Sunday June 27 Pentecost 5
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Psalm 118
An enthusiastic song of thanksgiving for everything God has done for us—God has protected us from evil forces, and we give praise in the temple and in processions. Appropriate for a Sunday as an anniversary of the triumph of Easter Day.
Portions of this psalm are traditionally sung on Easter Day.
1 Samuel 10: 1-16 What’s Samuel about?
Samuel correctly predicts a series of events to demonstrate that his decision to anoint Saul as king really is God’s will. Saul has an ecstatic experience and his character is transformed. When he returns home, Saul does not tell his father (or his uncle, standing in for his father) what has happened. The story-teller may understand this as Saul’s first disobedience—he is afraid to take the leadership required by the God of justice.
Matthew 21: 23-32 What’s Matthew about?
Opposition to Jesus grows. The religious leaders confront Jesus with the fact that he has no authorization to teach. He responds by asking who gave John authorization. John was highly popular because of his opposition to Roman rule, and became a martyr after being executed by Herod. So the leaders cannot criticize John for fear of a popular uproar, and cannot support John for fear of Herod executing them. Jesus has exposed their true loyalty to their own survival and not to God’s call for justice. That is Jesus’ authority. Jesus then continues his critique by contrasting the way that prostitutes and quislings have responded positively to the arrival of God’s kingdom, but religious leaders, while professing loyalty to God, continue to reject God’s kingdom of justice and dignity for all by aligning themselves with the violence of Roman oppression. These are inflammatory accusations.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you have taught us through your Son
that love fulfils the law.
May we love you with all our heart,
all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength,
and may we love our neighbour as ourselves;
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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