Professor, I Don’t Understand the Assignment

Psalm 34:17-18

17        When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears

                        and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18        The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

                        and saves the crushed in spirit.

            Inevitably, there are assignments that one or more students don’t understand. Sometimes the entire class doesn’t understand the assignment. Such are the students in Professor Jesus’ classroom—you and me.

            The righteous cry out for help. What sort of help is cried out for? The answer is deliverance from our troubles. Sometimes God will deliver you from what troubles you right now. And sometimes He won’t because He has other things in mind that we are not privy to.

            Words from the Early Church:[1]

A SPIRITUAL CRY. BASIL THE GREAT: The cry of the just is a spiritual one, having its loudness in the secret recess of the heart, able to reach even to the ears of God. . . . They sought after nothing petty, nothing earthly, nothing lowly. For this reason the Lord received their voice, and he delivered them from all their tribulations, not so much freeing them from their troubles as making them victorious over the circumstances. HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 16.12 (PS 34).⁶⁰

TRUST AND OBEY. AUGUSTINE: But what about me? I cried to him, and he did not rescue me; so either I am not righteous, or I am not following his instructions or perhaps he cannot see me. Do not be afraid, just do what he orders; and if he does not rescue you in bodily fashion he will rescue you spiritually. . . . God rescued Peter when the angel came to him as he lay in fetters and said to him, “Get up and leave”;⁶¹ the fetters were suddenly loosened, Peter followed the angel, and so God delivered him. But he did not rescue Peter from the cross. . . . But did God really not deliver him from the cross? . . . Perhaps God heard him at that later time even more surely, because this time he truly did deliver him from all his pains. When Peter was rescued the first time, what a lot of suffering still lay ahead of him! But at this later time God sent him to a place where he would never suffer again. EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 34.22.⁶²

HEARD FOR ETERNITY. CASSIODORUS: What then do we say about the martyrs, since it is well known that they were not freed from the torments of the tyrants? They were certainly set free when they were conducted to the kingdom of heaven; they were plainly released from all their troubles. For the cry of the just is always heard, not only for this life, but most of all for their eternal benefit. EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 34.18.

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[1] Blaising, Craig A. and Carmen S. Hardin, eds., Psalms 1–50. ACCS 7. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.6. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. OT Vol. 7, 267.