused of being a drunk (Matthew 11:19) because of your association with sinners. You loved sitting with sinners. You truly loved eating with them and drinking with them. You loved being their friend.

Jesus, this is where my self-righteousness rears its ugly head. My “righteousness” often leads me to look down on “sinners.” It leads me to disassociate. It leads me to hide. It leads me to judge. It leads me to condemn. 

 I don’t think these words are what David had in mind when he said, “I do not sit with the wicked.”

But, Jesus, self-righteousness has a way of distorting my own sin…my own need - and causing me to ultimately miss your friendship.

And self-righteousness is what led to you “being swept away” by sinners (v. 9). The self-righteous could not handle the fact that you were a friend of sinners. They could not handle that you were not living according to their interpretation of v. 4. And so, in their self-righteous attempt to hate evil, they hated you…enough to destroy you.

But, Jesus, your death was according to your plan to even more radically love sinners…like me…for eternity.

Thank you.

Amen

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