Thursday September 23 Pentecost 17
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Psalm 83
We are under terrible attack. God, act quickly and utterly defeat them. We can say the same: that our world is under attack from forces of greed and exploitation, and we desperately need to be rescued. We can interpret the almost violent images in this psalm, as an expression of our deep determination that nothing will overcome the work of justice, inclusion and dignity for all. If our culture felt that strongly about dignity of all, what a wonderful world we would live in!
2 Kings 9: 1-16 What’s Kings about?
Elisha orders that Jehu should be anointed king in order to remove the sons of the evil King Ahab. God is working through Elisha to restore justice to the nation. Jehu orders that nobody be told he is the new king so he can take Ahab’s sons by surprise.
Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus says that our prayers, generosity and religious practice must be done for their own sake and never for looking good. If we do those things to impress people, we will get the reward we were looking for—people will be impressed! But it won’t be the reward of deep life. Matthew is aware of early Christians who were looking for ways to be accepted and popular rather than standing for God’s justice in Christ.
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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