Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
Verse 2Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
Verse 19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
Verse 20This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
Verse 21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
Verse 22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
Verse 23This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Verse 24This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Verse 25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Verse 26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Verse 27The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
Verse 28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
Verse 29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Devotion
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The call-and-response children’s song echoes through my head as I ponder the psalm that bookends Holy Week. We sing Psalm 118 to celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and then, after his arrest, torture, and death, we’ll sing some of the same verses again to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. As 21st century Christians, it’s impossible for us to enter into Holy Week with the naivety of the disciples. Unlike those followers who sat with Jesus at the Last Supper, we know the conclusion of next week’s drama before the table is set. We know that because God’s steadfast love endures forever, the tomb will be empty at the end. This story—the whole story—is in our hearts and on our lips, year after year, passed down through generations. We also know the suffering that Jesus must endure before he is raised, and so we go with the disciples to the Mount of Olives, singing “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Prayer
Oh God, you have suffered for us, with us, and because of us. God of steadfast love, I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. Amen.
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