Tuesday September 21 Pentecost 17
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Psalm 78 Part 1
This poem speaks of how God showered the people with constant protection and generosity as God held the sea back so they could escape from their slavery in Egypt, and continued to protect them and miraculously feed them in the desert. But the people continued to distrust this God of justice and inclusion for all. There are consequences, as always, for unjust exploitative behaviour, but God does not abandon the people, even though they have abandoned God’s call to justice. So God continues to care because God makes care of the weakest a priority.
In effect, this is the basic creed of the ancient Israelites. If it were our basic belief today, what a difference that would make to our personal and international life.
2 Kings 5: 19-27 What’s Kings about?
In contrast to Naaman, the non-believer who doubted Elisha yet was healed, one of Elisha’s own servants is driven by greed to commit fraud against Naaman. Elisha mysteriously knows and the servant is given the leprosy that Naaman had suffered. This is yet another astonishing insight that the God of justice is interested in justice regardless of whether the person descends from Abraham or is a non-Jew. Consequences of doing injustice fall on those who do so regardless of their religious commitment.
Matthew 5: 27-37 What’s Matthew about?
In his new version of the Ten Commandments, Jesus says that God wants more than people not committing adultery—we are to be deeply loyal in our most important relationships, not just outwardly loyal. Jesus’ admonition to pluck out an eye or cut of one’s hand if they lead us away from deep loyalty is not to be taken literally. Exaggeration was a common way of emphasizing the importance of a point: we should take our loyalty in a relationships as seriously as if we were to cut of a hand to stay loyal.
Jesus says we should not rely on elaborate oaths so people know we are telling the truth—we should be so honest that people know what we say is true without our having to swear an oath.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth,
and ourselves in your image.
Teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and to serve you with reverence and thanksgiving;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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