Psalm 69:8-9 “I am a foreigner to my own family,
a stranger to my own mother’s children;
for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.”
Today, I was reading Psalm 69, and this duo of verses caught my attention. As we approach Holy Week, we remember Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. During John’s account of this event, the gospel writer quotes Psalm 69:9, saying, “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” Thus, Psalm 69 is placed within the Holy Week narrative as a Psalm that Jesus lived out in the week leading up to his death and resurrection.
This connection to verse 9 is made plain by the gospel writer, but recent discussions in my small group drew my attention closer to verse 8. John 7:5 says, “For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” Well into Jesus’ ministry, when he had done signs garnering much attention, he was still so lowly, even amongst his own family, that he was not believed. (1) While we often dwell on Jesus being betrayed by Judas, Peter, and the other disciples during Holy Week, he is first rejected by his own family.
Beyond even the rejection Jesus faced from his disciples and family, Jesus is also rejected by those who claim to follow the Father. The psalmist of Psalm 69 writes in verse 4, “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs on my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” We may read “those who hate me” as the Pharisees, who claim to follow God yet “do not know the Father.” (2) Though Jesus is isolated from all those who should love him and who claim to know God, he still restores them, dying in the way of sinners though he knew no sin.
This picture of an isolated, lowly Jesus is the face we gaze at during Holy Week. This is the man of sorrows: He who lived a life rejected and despised; lowly and disbelieved. Yet, even in this condition, he brought restoration to all that was around him. In this Lenten season, the Christian is mercifully drawn nearer to him in his sufferings. Knowing our weakness, we repeat the words of Paul with rejoicing, proclaiming: “[your] power is made perfect in weakness.” (3) Though I am weak and poor of spirit, my God became even lower than I, so that all of humanity may be restored to him. For what is not assumed is not healed, yet Jesus assumed all our sufferings in harmony with the voice of the psalmist who writes, “I sink in the miry depths.” (4) Knowing this, I rejoice all the more in my savior, who has known all my suffering and more; in faithfulness to the Father, he restores it all to glory.
I hope you enjoyed some of my reflections on Psalm 69 heading into Holy Week. I was very affected by reading the Psalm this morning, and wanted to share. My song recommendation for this post is “Button on Brown” by Alan Gogoll. It’s a peaceful and jumpy tune that I’ve been loving recently. Peace to you, and thanks for reading!
(1)John 7:11-12 says, “Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, ‘Where is he?’ Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him.”
(2) John 8:19
(3) 2 Cor. 12:8
(4) Psalm 69:2
The Big Idea 