Psalm 119 &c
Our responsive psalm for today, the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, is the first eight verses of Psalm 119, in Hebrew an elegant acrostic poem of 176 verses consisting of twenty-two sets of eight verses each. The first word of each set of eight begins with the same Hebrew letter, beginning with aleph אַ and working successively through the alphabet. Thus,
verses 1-8 begin with אַ aleph, as shown below, verses 9-16 begin with בַּ beth, as shown, all the way through to verses 169-176 beginning with תִּ tau, the twenty-second and final letter of the Hebrew alefbet!
Several of the psalms are acrostics but with just twenty-two verses, the first word of each verse beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. It was a masterful way to write poetry, sometimes difficult to force a logical sequence of thought through the poem while conforming to the acrostic format. And imagine the challenge facing the author of Psalm 119!
Of course, the acrostic format is seen only in the Hebrew original, and disappears completely when the psalm is translated into any other language, including English. The only giveaway is, for example, in the Psalter of our Book of Common Prayer, where each eight-verse set of Psalm 119 is marked to show Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Dalet, and so on through Tau.
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
AND THE HEBREW (READ RIGHT TO LEFT)
1 אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַֽ֝הֹלְכִ֗ים בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃
2 אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו בְּכָל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ׃
3 אַ֭ף לֹֽא־פָעֲל֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה בִּדְרָכָ֥יו הָלָֽכוּ׃
4 אַ֭תָּה צִוִּ֥יתָה פִקֻּדֶ֗יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד׃
5 אַ֭חֲלַי יִכֹּ֥נוּ דְרָכָ֗י לִשְׁמֹ֥ר חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃
6 אָ֥ז לֹא־אֵב֑וֹשׁ בְּ֝הַבִּיטִ֗י אֶל־כָּל־מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
7 א֭וֹדְךָ בְּיֹ֣שֶׁר לֵבָ֑ב בְּ֝לָמְדִ֗י מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃
8 אֶת־חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑ר אַֽל־תַּעַזְבֵ֥נִי עַד־מְאֹֽד׃
9 בַּמֶּ֣ה יְזַכֶּה־נַּ֭עַר אֶת־אָרְח֑וֹ לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
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As far as today's gospel is concerned, a continuation of Matthew's version of Jesus' sermon on the mount (Matthew) or plain (Luke), which scholars might say comes from Q - - better someone else preach on it than I. I've had my turns at it, having faced it seven or a dozen Times in my vocation and tenure as rector priest and preacher:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (5:21-37)
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
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Better to preach on Deuteronomy, the Psalm, 1 Corinthinans, or climb into the pulpit and read the Sunday comics a la Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia reading Dick Tracy over the air during the newspaper strike in 1945. Any number of things could replace sermon Time. Our years in Apalachicola, I often contemplated having our wonderful choir replace the sermon with one of their beautiful, moving anthems. And one Sunday back in 1986, the chaplain from Tyndall Air Force Base came over and sang a sermon for us: a Lutheran chaplain, captain or major as I recall, he had a magnificent voice.
Or, as I say, faced with Matthew 5:21-37, read the comics.
