Saturday June 12 Pentecost 2
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Psalm 75
God assures us that justice will prevail.
Psalm 76
Praise to God who stands with overwhelming power for the poor and for the oppressed.
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 46: 1-10 What’s Ecclesiasticus about?
Sirach praises Joshua for his courage and military successes in taking the city of Jericho when the people first entered the promised land. Living under Greek military rule, these stories of once having been a great power themselves would have been very supportive to the people.
Luke 20.1-8 What’s Luke about?
We are now in the last days of Jesus’ life. Following Jesus’ mocking of the Roman legion on what we now call Palm Sunday, opposition to Jesus grows. The religious leaders confront Jesus with the fact that he has no authority to teach. He responds by asking who gave John authorization to teach. John was highly popular because of his rejection of Roman rule, and became a martyr for the common people after being executed by Herod. So the leaders cannot criticize John for fear of a popular uproar, and cannot support John for fear of Herod executing them for treason. Jesus has thus exposed their true loyalty being only to themselves and not to God’s justice. That is Jesus’ authority.
This week’s collect:
O God,
you have assured the human family of eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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