1st Reading (Track 1): Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
The Book of Esther
tells the story of a Jewish woman and her uncle, Mordecai, who deliver the Jews
living in the Persian Empire from genocide. King Ahasuerus chooses Esther as
his queen, although she hides her Jewish identity on the advice of her
uncle. Mordecai becomes an enemy of
Haman when he refuses to bow down to him. Haman tricks the king into ordering
death to all the Jews in the kingdom who will not bow down to the king. Esther
is moved to reveal her identity and plead with the king for the life of her
people when Haman plans the execution of her uncle. In our reading today, the tables are turned
against Haman and he is executed and the Jews saved. The final verses establish a yearly feast
known as Purim.
7:1 So the king and Haman went in
to feast with Queen Esther. 2 On
the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What
is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your
request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won
your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me—that is
my petition—and the lives of my people—that is my request. 4 For we have been sold, I and my people, to
be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely
as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can
compensate for this damage to the king.” 5 Then
King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has
presumed to do this?” 6 Esther
said, “A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the
king and the queen. 9 Then
Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Look, the very
gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands
at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he
had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated. 9:20 Mordecai recorded these things, and sent
letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both
near and far, 21 enjoining them
that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the
fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, 22
as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies,
and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and
from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and
gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the
poor.
Psalm
124 (Track 1)
Psalm 124 is one of the Songs of Ascent (Psalms
120-134) which were most likely songs for pilgrims on their way to celebrate
one of the major festivals in Jerusalem.
It is a song of thanksgiving for protection against enemies, using the
images of a flood that does not drown and a snare that is broken and therefore
useless.
1 If the Lord
had not been on our side, *
let Israel now say;
2 If the Lord
had not been our side, *
when enemies rose up against us;
3 Then would they have swallowed us up alive *
in
their fierce anger toward us;
4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *
and the torrent gone over us;
5 Then would the raging waters *
have gone right over us.
6 Blessed be the Lord! *
he has not given us over to be a
prey for their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare
of the fowler; *
the snare is broken, and we have
escaped.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
1st Reading (Track 2): Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
In the wake of the
people’s complaints about the food that is being provided for them, Moses
himself complains to God about the burden of the people. God’s response to
Moses’ histrionics is to give him help. Seventy elders will be given a share of
his spirit. This included two men who
had not assembled at the Tent of Meeting but had remained in the camp. Their
manifestation of the Spirit causes some controversy, but Moses declares that
they are with them. He is not
overprotective of his office. Would that
all the Lord’s people were like him.
11:4 The rabble among them had a strong
craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to
eat! 5 We remember the fish we used
to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions,
and the garlic; 6 but now our
strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” 10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their
families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. 11 So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you treated your servant
so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of
all this people on me? 12 Did I
conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me,
‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,’ to the land
that you promised on oath to their ancestors? 13
Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come
weeping to me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ 14
I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too
heavy for me. 15 If this is the way
you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in
your sight—and do not let me see my misery.” 16 So
the Lord said to Moses, “Gather
for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the
people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them
take their place there with you. 24 So
Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and
placed them all around the tent. 25 Then
the Lord came down in the cloud
and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the
seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they
did not do so again. 26 Two men
remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the
spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone
out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad
and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And
Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My
lord Moses, stop them!” 29 But
Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that
the Lord would put his spirit on
them!”
Psalm
19:7-14 (Track 2)
Psalm 19 is a wisdom psalm in two parts. The first
(1-6) praises the glory of God in creation. The second (7-14, today’s psalm) is
a hymn in praise of the law. The
juxtaposition of creation and law is deliberate: both have been provided for the well-being of
humankind.
nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
7 The law of the Lord
is perfect and revives the soul; *
the testimony of the Lord
is sure
and gives wisdom to the
innocents.
8 The statutes of the Lord
are just and rejoice the heart: *
the commandment of the Lord
is clear
and gives light to the
eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord
is clean and endures for ever; *
the judgments of the Lord
are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
11 By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends? *
Cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get dominion over me; *
then shall I be whole and sound,
and innocent of a great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in your
sight, *
O Lord, my
strength and my redeemer.
2nd Reading:
James 5:13-20
The end of the Letter of James describes some pastoral
practices of this ancient community. Some of our own practices have roots in
them. Communal prayer by elders
(presbyteroi) with the anointing of the sick with oil developed into the
Sacrament of Unction, or the Anointing of the Sick. Confession of Sin seems to have been tied up
with this practice also, as it is in the rite for “Ministration to the Sick” in
The Book of Common Prayer (pp. 453-461).
5:13 Are any among you suffering?
They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call
for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with
oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The
prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone
who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore
confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be
healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he
prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it
did not rain on the earth. 18 Then
he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a
sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a
multitude of sins.
Gospel Reading: Mark 9:38-50
Jesus, like Moses before him (see Numbers 11), does not want
the disciples to be jealous of their authority.
“Whoever is not against us is for us.”
Jesus then goes on to use some difficult language trying to underscore
the seriousness of treating “the little ones” rightly. He is speaking in hyperbole and figuratively, yet
he is speaking very seriously. Who are
“the little ones?” It is often assumed children, but more likely Jesus is
referring to the average disciple and this is a special warning to those in
leadership not to abuse their power.
Verses 44 and 46 are omitted in the New Revised Standard translation
since they are not found in the best ancient sources for this Gospel (they
simply repeat verse 48).
9:38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in
your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no
one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak
evil of me. 40 Whoever is not
against us is for us. 41 For truly
I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name
of Christ will by no means lose the reward. 42 If
any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in
me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck
and you were thrown into the sea. 43 If
your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life
maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut
it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be
thrown into hell. 47 And if your
eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the
kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies, and the fire
is never quenched. 49 For everyone
will be salted with fire. 50 Salt
is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt
in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
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 group study use with this
attribution. Bulletin inserts using these readings and commentaries are
available by subscription. For more
information, go to our website.
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