Sunday March 20 Lent 3
Click here for simplified daily office prayers
Psalm 93
A psalm of praise to God who is forever and who makes the world secure. “The waters lifted up their voice” means that although the raging sea (the original chaos) is threatening to drown everything, God’s voice is stronger. Appropriate for a Sunday when we celebrate God’s victory in the resurrection.
The raging sea can be circumstances in our lives, in our inner life, or in the life of the world.
Psalm 96
Praise to God who really will bring equity (equality) and righteousness (which is the old English translation of dignity and justice) to the whole of humanity.
Genesis 44.1-17 What’s Genesis about?
Joseph plants his royal cup in the youngest brother’s sack and threatens to make that brother his slave. Still in disguise, he is re-enacting their attempted murder of himself. And if they return to their father Jacob with the news that his beloved youngest is enslaved, that news may cause his death from grief. But if their sorrow is deep and real, that will indicate they have become faithful brothers, and faithful sons to their father.
Notice that the story-teller’s emotional sophistication and insight is similar to that used in the story of how Solomon determined which of two women was the true mother of the baby about whom they were in dispute—the one who was prepared to give up the baby so it would live would be the true mother.
John 5.25-29 What’s John about?
John understands that Jesus is the complete representation of God’s goodness and that to reject God’s goodness is to separate ourselves from that ultimate source of life. God is life, and even those who have died will have life through Jesus to whom God has given this full life, and who in turn gives it to us. John understands this new life is available to us whether we have physically died or whether our hope or faith has died. But this life is not forced upon us—we can refuse God’s gift of new life, but that entails us choosing death.
This week’s collect:
Father of mercy,
alone we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves.
When we are discouraged by our weakness,
strengthen us to follow Christ,
our pattern and our hope;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Click here to share a comment on the web site.