The Lord is near the broken Hearted
Over the last few months several of the Introits (entrance verses) have been drawn from psalm 34. This past week v. 18 was included, “the Lord is near the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” The verse is an assurance for the righteous, that is, those who look to the Lord, call to the Lord and bless the Lord, because the lord is the only one who is capable of delivering the person from his situation. The Psalmist invites us to “magnify the Lord” with him and to join him in exalting his name.
David in Ps 51:17 says that the “sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart o God, you will not despise.” Mary sings in the Magnificat, “My soul magnified the Lord…for he has regarded the lowliness of His hand maiden.”
In his commentary on the Mary’s song, Luther refers to psalm 113:5-6, “Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?” Then he continues, “for since He is the Most High, and there is nothing above Him, He cannot look above Him; nor yet to either side, for there is no one like Him. He must needs, therefore, look within Him and beneath Him; and the farther one is beneath Him the better does He see him.” He says later, “Therefore to God alone belongs that sort of seeing that looks into the depth with their need and misery and is near to all that are in the depths.”
Augustine in his exposition on psalm 34 writes, “These are the great mysteries, brothers and sisters. God is above all things, if you lift yourself up, you do not touch him but if you humble yourself, he comes down to you.”
No one humbled himself more than did Jesus who made himself nothing to the point of death on the cross. Therefore, having completed his mission of dwelling among us and dying to save us God highly exalted him.
Because of Jesus death and resurrection we can claim the last verse of psalm 34 as our own, “the Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” (v. 22)
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