Wednesday September 25 Pentecost 18
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Psalm 81
Praise to God because this is what we heard God saying: God longs that the people would respond so that God could give them everything they need.
Psalm 82
God is accusing all the other gods who do not care for the poor. Hurry up, God, and take your place as the just ruler of the whole world.
There are many gods today who care nothing for the poor. We, too, are to cultivate longing for the God of justice to rule.
Esther 6.1-14 What’s Esther about?
On the night before the banquet at which Haman plans to ask the king to hang Mordecai, the king discovers that Mordecai never received any recognition for his role in preventing the assassination. The king asks Haman for recommendations for honouring someone. Mordecai, imagining the king intends to honour him, recommends extraordinary gifts with which he is then required to invest Mordecai. Haman is then escorted to the dinner at which Mordecai’s gallows have been erected.
Even though the story is implausible on the surface, we can see the story-teller cleverly using irony and dramatic unfolding to encourage the people of his own time under Greek rule, that God will act on their behalf and that they will be protected and honoured.
Luke 4.1-13 What’s Luke about?
As soon as Jesus has made his commitment to cross the Jordan and challenge the Roman empire he struggles with how to fulfil that commitment. If John has just been beheaded as the courageous leader faithful to God’s all to justice, how will Jesus fulfill his commitment? Luke understand the temptations to be Jesus’ exploration of how violence and oppression can be overcome and the kingdom initiated. He wonders about bringing the kingdom by manipulating public opinion (miraculously producing food), by psychological power (jumping unharmed from the temple), or by the military strength. He rejects all these and in tomorrow’s reading we will hear his radical new understanding about the arrival of God’s kingdom of justice and inclusion.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth,
and ourselves in your image.
Teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and to serve you with reverence and thanksgiving;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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