Author: Harold

Psalm 88
A lament that I have been crushed and am beyond hope. When I am dead, there is nothing left, there is no life beyond the grave.

Astonishingly, to be fully with us, Jesus enters completely into such a death. This psalm is appropriately read on a Friday as Jesus is placed in the grave. Only God’s act, on Saturday night—the eve of the resurrection—can reverse death—even Jesus’ death. That’s the only hope there is.

2 Kings 9: 17-37 What’s Kings about?
Jehu kills King Joram and King Ahaziah, both sons of King Ahab. Joram is killed in the vineyard of Naboth who had been murdered by Jezebel, Joram’s mother, so that Joram’s father, king Ahab, could steal the vineyard and turn it into a royal garden. Jezebel is killed and eaten by dogs as Elijah had predicted. Because Ahab and Jezebel were understood to have been very evil, this was considered God’s victory of good over evil, and the violent stories would have affirmed the claim that evil and exploitation would be totally overcome. Justice and inclusion for all may yet triumph!

Matthew 6: 7-15 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus teaches the Lord’s prayer. The prayer starts with the affirmation that God is the householder of the universe, and of God’s intention for inclusion of all and of a society in which all are given dignity. Then the Greek says, “As already in heaven, may your will and rule happen on earth.” It then illustrates what that means: we all should have enough to eat, but this implies not just food but justice for all, justice being the true bread which comes down from heaven. Then we ask God to cancel our debts—not just money, but the loyalty to God’s creation that we have squandered, and reparations we owe others for the disloyalty and injustice we have done to them, and then we commit to cancelling the debts of those who owe us something, perhaps for having injured us. Finally, as is often asked, why would God lead us into temptation? The original meaning was likely a request that we not give in to the temptation to use violence to oppress others, and finally that we especially never use any kind of violence—physical or verbal or emotional—in support of 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.

Readings for Thursday September 23

Thursday September 23 Pentecost 17

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:

Readings for Wednesday September 22

Wednesday September 22 Pentecost 17

Psalm 119 Part 5
Psalm 119 is a meditation on responding to God’s call to justice. Each of the 178 verses is a variation on the theme of what it means to follow God’s call to justice, using terms such as “command”,”law”, “word”, “statute”, and the like. The psalm is arranged in groups of eight verses. Within a group, each of the eight verses starts with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the groups are in Hebrew alphabetical order. So the first group of eight verses all start with A, the second group all start with B and so on. The first seven verses mirror the seven days of creation, with the eighth sometimes pointing to the next group. This very careful construction mirrors God’s creating the universe by overcoming chaos with order. In the human world, justice, dignity and fulfilment – the outcomes of justice—are the expressions of order in the human world. Thus the human world and the rest of creation are united in the same foundation. Today’s three sections begin with the letters M, N, and S which are in the Hebrew alphabetical order. As you read them, imagine the effect of each line beginning with “M” and so on.

2 Kings 6: 1-23 What’s Kings about?
These are three short stories about God’s power working in unexpected ways through Elisha. One of Elisha’s monks loses his axe in the river and Elisha causes the axe to float to the surface by throwing in a stick. This may be a deliberate parallel with Joshua parting the waters in the same river. Elisha mysteriously knows where the king of Aram is going to encamp and warns Israel’s king. Finally, the king of Aram tries to kill Elisha for reporting his location, but Elisha turns his entire army blind and leads them to Samaria where he tells the king of Samaria not to kill them but to feed them, and the Arameans no longer attack Israel.

These mysterious stories have been intertwined with legends and would have elicited awe at God’s power over the physical world, the military world, and the world of violent revenge. They encourage us to look for ways in which God’s power can work unexpectedly through us.

Matthew 5: 38-48 What’s Matthew about?
These three pieces of advice are widely misunderstood as exhortations to generosity. They originally had a very different intent. Going the extra mile: Under Roman law a Roman soldier had the right to force any civilian to carry his military equipment for exactly one mile, but to prevent abuse it was illegal for the soldier to require the person to go more than one mile. Roman roads were marked with milestones so it was easy to know when the forced mile was completed. Jesus says that if a Roman soldier forces you to carry his equipment one mile you should insist on carrying it a second mile. Allowing that to happen could get the soldier in trouble for breaking military law and would produce the hilarious situation in which a Roman solider would have to struggle to prevent the oppressed person from helping him! Turning the other cheek: To hit someone on their right cheek can only be done with a back-handed slap—a typical insult by an occupying soldier, not a serious attack. So to offer one’s left cheek to the abusive soldier makes it impossible to repeat the insult—the soldier would have to contort their arm backwards to do that! Give away your coat: Roman soldiers were allowed to confiscate someone’s cloak for their personal use—so Jesus advises the victim to strip naked and loudly insist the Roman soldier take their dirty underwear as well thus drawing public attention to the abuse while suggesting the soldier is so poor he has no underwear! Jesus is teaching oppressed people how to claim their dignity and refuse to accept their oppression without resorting to the violence being used by the oppressors.

