Purge Me with Hyssop

You desire truth in the inward being;

therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

- Psalm 51:6-9

The psalmist prays to be cleansed ... verses 10 and 11 go on to ask

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and put a new and right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

and do not take your holy spirit from me.

This psalm (as far I know) is the classic psalm of Lent, the psalm of repentence wherein we ask for forgiveness and we examine ourselves. We ask to be made clean, to be "purged with hyssop" (an herb used in religious rites) so that we may receive the Holy Spirit, and be taught the wisdom of the heart. There is a purpose to cleansing, a purpose in asking for a clean heart, and it is much more than merely the desire to be "pure." The reason we ask to be made clean, we practice self-examination, is so that we may receive the wisdom of the heart.

The psalm continues:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will return to you.

The psalmist asks to be returned to a state of joy in the relationship with God, in which his spirit is upturned and glad - and he retains a willing spirit for teaching and helping others. We ask to be "made pure" in order to enter again into relationship with the Spirit mentioned in the psalm. This restoration of relationship brings joy, this return to joy gives a willing spirit, wherein we are able to help others and we can rejoice at once again a restoration of that which we need in our inmost hearts.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you have no delight in sacrifice;

if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Restore to me, O Lord, that which has been taken away through my sin: my relationship with you and the blessing of your Spirit, and your wisdom, in my heart. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, a heart open to God. This is the circumcision of the heart, the door open in our innermost depths. Clearly the psalmist indicates that what we need to purge is that which stands in the way of right relationship with God and keeps us from our joy, our enthusiasm, and our ability to enter into right relatedness with others. Where is your joy?

"Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean" - this is the cleansing of the inner life, of whatever obstacle stands in the way of prayer and relationship to that which teaches us wisdom, and gives us joy. We enter into our period of reflection so that we may receive life in abundance, and the joy that we can share with others.