Friday February 21 Epiphany 6
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Psalm 102
A lament at the destruction of Jerusalem 600 years before Jesus. It ends with hope of God’s faithfulness. The imagery of desolation is appropriate for Fridays, the mini-anniversary of Jesus being betrayed, abandoned, and in hours will be dead. Yet God will remain faithful.
Isaiah 65: 17-25 What’s Isaiah about?
Isaiah encourages the people to anticipate their rescue from Babylon by presenting a glorious vision of the new Jerusalem God will create—it will have prosperity and perfect peace, even the animals will be at peace—God’s glory will infuse every aspect of human and natural life.
Mark 12: 28-34 What’s Mark about?
A religious leader poses a common but difficult question about which of the six hundred-odd Old Testament rules is the most important. He agrees with Jesus that being just, which is to love God completely, and to value others as much as oneself, is more important than purely religious observances. Jesus affirms that this is what God is about. Here is someone who is not a disciple who has grasped the qualities of the kingdom. As the account continues, it is now Jesus’ turn to ask awkward questions as the conflict between him and the religious leaders escalates.
This week’s collect:
Almighty and everliving God,
whose Son Jesus Christ healed the sick
and restored them to wholeness of life,
look with compassion on the anguish of the world,
and by your power make whole all peoples and nations;
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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