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A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23: Your Rod and Your Staff, They Comfort Me
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).
"Essential as all of this confidence in the Scriptures may be, there is, as well, the actual reality of experiencing and knowing firsthand the feel of His touch — the sense of His Spirit upon my spirit" (W. Phillip Keller).
This isn’t the time of year when the readings and sermons typically lead with Matthew 10:34 and the harsh words of Jesus in the verses that follow — it doesn’t go well with our matching dresses, bow ties, and seersuckers. We want to hear how Jesus’ resurrection brought victory over sin and death, eternal life, and the turning of our mourning to joy (Jeremiah 31:13). This is all true. Nonetheless, the Word of God made flesh miraculously comes to us with many mandates deeply woven together in a divinely powerful cord — authority, power, discipline, defense, longsuffering, kindness, comfort, consolation, and gentle correction. Our Good Shepherd is perfectly equipped with the instruments of both rod and staff.
His Word will never fail to defend us against the most powerful of our cosmic and spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6:12), especially when our adversary is ourselves (Proverbs 29:15). But let’s dig a little deeper into the source of our consolation. Discipline alone, particularly without an intimate relationship, does not nurture comfort. The slave is not comforted by the rebuke of an abusive master. The nature of the one yielding the rod is critical to the context of our hope and contentment. Jesus is perfectly aligned with the will and Spirit of His Father (John 10:27-30). His multipurpose precision with the rod is complemented by His brilliance with the staff.
In other words, we should all fear God for His creative power. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding” (Job 38). We should all adore God for His creative love (1 John 4). And we should all constantly thank God for His endless presence (Matthew 28:18-20).
Our greatest comfort is that the Creator of everything, the only true God, has always known you, perfectly loved you, and will never stop fighting for you. Rejoice! Let the song of His promise dance in your soul — He is for you! Amen.
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