Tuesday November 9 Pentecost 24
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Psalm 78 Part 2
When they were in the desert escaping from Egypt, the people ignored God in spite of God’s immense commitment to them in utterly defeating the Egyptians with plagues. When they finally arrived in the land God had promised, they did the same thing, ignoring God again. That’s why God allowed the foreigners to capture the ark which contained the original stone ten commandments and to kill the priests. But in spite of that, like a warrior waking up refreshed, God completely defeated their enemies and established a temple in Jerusalem and gathered the people together like a skillful shepherd under the leadership of King David.
The poet expresses his interpretation that behind the chaos of victories and defeats lies God whose commitment to the people is permanent despite their lack of commitment to God and the overwhelming military power of their enemies. A good challenge to us as we wonder about the chaos of our time and in what way God is being faithful to humanity now.
Nehemiah 9: 26-38 What’s Nehemiah about?
Nehemiah re-tells the story of how the people kept abandoning God’s call to justice yet God kept rescuing them from the consequences of their unfaithfulness, the latest consequence being the destruction of Jerusalem. In order that the leaders and the people remain faithful in the future and receive the wonderful life God had intended, Nehemiah arranges for the leaders to sign a legally binding document affirming their faithfulness.
Matthew 15: 21-28 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus is in non-Jewish territory where the people are considered unclean and not quite human because these are the people whom the ancient Israelites were commanded to exterminate when they entered the land. Jesus is challenged by a local woman, who for both those reasons would be considered contaminated. This is why Jesus calls her sick child a dog. But she insists on her value and wins the argument, an unthinkable insult to a man in those times, and a dangerous response to insult a man who has just insulted her child. Jesus then breaks the biblical rules about contamination by unclean races, commends her for her insistence upon her own value and her child is healed.
The story is about God’s love and affirmation in Jesus overcoming ancient prejudices and overcoming even the way those prejudices are internalized by people who are oppressed.
This week’s collect:
Eternal God,
who caused all holy scriptures
to be written for our learning,
grant us so to hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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