A Psalm of Love

Introduction

Favorite movies - Favorite Grinch…

A Grinch revival… Grinchmas.

Of course, we remember the three versions on TV and movies.

The two movies making around $880 billion dollars.

Walmart is using him as a smart bargain hunter.

Both Crocs and Adidas have launched Grinch themed shoes.

Possibly the biggest grinch sighting has been at McDonalds.

Their “adult happy meal,” Big Mac or McNuggets, fries with grinch powder (pickle powder).

Some would say that the Grinch maintains his popularity because the sour attitude towards holidays is relatable.

But, the story, as great stories are, is about transformation.

David gives us a Psalm of transformation.

And it isn’t a “Boy it would sure be nice if there was the hope of transformation…”

OT scholar Tremper Longman calls this a Psalm of Confidence.

We can be confident because God is love.

Looking In

vv. 1-4

The Grinch, sitting in his mountain peak home looking down on the citizens in Whoville.

Seeing himself very much as above them because he hates Christmas.

Thinking he is better than them. Yet to the outside observer, his destruction is easily seen.

A destruction that does not just affect him, but those whose celebration he attempts to destroy.

What is the source of wickedness? The heart. (The grinch was said to have a heart two sizes too small.)

“Where did that come from?” situations…

Matthew 12:34 ESV

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

The old phrase: GIGO

Garbage In - Garbage Out

That evil in the heart turns our eyes from God.

How often we pull others down to make ourselves look higher.

Even with God.

And this selfishness is all consuming.

While you lay in bed, just scheming and dreaming and fantasizing!

And the more we think about something, the more normal we make it sound.

Selfishness is a destructive cycle.

But, praise God, there is a way to break out of that spiral.

Looking Up

vv. 5-9

This transitional scene in the Grinch. When he hears the whovilles singing Christmas songs anyway.

He realizes that there is something about this Christmas.

And his heart grew three sizes that day.

Then something happens… he sees that there is something else out there.

His eyes look up and it changes everything.

Heavens. Clouds. Mountains. then to the great deep.

What breaks him out of the inward focus?

The character of God.

Where does it begin? God’s steadfast love. (HSD)

God’s covenantal faithfulness and love, same word we talked about last week. “Mercy, lovingkindness, love.”

This is what happens when we look to God, it changes us.

We realize…

There is something about this Jesus.

And when we look up, we see this light (v. 9b).

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

As God has appeared, we truly see.

Looking Out

vv. 10-12

The final moments when the Grinch comes sliding back into town, delivering all that he has stolen and being included in their feast.

This same shift occurs as David now writes of looking out, to others.

The cure for so much of the sickness of our world.

Let love overflow.

Conclusion

As we consider the grinch, who heard a message of Christmas being sung on his mountain…

We might consider the shepherds.

Luke 2:8–17 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.”

Hearing the message of Christmas,

Christ has come!

What will you now do?