Wednesday August 25 Pentecost 13
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Psalm 119 Part 1
Psalm 119 is a meditation on responding to God’s call to justice. Every verse contains some synonym for “justice”, such as “word”, “statute”, “commandment” or the like. The psalm is arranged in groups of eight verses. Each verse in the group starts with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet – the first group of eight verses all start with A, the second group all start with B and so on. The first seven verses mirror the seven days of creation, with the eighth sometimes pointing to the next group. This very careful construction mirrors God’s creating the universe by overcoming chaos with order. In the human world, justice, dignity and fulfilment – the outcomes of justice—are the expressions of order in the human world. The human world and the rest of creation are thus united. Today’s three sections begin with the letters A, B and G (in Hebrew alphabetical order). As you read them, imagine the effect of each line in today’s first section beginning with A” and so on.
1 Kings 3: 1-15 What’s Kings about?
Solomon takes a wife from Egypt, a foreign religion, and still sacrifices to foreign gods—this is a sign that like subsequent kings, Solomon does not trust in the God of justice. But God calls him back. In a dream he asks God not for wealth or military power, but for wisdom to govern well, which means with justice. God grants him that wish, and he becomes famous for his wise decisions.
Mark 14: 1-11 What’s Mark about?
The plot to execute Jesus is getting organized. Jesus remains steadfast as the noose around him begins to tighten as Judas initiates the final steps of Jesus’ execution. An unnamed woman is the only person who understands what is going to happen and she gives everything she has to honour his approaching death.
This is an extraordinary statement from the early Christians: that Jesus’ own male disciples refuse to follow him on his path, yet an unnamed woman does. The kingdom of full equality and inclusion is already breaking in even as Jesus’ execution approaches and despite the disloyalty of his own disciples.
This gives us hope in our time if we feel our own loyalty may be in question—those of little status will provide the leadership to follow Christ.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
we are taught by your word
that all our doings without love are worth nothing.
Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of love,
the true bond of peace and of all virtue;
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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