Saturday September 21 Pentecost 17
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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.
Esther 2.5-8, 15-23 What’s Esther about?
The pagan king chooses another queen, a Jewish woman, Esther, but she does not reveal that she is Jewish. Her adoptive cousin, Mordecai, acting in the role of father, overhears a conspiracy to assassinate the king, and Esther saves the king from the assassination.
For Israelites under occupation by the pagan empire of Greece, this imaginary story of involvement by a Jew in the high affairs of state hundreds of years earlier during the occupation and forced exile by Babylon was a model of how to interact with an occupying culture. The story would have provided encouragement and hope during their oppression under the Greek empire in which Jews were outwardly accepted but by which they were gradually being assimilated. By being loyal citizens their central Jewish identity was under threat. This story provided a way of dealing with that quandary of how to retain one’s religious belief while being actively involved in an unbelieving culture.
This is a challenge we face in our time.
John 12.44-50 What’s John about?
Jesus insists that his life is a revelation of God’s reality and not simply the example of a good person. Accepting that fact provides infinitely deep (eternal) life. Jesus says he isn’t judgmental of people who don’t see that, but that by refusing to see, they miss out on infinitely deep life.
This concludes our readings from John’s gospel because from this point on John’s gospel recounts Jesus’ betrayal and execution, and that section is saved for Good Friday next year.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
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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