For Sunday, November 19, 2023, Readings: Judges
4:1-7, Psalm 123, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-30
At that time, Deborah, a prophetess…was judging Israel…and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. [Judges 4:1-7]
So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he shows us his mercy. [Psalm 123:3]
For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
[1 Thessalonians 5:9-10]
…a man…gave…to each according to his ability…you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. [Matthew 25:14-15, 21]
…a man…gave…to each according to his ability…you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. [Matthew 25:14-15, 21]
There is quite a lot to
know about Deborah, the only female Judge and mentioned in one of the oldest
writings of the Hebrew/Old Testament. This snippet is far from her whole story
and I urge you to take a look at who she was. There are great articles on her
online in the Britannica and in some Jewish commentaries, among others. For
people named Deborah, it’s a great opportunity for them, as well as the rest of
us, to know more about her.
The
very brief Psalm 123 is a great one to memorize and pray with. Whether we are
the ones subjected to contempt or whether in our occasional sense of
entitlement we are attaching our own contempt and derision to others, we can use
it as a regular prayer to God for mercy, for ourselves and even, and especially for the
indolent rich, letting go of whatever negative feelings or resentments we may harbor.
Paul
is the perfect prelude to this Gospel yet may well be left behind as it is
customary to preach the Gospel. In this piece from the first letter to
the Thessalonians, he is telling us that we cannot know the time of Christ’s
return, even as Paul himself thought it was imminent for much of his time of
conversion. And so, IF it truly was/is
any minute now that Jesus will come like a thief in the night [not the
best Christ analogy!], we are to take up the responsibilities of our calling. We
are to put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope
of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or
asleep we may live with him.
And then follows Matthew’s Gospel account,
which has a slight parallel in Luke 19:11-27 but not in the other two Gospels,
is an uncomfortable view of judgement. There is so very much that can be
taken apart and analyzed here but lack of time and space limits much more. Some writers
have discussed the man going on a journey as God. But as we read the
Gospel, the least of the servants is afraid of this man who reaps what [he]
does not sow which isn’t the God I know or want. Of course it is the
God of those who want to sow fear into their own followers, exploiting the
words and phrasing that indicate God’s wrath, or in this case, those who are
proponents of a “prosperity gospel.” One interesting phrase in this passage is
that this man gives to each according to his ability. And that, for me,
is the crux of the matter. As disciples, Matthew has been telling us all
through his Gospel accounts that the Law is only a starting point, we are to
exceed those expectations by cultivating and manifesting an inner attitude of
love for God, ourselves, and each other in everything, to the best of our
abilities, spiritually and otherwise. We are to be that love in all that we
think and do, so that our motives, our deepest intentions, are expressed as
genuine service in Christ’s name, without any sense of merit or
self-importance. There are many nice people doing good things but if their
inner purpose is personal gain or acclaim, they may well have missed, or
ignored, the message of Jesus. And of course, it’s not always easy to be so
pure of heart. Yet we strive to do the best we can with what we have been given
in heart, body, mind, and soul, failing often as we will, and praying for the
mercy we already have, and so we will enter into the joy of [our] Master
~ Jesus, our Christ.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord, our God, you have given us each our
talents according to the abilities with which You created us. Grant us the
courage to put on the breastplate of faith, love, and the hope of salvation, to
encourage ourselves and one another to boldly risk the peace and security of
what we have, to be Your faithful stewards for all of our allotted time.
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
RESPONSE: Grant us Your Mercy
RESPONSE: Grant us Your Mercy
~
O Lord, our God, keep us from
complacence as we continue to call to account those who govern now and those
who soon will, in our Nation, in our Community, and in our World. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions.
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
Grant
us Your Mercy
~
O Lord, our God, calm and
heal the hearts of all who are seriously ill, in depression, or facing other
uncertain life circumstance, and steady the course of those who give them care.
We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
Grant
us Your Mercy
~ O Lord, our God, fill our hearts with the peace of those who are now alive again, in the glorious and eternal light of Your Kingdom. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
Grant
us Your Mercy
~ O Lord, our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
Grant
us Your Mercy
~ O Lord, our God, we give great thanks and prayerful gratitude for the faithful stewards of Your Church, who keep us on a spiritual track in daily life, and guide us in living the mission of Christ on earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Creator
and Redeemer Lord
Grant
us Your Mercy
The Celebrant adds: O God Most High, through your Judge and Prophet Deborah, and the Apostles Paul and Matthew, we learn the dangers and the opportunities of investing all our mortal days in Your service. We lift up our eyes to You for the willingness, the strength, and the mercy, to reap enough of the good we sow to enter into the joy of our Lord. We ask through Jesus, our Christ and our Master; the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Breath in our souls; who together with You, live and reign as One God, forever and forever. Amen.
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