Jesus then suggests we use these amusing situations as models for finding ingenious ways of caring for one another, and for our enemies. In that way we will become complete people—the real meaning of ‘perfect’.

This week’s collect:

Readings for Tuesday September 21

Tuesday September 21 Pentecost 17

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:

Readings for Monday September 20

Monday September 20 Pentecost 17

Psalm 80
After rescuing us from slavery in Egypt, God had planted us in new ground like a well-watered vine, and we grew and filled the whole land. But now we are being attacked by a foreign power and God’s vine is being uprooted. God, rescue us so that we may be a healthy vine again.

2 Kings 5: 1-19 What’s Kings about?
Naaman, a foreign military commander who has just defeated Israel in battle, is told by a young Jewish slave girl that Elisha can heal him from his incurable leprosy. Naaman sends immense gifts to the King of Israel who sees this as a a pretext for another disastrous war. But Elijah hears and while refusing to meet the commander, tells him to wash in the Jordan, the holy river through which the Israelites had originally entered the land. Naaman scoffs that Elisha tells him to do something so simple and will not even deign to see him or receive a gift from him. But God cures him anyway. His military power and wealth and his foreign origin and disinterest in the Jewish God are of no interest to the God of justice.

It was commonly thought that gods were connected to the physical land, so Naaman takes some of the local earth back to his country in order that he will be able to pray to the God of Israel there, and be forgiven when he is required to accompany his king into the temple of a foreign god. This foreigner who has just defeated Israel in battle, is more faithful to God than God’s own king and God blesses him with health. How much more, the story implies, will God bless the Israelite king if he returns to following God’s justice.

This story challenges the ancient assumption that foreigners could not be faithful to the Israelite God, and the assumption that God’s healing power is only available through religious ceremonies. The God of justice cares nothing for human status or ethnicity. This is a radical new understanding of the nature of God.

Matthew 5: 21-26 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus says that God requires a higher standard of us in our relationships than the outward forms of justice—reconciliation is primary. This is all part of Jesus saying God wants more than us keeping the minimum demands of the Ten Commandments—in Matthew’s understanding the commandments are being deepened, not superseded, by Jesus’ command for profoundly repaired relationships as the cornerstone of faithfulness to God.

This week’s collect:

Readings for Sunday September 19

Sunday September 19 Pentecost 17

Psalm 93
A psalm of praise to God who is forever and who makes the world secure. “The waters lifted up their voice” means that although the raging sea (the original chaos) is threatening to drown everything, God’s voice is stronger. Appropriate for a Sunday when we celebrate God’s victory in the resurrection.

The raging sea can be circumstances in our lives, in our inner life, or in the life of the world.

Psalm 96
Praise to God who really will bring equity (equality) and righteousness (which is the old English translation of dignity and justice) to the whole of humanity.

2 Kings 4: 8-37 What’s Kings about?
Elisha is fed and housed by a wealthy woman who is in charge of substantial resources—she controls servants and construction and has no need of Elisha’s connections to the royal palace or the military. Her husband, who is old, plays no role in the story. She continues the long Hebrew Bible theme of childless women who unexpectedly bear a child. When the child dies Elisha raises it to life. Elijah had done something very similar with a poor widow whose child had died and for whom Elijah had provided food.

A very similar story is subsequently told about Jesus raising a dead child for a widow and it may be that he was first seen to be another Elijah or Elisha—one who brings justice and fulfilment for those who were oppressed.

Luke 3: 7-18 What’s Luke about?
For the rest of this year, we read from Luke’s gospel on Sundays.

John has led the people from the wilderness to claim the promised land from the Roman empire by crossing through the Jordan as Joshua had in the ancient past. John insists that being religious is not enough—a whole new level of generous justice is required even from the oppressing soldiers, a level of self-sacrificing and victorious justice that will be seen in Jesus.

This week’s collect:

Readings for Saturday September 18

Saturday September 18 Pentecost 16

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.

2 Kings 2: 1-18 What’s Kings about?
Elijah journeys through a series of holy places where the God of justice had been experienced, as he goes to Gilgal, the location where the ancient Israelites first camped when they first crossed the Jordan leaving the wilderness and entering the land God had promised them. There Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan into the wilderness and Elijah is taken up to heaven, the only prophet who did not die. This, and his commitment to justice is probably why he appears with Jesus at the transfiguration.

As Elijah is taken up, his mantle falls on Elisha, who becomes the new prophet to challenge oppressive kings. Like his mentor, Elisha reenacts Joshua’s ancient crossing the Jordan, thus escaping Egyptian slavery, to enter the promised land. This is a political statement that defies the contemporary slavery being imposed by Israelite kings on their own people. It is now Elisha’s role to continue Elijah’s confrontation of the oppressive royal family.

The compilers of these stories, who no longer had kings because they had been killed by the Babylonians, understood that only prophets could be relied upon to be faithful and to lead the Israelites back to the God of justice following their release from Babylon.

