Tuesday August 24 Pentecost 13
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Psalm 5
There is evil all around, but I will go into your presence, O God, and know that you are more powerful than all evil and will protect us.
Psalm 6
I have been hounded almost to death, help me, God. Thanks be to God that God heard me and the evil people will be overcome.
1 Kings 1: 38—2:4 What’s Kings about?
Solomon is anointed king and pardons Adonijah his younger brother, who had proclaimed himself king. David is about to die and commands Solomon to walk in God’s justice so that his descendants, as God promised, will reign permanently. The compilers of these stories decided that because subsequent kings do not reign with justice as God had commanded the result was their disastrous defeat by Babylon.
It may be that the reference to riding on King David’s mule may have been used by Jesus as a deliberately symbolic act as he critiqued the Roman army on what we call Palm Sunday.
Mark 13: 28-37 What’s Mark about?
Jesus concludes the “Little apocalypse” by telling us to stay awake when the dangers start—don’t go to sleep by pretending they won’t happen, but stay awake waiting for God to be victorious. Despite this warning, the disciples will fall asleep in two more days when he is arrested. The warning about staying alert during times of danger applies equally to us in an oppressive world.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
we are taught by your word
that all our doings without love are worth nothing.
Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtue;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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