Thursday February 4 Epiphany 4
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Psalm 70
God can be trusted to deliver the poor from evil.
These two psalms are often used on Thursdays, the mini-anniversaries of the approach of Jesus’ death in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Psalm 71
In old age I am filled with praise for the God who has rescued me in so many ways throughout my long life. People are attacking me now, but I trust in your salvation as you have acted for me all my life.
Isaiah 55: 1-13
When the people return to Jerusalem there will be food without limit and absolutely free! This is what God had always promised, as far back as David, and even more, foreign nations will long to be part of your delight. If you doubt this, know that what God intends is far beyond your understanding—the mountains will sing, the trees will clap, even weeds will become fruitful and all this will certify God’s eternal covenant to protect you.
Images like these were used by early Christians in visions of the new Jerusalem made possible through Christ’s resurrection.
Mark 8: 27-9: 1
This is the turning-point, half-way through Mark’s gospel, in which Jesus calls the disciples to move beyond being astonished that the kingdom is breaking in, to being active themselves in bringing in the kingdom. But to do so means having to give up their old priorities of making themselves the centre of life. Jesus will lead them in this journey into self-offering, and explains that even he will need to die to bring in God’s society. Peter refuses to be part of that. Peter doesn’t see clearly what it means to really love. Like the partial healing of the blind man yesterday, Peter sees in part, but not clearly, what it means to follow Jesus.
This is the first of three occasions in a row in which Jesus’ senior disciples will refuse to make the loving sacrifices that are necessary for the kingdom to happen.
Perhaps the same is true for us. Nevertheless, we are invited into the kingdom when it fully arrives. Then we will see fully and be able to undertake joyfully the implications of such love.
This week’s collect:
Living God,
in Christ you make all things new.
Transform the poverty of our nature
by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your glory;
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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