Like the Fading Grass
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers. For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good.
Psalm 37:1-3a
It is hard at times to believe words like these, for the permanence of the evildoers and wrongdoers seems all but assured in our world. It is they who have more than they need, who amass larger and larger barns for their goods–to draw from one story Jesus told. It is they who wield power on a global scale, shaping the lives of far too many people whom they will never know. It is they who afflict the weary and the poor, oppressing and trafficking the youngest of us. It can be rather frightening to realize the control they have, which seems as if it will endure forever, world without end.
Noticing the prominence that such people have in our world, it is also difficult at times not to become jealous of them, not to envy their situation in life. For they have it "made," by which we typically mean they appear to have all that I could ever want: be that riches, fame, recognition, health, power, (or you fill in the blank). The allure of jealousy is palpable and runs deep, for it touches the nerve of desire, seeking to draw our attention to those things which we do not have and coercing us to conclude that we are the poorer for it.
And yet, for all the prestige of this world that is set before their feet, the Lord says that the seeming permanence of the evildoers is like grass which fades with the coming sun, like green herbs that wither in the heat of the day. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we see this withering and fading every summer when the dry season comes upon us. Our once green and lush yards turn to hardened ground and yellowed stubble. When we see such things, we are to see the spiritual lesson contained therein, the spiritual lesson that the psalmist teaches us in Psalm 37. For all the glory that the grass once held, it is now dried and shriveled; for all the glory that evildoers now hold, they will whither, they will fade. To cast our lot with the evildoers is to cast our lot with death.
We find ourselves in a time of waiting, waiting for the Lord to come again to judge the living and the dead. In our waiting, we should not be lounging on the couch, TV dinner in hand–if they are still a thing–biding our time. Rather we are to be like the wise virgins who awaited the coming of the groom with expectation and preparation and love. (Mt 25) We are to be found trusting the Lord and his Word, for he always and only speaks the truth in love. We are to be found "doing good" in this season, for the blessing of others, for the sake of our souls, for the honor and glory of God. May these words of the psalmist be always before us: trust in the Lord and do good. A simple life, a pleasing life. The life of Jesus.
Grace & Peace,
– Matthew+