For US Americans, the end of November brings the holiday of Thanksgiving. The holiday itself and its establishment are obscured in lore, but marking the holiday is not. Even today, most people are still cognizant of the occasion’s roots in the Pilgrim fathers (and mothers and children) leaving religious persecution in England and seeking via the Netherlands religious freedom in a new world. Their story reminds us that taking God and scripture seriously pits the world and even our sinful selves against the Christian faith. Unfortunately, their story is nothing new.

Luther views Psalm 118 as a psalm of thanksgiving in the midst of persecution. When did you last read it? Do you remember ever reading it? Not regularly reading our Bibles likely reduces our chances of suffering religious persecution, but it also diminishes our exposure to the word of God and the blessings of the faith which it creates in us. Following the 29 verses of Psalm 118 below is Luther’s commentary to the fourth verse of this psalm. Not surprisingly, faith in God is always accompanied by trials and tribulation, but as God the Father did not leave God the Son in the grave, so too we are given promises by God which carry us through every adversity in life for which we together weekly give God thanksgiving.

Psalm 118

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever – (publisher’s title)

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
16 the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1-29 – ESV)

Luther’s commentary:

118:4 – Let those who fear the Lord say: His steadfast love endures forever.

“This fourth prayer of thanksgiving is for the true assembly, namely, for the elect children
of God and all the saints on earth, the genuine Christians. For them this psalm was especially
written, and of them it speaks to the very end. In the previous three groups—as, first, in the
spiritual government or ministry—there are many who abuse it to satisfy their avarice, pleasure,
and honor. Consider the heretics, the sectarians, and our present priesthood. Yet the order is
nonetheless good and holy and a divine gift, not to be condemned because of its abuse. Just so
the whole world shamefully abuses the holy name of God, Baptism, the Sacrament, and the
Gospel, in fact, God Himself and all His gifts. It does not fear God above all things.
“It is also true that in the second group, the temporal rulers, the majority use that which has been entrusted to them for pride, vanity, pleasure, mischief, and all manner of wantonness,
without any awe or fear of God. Nevertheless, government remains God’s good and useful
gift and is a blessing in itself. And in the third category, among the common people generally,
there is almost nothing but out-and-out abuse, since everyone uses his position, trade, skill,
money, and possessions against his neighbor. At least he does not use them for the good and
welfare of his neighbor, as God intends when He gives and preserves all things. There is no fear
of God or respect of men. Yet God preserves them all, and for this He is to be praised and
thanked.
“This little group fears God and is pious. Its membership is gleaned from the three groups mentioned above. For there are still to be found pious, God-fearing, faithful bishops,
ministers, preachers, and pastors. One also finds pious and godly princes, lords, nobles,
aldermen, and judges, and many pious and God-fearing artisans, farmers, servants, and maids,
though they are rare. Because of them God preserves the three groups listed above and bestows
so much good on them. Were it not for these, the world would pass away this very hour, as
Sodom and Gomorrah did.
“The holy prophet David clearly separates this group from the other three, thereby
indicating that the others do not honor, fear, or serve God. They serve themselves and seek and
have their enjoyment in this life. They even persecute this little group incessantly and
vehemently, and refuse to tolerate them, solely because these fear and trust God. They honor and
teach the Word of God, which the others have no desire to hear or see. In Hebrew “to fear God”
really means “to serve God.” The fear of God is the service of God. Now we cannot serve Him
bodily and visibly here on earth, for He is invisible. We can serve Him spiritually by honoring,
teaching, and confessing His Word and by living according to it. Of course, crosses, suffering,
and affliction from the devil, the world, and our flesh are the results.
“Now tell me, for what kind of gift may these people be expected to give thanks to God? It cannot be a place in a religious order, for God gives this to one of the other groups. Neither can it be temporal glory, honor, might, peace, or the obedience of men; for these are given to the
second group. Nor can it be money, possessions, house, home, health, wife, or child; for all these
God gives to those in the first group. It must be something higher and nobler, far surpassing these
gifts of our temporal and transient life. David devotes the rest of the psalm to this gift, while he
reserves only the first three verses for the other three groups. What is it? He himself will discuss
it fully. It is comfort and help in every kind of suffering, want, and trouble. This is nothing
less than the beginning of everlasting life. The world in the three groups mentioned above—the
God-fearing excepted—with all its goods, might, and skill, could not give a single drop of this.
For when man is in peril of death, there is small comfort in singing about dancing, pleasure,
possessions, honor, power, skill, wife, and children.
“As these would now honor God’s Word and serve Him, they must truly suffer and endure mockery, shame, hurt, hatred, envy, defamation, fire, sword, death, and every other calamity from the other three groups, besides much evil, dangerous, and wicked treachery from the devil and his angels, and sin, unrest, and heartache from their own flesh. Paul says (2 Tim. 3:12): “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And Christ Himself says (Luke 9:23): “If any man would come after Me, let him take up his cross.” In Acts 14:22 we read: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” And the wise man tells us (Ecclus. 2:1): “My child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself to be tried.”
“Thus the favor bestowed by God on this little group is completely hidden from the world and appears to be nothing but eternal wrath, punishment, and torment from God Himself. By
contrast, the ungodly in the three groups seem to be the very children of God, because they are so fully and richly endowed with the visible, temporal, and manifest blessings of God. Therefore it
demands skill and grace to discern this secret and hidden blessing, especially since the psalmist praises its eternal character and devotes so many lavish words to it, as we shall hear. Though the
spirit is willing and ready, the poor flesh is weak and unwilling (Matt. 26:41). The flesh would rather have evident, temporal consolation and help, and be above anxiety and need. But it must not and cannot be otherwise. There is no other way to life eternal than this narrow path, which so few come upon (Matt. 7:14) and only this small band finds. In short, the blessing of the three groups is this temporal life and being; the blessing of the small group is everlasting life. Therein lies the real difference” (LW 14:56-68).