Tuesday May 11 Easter 6
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Psalm 78 Part 1
This poem speaks of how God showered the people with constant protection and generosity as God held the sea back so they could escape from their slavery in Egypt, and continued to protect them and miraculously feed them in the desert. But the people continued to distrust this God of justice and inclusion for all. There are consequences, as always, for unjust exploitative behaviour, but God does not abandon the people, even though they have abandoned God’s call to justice. So God continues to care because God makes care of the weakest a priority.
In effect, this is the basic creed of the ancient Israelites. If it were our basic belief today, what a difference that would make to our personal and international life.
Deuteronomy 8: 11-20 What’s Deuteronomy about?
Moses reminds the people that the wonderful land they are entering is a gift, not something they have earned, and they will perish if they forget it is a gift.
Luke 11: 1-13 What’s Luke about?
Jesus teaches the Lord’s prayer—our commitment that the kingdom come. If we are doubtful that will happen, he compares God to a selfish neighbour who acts generously to get his needy neighbour to stop asking for a favour —so much more will God bring the kingdom to us whom God loves. More illustrations of the same thing—you would never give your child a scorpion to eat if the child asked for an egg—how much more responsive is God! So God really will bring in the kingdom, just as we have asked in the Lord’s prayer.
This week’s collect:
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
riches beyond imagination.
Pour into our hearts such love toward you,
that we, loving you above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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