Saturday November 6 Pentecost 23
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Psalm 23
I am like a sheep being looked after by God. Even when death comes close, you look after me and feed me and I will live always in your presence.
Psalm 27
Even though there is trouble all around, I am glad that God is with me. Even if my parents were to disown me, you, God, will stay faithful to me.
These two psalms are often used on Saturdays when Jesus lies dead in the grave. God is now the only hope.
Ezra 9: 1-5 What’s Ezra about?
Ezra is appalled that his people have intermarried with the local people, and thus have become impure (as the ancient Jews understood them, sadly) and have abandoned the God of justice. He confesses to God that the people have abandoned God just when God had forgiven them. This is the same idea that became the standard explanation about why the Jews were conquered by the Babylonians. But the idea that God forgave them anyway, even when they didn’t deserve it, became foundational to the Jewish, and later the Christian, faiths.
Matthew 14: 22-36 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus calmly walks through a storm. Peter tries to follow Jesus’ invitation but is frightened and cannot do the same. No doubt Matthew understood this as a foreshadowing of Peter being afraid at the arrest of Jesus, where he cannot calmly follow Jesus and walk with Jesus through the storm of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. It’s notable that few, if any, leaders of a great religion are described by that religion as having betrayed their leader. This suggests credibility for the story of Peter’s betrayal.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
whose chosen servant Abraham obeyed your call,
rejoicing in your promise
that in him the family of the earth is blessed,
give us faith like his,
that in us your promises may be fulfilled;
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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