Friday November 8 Pentecost 24
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Psalm 69
A desperate plea for help in the midst of betrayal, disaster and defeat. Some imagery is violent, which we can interpret as expressing a deep desire that all evil be removed from the world. The references to gall and vinegar may have influenced the early Christians’ description of Jesus’ crucifixion. Often used on Fridays, the weekly anniversary of the crucifixion.
Friday is a day to ask what it means that God is willing to go through such an experience for us.
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 50.1, 11-24 What’s Ecclesiasticus about?
The writer re-tells the story of the restored temple and the glorious worship that happens there, and trusts that God will again bless the people, giving hope for the future during their oppression under Greek rule.
Luke 13.31-35 What’s Luke about?
Jesus names the resistance to God’s new world that is emerging, and how strong that resistance is-that he will be executed. Nevertheless, the kingdom will arrive and all will rejoice. Notice the extraordinary image of Jesus calling himself a mother chicken longing to protect the city.
The “house left to you” may refer to the destruction of the temple by the Romans, meaning that the result of the leaders rejecting God’s kingdom of peace means that war will destroy even the house of God, i.e. the temple.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
whose chosen servant Abraham obeyed your call,
rejoicing in your promise
that in him the family of the earth is blessed,
give us faith like his,
that in us your promises may be fulfilled;
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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