Monday November 1 Pentecost 23
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Psalm 64
The wicked are very clever, but God will defeat them, and everyone will be in awe at God’s power to restore goodness.
Psalm 65
God, you blot out our sins even though they are stronger than we, and just as generously you clothe creation with plenty, and with great goodness. God’s generosity extends to the furthermost ocean and to the gentle rain—water is a recurring image in this psalm. It ends with some other lovely images of hills, meadows, and valleys wearing clothes of joy and plenty.
Nehemiah 6: 1-19 What’s Nehemiah about?
Nehemiah is pressured by neighbouring countries to stop building the city, but he refuses to be intimidated. Finally the wall is finished. Finishing the wall means that the city can defend itself and be self-sufficient and that the temple is safe from attack. God has relented from the punishment for their former abandoning of justice, and now blesses the people with a safe city.
Matthew 13: 36-43 What’s Matthew about?
In the reading yesterday Jesus had told a story about someone who deliberately planted weeds in his neighbour’s crop. Rather than pulling out the weeds and inevitably pulling out the crop as well the owner waits until the crop is mature and then pulls out the weeds. Jesus’ intention, in Matthew’s understanding, was to assure the early Christians that even though evil continued in the world, God’s victory was certain. An early Christian probably added the interpretations in this reading, thinking that Jesus must have meant the parable as an analogy with secret meanings embedded in each detail of the parable.
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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