Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

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Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Psalm 8 with John Chrysostom – God’s Care for Humans What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (v. 4). After speaking of creation in the first few verses of Psalm 8, the psalmist inserts a reference to God’s care for human beings. Even those former statements, after all, were made about the human race, though they also have to do with God’s providence. All of creation, you see, is for humans. Taking full account of such marvelous care and wonderful providence on God’s part, and the arrangements he put in place for the salvation of the human race, he is struck with complete wonder and amazement as to why he considered us worthy of attention. Consider, after all, that all the visible things were for our sake. For us the design implemented from the time of Adam and Eve up to his coming; for us paradise, commandments, punishments, miracles, retribution, kindnesses after the Law; for us the Son of God became human. What could anyone say of the future we are intended to enjoy? So all those things are going through his mind: To be thought worthy of such wonderful privileges, what must the human being be? I mean, if you consider what was done and is being done for our sake, and what we will enjoy afterwards, you will be struck with awe, and then you will see clearly how humans are objects of such attention on God’s part.