What about the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit?
November 14, 2023 - Tuesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Psalm 34 begins with a superscription that says: “When [David] pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left” (Psalm 34:1). This superscription refers to the story related in 1 Sam 21:10-15. David ran away from King Saul to the king of Gath, Achish to avoid death. But, the slayer of Goliath and the most successful general of Saul in the fight against the Philistines was recognised by the servants of Achish. They recalled the song that women sang after David slew Goliath: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Sam 18:6-7). And so, trying to avoid death, David feigned madness and surprisingly he was allowed to leave unharmed.
Reading this psalm with this narrative in mind provides a real-life setting for our prayer. Imagine poor David, a fugitive from his country, pursued by his king, who did not know where to run for his life. In his dire straits, he ran to the enemies of his people. Why there? Was he confused? It was an attempt to escape from one danger, only to get himself into another one. Broken-hearted, crushed in spirit, David cried to the Lord in his distress, and God rescued him. The experience of salvation led David to praise: “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps 34:2).
By connecting this psalm with a story from David’s life, we are being taught how to read and pray the Psalms. We should link them with our life. Who among us was never in distress? Who among us never faced a dead-end situation? Perhaps, some of us are at this very moment in dire straits. What should we do? The psalm encourages us to call upon the Lord in our distress and assures us of God’s saving response. “When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him” (Ps 34:7). The Lord also hears us and from all our distress he rescues us (Ps 34:17).
The Gospel includes many stories of those who came to Jesus with their problems but one in particular is about someone who was brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. It is a story of a man possessed by "Legion" (see Mark 5:1-20). We are told that he lived among the tombs and was cutting himself with stones (see Mark 5:5). Perhaps, he represented all the victims of the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire with its military legions crushing all opposition. But for his sake, Jesus underwent a night journey across the Lake of Galilee that nearly ended up in a tragedy when a severe storm hit the boat (see Mark 4:35-41). He came to set him free and restore his health (see Mark 5:15).
In our world, there are many brokenhearted people and those who like David go from bad to worse or who like the man possessed by “Legion” give up on their lives. We are to call to bring the Good News about the Lord “who is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (see Ps 34:19). The message of the Gospel has the power to turn their lives around. The Lord loves us; He sees our sufferings and rescues us from all our troubles. Even death cannot harm us anymore because Jesus turned it into a passage to everlasting life.