Monday September 13 Pentecost 16
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Psalm 56
In the face of intense attack by evil, we trust that God will act for what is right.
Psalm 57
Another psalm expressing our trust that God will act for what is right in the face of intense attack by evil.
Psalm 58
An impassioned plea for evil to be overcome. We should read the violence not literally but as an expression of our determination that good will prevail.
1 Kings 21: 1-16 What’s Kings about?
A vineyard owner refuses to sell his vineyard to King Ahab. Jezebel arranges for the owner to be accused of treason and executed. This is parallel to what King David had done to Uriah in order to marry his wife Bathsheba. We know there will be consequences when a king abuses his power.
Matthew 4: 1-11 What’s Matthew about?
Immediately after Jesus is baptized, he faces three temptations: to look after himself first (turn stones into bread), to use his god-like powers to protect himself (throw himself off the temple spire), and to use force to get his way (control the power of all the world nations).
These are not the ways God uses, and God’s ways are the final truth. This is worth bearing in mind in our time when those three are the priorities for so much of national and international life.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
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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