Thursday October 24 Pentecost 22
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Psalm 37 Part 1
It’s tempting to want to be as successful as evil people, but seeking God’s justice will fulfill us, and God will defeat evil completely.
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 10.1-18 What’s Ecclesiasticus about?
Advice to those in positions of leadership and authority-act with integrity and do not be controlled by pride. Since we all die and violence is not natural for humans, lead well. This was helpful advice to Jews trying to get along in the pagan society of ancient Greece.
Luke 10.25-37 What’s Luke about?
A biblical scholar attempts to engage Jesus in a contest of wits about scripture. But Jesus takes his technical question seriously and commends him to live with the love the scholar’s quote describes. The scholar presses the technical issues of who he should love and who he doesn’t have to love. Jesus responds with a story about how religious leaders ignored a victim of violence, but in contrast, one of the Jews’ hated enemies, a Samaritan, acted with generosity. When Jesus asks him to draw the obvious conclusion, the biblical expert cannot bring himself to admit his enemy was more caring than he. Jesus tells him to emulate his enemy’s level of caring. The kingdom challenges us at our deepest level.
This week’s collect:
Almighty and everliving God,
increase in us your gift of faith,
that forsaking what lies behind
and reaching out to what is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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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