Psalm 41
Community Group Questions
1. Have you ever did something good and reaped a reward?
2. Have you ever did something good and something bad happened to you?
3. Have you ever paid the consequence for a personal sin?
4. Have you ever did something bad and it seems like you got away with it?
5. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is willing to pay your sin debt?
6. How have you been acting like Jesus to those around you?
Read verse 1. As I read this first I stopped and had this thought…”this sounds like Karma” Many of you have herd of the concept of Karma, you may have herd about it in two different ways…religious as in Buddhism or Hinduism which pretty much states. “The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” It is about balance bad needs to be paid for and good is rewarded. And pop culture Karma which pretty much states “what goes around comes around”
Now the problem with the first is that the Bible does not teach reincarnation and the problem with the second is that it does not always work. (Example a person doing good gets injured, a hard working honest person loses their job and good wife or husband fall victim to a cheating spouse and the list goes on). But then it reminds of a Biblical concept of “Reaping what we have sown”. Which then leads us to the question… Do we really reap what we sow? The answer is yes and no. Why? Because we have to look at the temporal life (here and now) and eternal life (eternity)
I read a book this week called “The Karma of Jesus” Do we really reap what we sow? By Mark Herringshaw
In the book he dealt with these issues by sharing a dialogue he had with a skeptical Karma trusting student that raised some questions in one of his lectures.
Tonight we are looking at Psalm 41 and I believe it teaches us at least three things in regards to the concept of “Reaping and sowing”
Verses 1-3 The Lord Rewards good deeds.
Vrs 1 Do good and the Lord rewards
Vrs 2 Matthew Henry says to this passage “The goodwill of God that loves us is sufficient to secure us against the ill will of those who hate us”
We will endure hardships from the doings of others but God will bring us through those suffering and troubled times. As we have seen in our last two Psalms that we studied.
Vrs 3 Sustaining power of the Lord to heal those who are spiritually sick
This passage leads us to a question… Does Jesus reward or give good health to people that “consider the poor”? Is this a hard and fast rule? Galatians 6:6-10 sheds some light on that.
Temporally we can say this does not always work but Galatians 6 tells us that in “due season” when we do good we will reap a eternal reward.
Verses 4-9 Sin has to be paid for.
Verses 4 Prayer of confession and healing for his sinful condition.
Verses 5-8 enemies take advantage of his vulnerable condition and are kicking him when he is down. Could possibly be referring to his personal sin that affected others made enemies for him.
In life we realize that when we sin against others it can get very ugly, relationships are broken. Maybe you have spoken hurtful words to another person. Maybe you let someone down, maybe your lack of concern discouraged someone. The list goes on, but the bottom line is our personal sin can radically affect others.
Verse 9 True of David 2 Sam 16:20-17:3, 23 Ahithophel betrayed David and hung himself.
True of Jesus John 13:18 betrayal by Judas. (Messianic value)
Maybe you have felt betrayed by someone…Maybe you felt betrayed by God because you did good but it seems like only bad is coming in return. Realize this Jesus was betrayed on your behalf.
To be sure in eternity there is reward for good and there is payment for sin and that is exactly the reason why we need Jesus to step in. Grace breaks in and changes the way of things.
Verses 10-13 Grace breaks in
Verse 10 “Be gracious” don’t give me what I deserve and…
Verse 11 show me
Bono “At the heart of every world religion is the idea of Karma, yet along comes this idea of Grace comes in”
“I would be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge…It does not excuse my mistakes, but I am holding out for Grace. I am holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the cross. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and our sinful nature does not reap obvious death”
Jesus reaped what we have sown.
Herringshaw said in his book. When we start to realize there has to be a payment people respond in different ways.
1. Deny the crisis
2. Attempt a bit of magic (figure out a cover-up)
3. Look for a loophole (a way out)
4. Concede and throw ourselves on the mercy of the judge and ask for grace
On the Cross Jesus said a few phrases one we looked at last week “My God, My God”
2 others were saying…
-Jesus asked the Father to forgive (I am willing to forgive)
-Said to the prisoner today you will be with me in paradise (I have forgiven because you believe I can)
E. Stanly Jones says “Buddhism says that life is suffering: What is wrong. Hinduism says that life is Karma: What is right.
But Jesus says life is exchange: What is, can be made right.”
We reap what we sow…but not entirely because Jesus stepped in and reaped death because we have sown sin.
Vrsw 12 The reward “His presence” in our lives now and forever.
In conclusion… As Christians…If we are rewarded for the good we do and escape payment for the sin…how do we respond?
Someone once said it like this…In Jesus’ ugly death He becomes us, in life we need to become Jesus.
Vrs 13 Doxology closing of book 1
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