Saturday April 24 Easter 3
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Psalm 30
Because of its references to being in the grave, followed by joy, this psalm is often used on Saturdays, the weekly mini-anniversary of Jesus’ being in the grave.
“His wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye”—it’s not that God is losing God’s temper, but that God made the world so that actions have consequences—anything else would produce chaos. It’s inevitable that evil selfish actions on our part have consequences but the psalm proclaims that God’s goodness acts to overcome the evils that we have caused. Christians interpret Jesus’ dying and rising as the process by which God accomplishes fulfilment and joy despite our evil.
Psalm 32
When I acknowledged my sin, I received immense joy. When we acknowledge our participation in oppressive policies, we know God will overcome those, and we can be part of that victory. Then we can also be in joy instead of living in guilt or denial. Then we will have the energy to act against those oppressions.
Daniel 6: 16-28 What’s Daniel about?
Daniel refuses to worship the king and, even though the king is reluctant to do so, he has Daniel thrown into a den of lions. But God keeps the lions from attacking him, and the king throws his ineffective advisers into the den instead and requires that all citizens respect the God of Israel.
There could hardly be a more wonderful affirmation for Jews living under Greek domination. This concludes our readings in the book. We too can live in expectation of the ultimate victory of justice which we are celebrating in this Easter season
Tomorrow we begin reading through the book of Wisdom, a very different kind of book.
Luke 5: 27-39 What’s Luke about?
Jesus eats with someone collaborating with the hated Roman oppressors. Jesus receives more criticism, and confronts the authorities with the claim that everything is changing—the time for rejoicing is now, not the future—the newly arriving kingdom is already breaking the old ways just as new fermenting wine breaks old brittle wine skins.
This week’s collect:
O God,
your Son made himself known to his disciples
in the breaking of bread.
Open the eyes of our faith,
that we may see him in his redeeming work,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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