Tuesday January 24 Epiphany 3
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Psalm 45
A poem about King David, using the imagery of an ancient oriental king, describing his personal and public magnificence and the glory of his relationship with the queen. Note that his prime duty is to serve truth and justice.
We can read this poem as a description of our own fulfilled self and relationships which have been made possible for us in union with Christ’s resurrection.
Isaiah 48: 12-21 What’s Isaiah about?
Since God laid the solid foundations of the world and the stars stand at attention when God calls, God can easily call King Cyrus of the super-power Persia to defeat the Babylonians and allow the people to return to Jerusalem. It would all have been better if the people had been loyal to God all along because then their prosperity would have been unimaginable and they would never have been invaded, but even so, God has acted in a totally new way. Just as God made water flow from solid rock in the desert a thousand years earlier when God called the people out of Egypt and cared for them in the desert, so now (later in this passage) God will make water flow in the Syrian desert so the people can walk home without fear.
Isaiah is a very clever poet! And profound thinker.
Mark 6: 1-13 What’s Mark about?
The opposition to Jesus is starting to become more intense. First his own home town rejects him, and when he sends out his disciples they are prepared for rejection on their travels even though the kingdom is breaking in around them.
Immediately after this passage, King Herod will execute Jesus’ cousin—a very threatening event in the ancient world—because anyone related to someone who has been beheaded is in imminent danger of execution themselves. Violent opposition is emerging to God’s kingdom of fulfillment for everyone.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
by grace alone you call us
and accept us in your service.
Strengthen us by your Spirit,
and make us worthy of your call;
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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