Sunday June 16 Pentecost 4
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Psalm 34
I will praise God because God rescued me when I was in trouble. God will always support those who live with integrity and the evil people will not get away with it forever.
The verse about no bones being broken became significant for the early Christians. Breaking legs was the Roman technique when they wanted to hasten the death of a crucified person. John, the gospel writer, says that Jesus’ legs didn’t need to be broken (and uses this verse to prove that) because Jesus was already dead. In John’s understanding Jesus wasn’t a victim, but was in charge of the entire process—his death was pure gift carried out entirely by his own will.
Numbers 6.22-27 What’s Numbers about?
A simple beautiful ancient blessing is attributed to Moses who directs the Levites, who are to be the priests, to use it in blessing the Israelites. It is still frequently used today and has been used as a blessing in the funeral service and at the end of Morning Prayer.
In our day a similar commitment to following God’s call to love and inclusion for all would transform our world.
Luke 12.41-48 What’s Luke about?
Luke has strung together a series of threatening stories, very unlike the loving and forgiving Jesus we usually encounter. However, Luke understands that there are consequences for not being alert to God’s call to doing justice and including all, and these stories are warnings of the consequences of not being responsive to God’s universal call to do justice. Even though the images are of God punishing those who are not ready, we are to understand that being lazy about love is what produces the consequence of our not being really alive.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you.
Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.