Matthew 5: 17-20 What’s Matthew about?
At the time Matthew was writing his gospel, one of the central critiques of Jesus was that he was disobeying God’s ancient commands, such as to keep the Sabbath holy by not working or healing. Matthew is concerned to demonstrate that Jesus was not being unfaithful but was completing the ancient commands. Jesus is clear in this passage that the new freedom he brings does not imply that people can ignore the ancient expectations of living with justice—that remains essential to being the people of God.

This week’s collect:

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Readings for Friday September 17

Friday September 17 Pentecost 16

Psalm 69
A desperate plea for help in the midst of betrayal, disaster and defeat. Some imagery is violent, which we can interpret as expressing a deep desire that there be no evil in the world. The references to gall and vinegar may have influenced the early Christians’ description of Jesus’ crucifixion. Often used on Fridays, the weekly anniversary of the crucifixion.

Friday is a day to ask what it means that God is willing to go through such an experience.

2 Kings 1: 2-17 What’s Kings about?
As the writers interpreted their history, Ahaziah, King Ahab’s son, trusts the prophets of Baal the god of greed and not the prophets of the God of justice. The writers understand that the royal troops are supportive of the king’s loyalty to greed and suffer the consequences, but those who abandon the king are saved. But King Ahaziah doesn’t even attempt to repent and so cannot be saved. The kings are getting worse and worse and this will lead to the final disaster of the destruction of the temple.

Matthew 5: 11-16 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus describes our role as disciples to be salt and light. Salt was rare and extremely valuable and wasn’t for making food taste nice, but for preserving food. Light was also valuable—lamps were fragile and required constant purchase of oil. His point is that our following of Jesus’ sacrificial love makes the world strong (as if people had a secure supply of food and light) and our example of following the sacrificial love of Christ shows how the future of the world can be made secure.

Matthew, living in a time when Christians were settling down for the long haul, is concerned that we not think being a Christian is something irrelevant to the wider world—we can provide long-term food and long-term light when the rest of the society has lost its way. A great focus for followers of Christ in our day.

This week’s collect:

Readings for Thursday September 16

Thursday September 16 Pentecost 16

Psalm 70
God can be trusted to deliver the poor from evil.

These two psalms are often used on Thursdays, the mini-anniversaries of the approach of Jesus’ death in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Psalm 71
In old age I am filled with praise for the God who has rescued me in so many ways throughout my long life. People are attacking me now, but I trust in your salvation as you have acted for me all my life.

1 Kings 22: 29-45 What’s Kings about?
King Ahab rejects Micaiah’s faithful prophecy of disaster, and goes into battle, persuading the king of Judah (the southern part of the country centred in Jerusalem) to wear his royal robes while he himself, fearing Micaiah may be right, goes in disguise as a common soldier. However, despite his attempt to cheat death, death comes to him regardless, by accident so it appears, and he suffers the final humiliation of his body being desecrated in exactly the way Elijah had said God would do. The consequences of his choice to abandon justice cannot be evaded.

The subsequent kings, even the good ones, do not obey God, and they allow false gods, of greed and oppression, to be worshipped. We can see that the final disaster of being conquered by Babylon is becoming inevitable.

Matthew 5: 1-10 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus is saying, ‘Congratulations, poor people! Congratulations if you are in grief!’ Jesus’ original proclamation was that when you are in deep need, you become aware of God’s generosity and know that you are safe and loved. Congratulations if that has happened to you!

Jesus turns all our usual assumptions about success upside down. In Luke’s version of this passage, Jesus expresses sorrow for those who are wealthy because when you are wealthy you become afraid because you have nothing else to trust and you know that wealth has no loyalty to you. That’s why it’s fortunate to be poor.

This week’s collect:

Readings for Wednesday September 15

Wednesday September 15 Pentecost 16

Psalm 72
A prayer that the king will rule with justice for the poor, and that as a result all will have more than enough to live fully. This can easily applied as a prayer for our political leaders today.

1 Kings 22: 1-28 What’s Kings about?
Ahab, king of the north in Samaria, and Jehoshaphat king of the south in Jerusalem, meet in Samaria to consider war to regain some traditional territory. Ahab’s prophets tell him what he wants to hear, that he will be successful, but Jehoshaphat insists he consult with Micaiah even though Micaiah consistently forecasts doom for Ahab. Micaiah pretends to give a positive prophecy but Ahab knows he is being false, and when Micaiah tells the truth Ahab imprisons him. We see a dictator aware of his evil but nevertheless forcing people to flatter him. Ahab has a choice—he can be loyal to the God of justice or he can follow those who encourage his greed and arrogance.

Matthew 4: 18-25 What’s Matthew about?
Jesus calls four working men to follow him and fish for people. Jesus shows the kingdom is coming by healing people from incurable diseases. He becomes famous even in Syria, outside his own country and religion. God’s power is working through him to bring life and health to people everywhere.

This week’s collect: