Saturday August 10 Pentecost 11
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Psalm 87
A vision of Jerusalem as the source of life for all the world, as if every nation and every beautiful thing originated there. Christians might interpret this as Jesus’ death and resurrection in Jerusalem being the source of life and beauty for the whole world.
Psalm 90
Our lives are very short, like a breath we are gone, we are so insignificant. Bless us, God.
Judges 9.22-25, 50-57 What’s Judges about?
As predicted, Abimalech becomes the centre of revolt and is killed in battle by a woman, a shameful thing to happen to a semi-king as Abimalech had made himself. God has ensured that Abimalech’s crime of killing his brothers has consequences—it’s no accident that one of the powerless, a woman, enacts God’s justice in defying the powerful abusers. It’s a frequent theme in this book that women are given powerful roles in enacting God’s will.
The “Lords of Schecem” who enabled Abimalech to become an abusive semi-king, are the ancestors of the Samaritans who worshipped at a “false” temple in Jesus’ time. The compilers of these stories are no doubt reading back into their ancient history the unholy origins of the hated Samaritans.
John 2.13-25 What’s John about?
John continues his multi-layered account of Jesus’ significance.
When Jesus is challenged about his stance against the abuse of the temple, he points to his future resurrection as proof of the victory of justice over exploitation, and as John understands it, the fulfilment for all humanity of the great wedding with which Jesus begins his public work.
Nevertheless, Jesus knows he is not accepted, just as he knew the character of Nathaniel. Even in our day his path of self-sacrificing love and resurrection is still so often rejected.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry
with the bread of his life
and the word of his kingdom.
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.