1st Reading (Track 1): 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
Chapters 13-18 of 2
Samuel report on internal strife within the family of King David. Chapters 13 & 14 tell of David’s eldest
son Amnon’s rape of his half-sister Tamar.
Tamar’s full brother Absalom takes his revenge by killing his brother. Absalom flees and lives in exile for three
years, after which David’s general, Joab, attempts a reconciliation between
king and son. Absalom returns to Jerusalem but David refuses to see him.
Chapters 15-17 tell of Absalom’s revolt against his father and for a time he
rules in Jerusalem. Eventually a battle
ensues. David strictly instructs that
his son not be killed, and the story continues below.
18:5 The king ordered Joab and
Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man
Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the
commanders concerning Absalom. 6 So
the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in
the forest of Ephraim. 7 The men of
Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there
was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8 The
battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more
victims that day than the sword. 9 Absalom
happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the
mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the
oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was
under him went on. 15 And ten young
men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him. 31 Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite
said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the
power of all who rose up against you.” 32 The
king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite
answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you
harm, be like that young man.” 33 The king was deeply moved, and
went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my
son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O
Absalom, my son, my son!”
Psalm
130 (Track 1)
Psalm 130 is a psalm of
lament. The writer cries out to God from the depths of distress, begging God to
hear the cry and provide relief.
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord,
hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the
voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord,
were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord,
who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the
morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from
all their sins.
1st Reading (Track 2): 1 Kings 19:4-8
The prophet Elijah is on the
run. He has won a great contest against
the prophets of Baal, but those prophets were in the favor of Queen Jezebel and
she has put a price on Elijah’s head. He
is running for his life. Despite his
wish to die, he is saved miraculously and given sustenance to endure a forty-day
journey to Mount Horeb. The number forty
is an important biblical number, popping up regularly, signaling the
thoroughness of the test.
19:4 Elijah went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my
ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down
under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to
him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked,
and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He
ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The
angel of the Lord came a second
time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too
much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate
and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty
nights to Horeb the mount of God.
Psalm
34:1-8 (Track 2)
Psalm 34 is a
thanksgiving for deliverance. The title
in Hebrews says, “Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that
he drove him out, and he went away.”
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; *
his praise shall ever be in my
mouth.
2 I will glory in the Lord; *
let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *
let us exalt his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
and delivered me out of all my
terror.
5 Look upon him and be radiant, *
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
and he will deliver them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
happy are they who trust in him!
2nd Reading:
Ephesians 4:25—5:2
As we continue reading through Ephesians, the writer
describes what it means to live a Christian life. All this flows from Baptism (“with which you
were marked with a seal”). Just as in
Baptism we died and rose in imitation of Christ, so our lives ought to be a
constant imitation of his life of love.
The final verse is one of the options in The Book of Common Prayer for the offertory sentence at the Eucharist (p. 343 & p. 376).
4:25 So then, putting away
falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members
of one another. 26 Be angry but do
not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let
them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to
share with the needy. 29 Let no
evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as
there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath
and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved
children, 2 and live in love, as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice
to God.
Gospel Reading: John 6:35,
41-51
6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be
hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” 41 Then the Jews began to complain about him
because he said, “I am the bread that came down from
heaven.” 42 They were
saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to
me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on
the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught
by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
46 Not that
anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the
Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.
48 I am the
bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
50 This is
the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
51 I am the living
bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Scripture readings (except for the
psalm) are from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by
permission. All rights reserved. The Psalm translation is from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries are copyright © 2018
Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843. www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy for congregational use with this
attribution.
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