The Collect of the Day
O God, the protector of all who trust in
you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply
upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass
through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
1st Reading
(Track 1): Genesis 29:15-28
Jacob has fled his home due to the wrath of his brother
brought on by his and his mother’s trickery. He settles with his uncle Laban
(the brother of his mother Rebekkah). Chapter 29:1-14 is the story of their
meeting. As the story continues, Jacob agrees to serve Laban seven years for
the hand of his daughter Rachel. The trickster, however, is himself tricked. It
is Leah who is his first wife! He agrees to serve another seven years for
Rachel, and takes her as his second wife, although, the text goes on to say,
his favorite.
29:15 Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore
serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the
elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was
graceful and beautiful. 18 Jacob
loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger
daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said,
“It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other
man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served
seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the
love he had for her. 21 Then Jacob
said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is
completed.” 22 So Laban gathered
together all the people of the place, and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter
Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter
Leah to be her maid.) 25 When
morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done
to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “This is not done in our
country—giving the younger before the firstborn. 27
Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also
in return for serving me another seven years.” 28
Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his
daughter Rachel as a wife.
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b (Track 1)
Psalm 105 is one of the historical psalms, which recite
Israel’s past (the others are 78, 106, 135, and 136). They portray the history
of Israel as the history of the Lord’s
relationship with his chosen people. This portion of Psalm 105 includes
commentary on the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
1 Give thanks to the Lord
and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord
and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth.
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our
God; *
his judgments prevail in all the world.
8 He has always been mindful of his covenant, *
the promise he made for a thousand generations:
9 The covenant he made with Abraham, *
the oath that he swore to Isaac,
10 Which he established as a statute for Jacob, *
an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11 Saying, “To you will I give the land of Canaan *
to be your allotted inheritance.”
45b Hallelujah!
Or this
Psalm
128 (Track 1)
Psalm 128 is one of the “Songs of Ascent,” most likely
pilgrim songs for those traveling to the Temple for festivals. Each of the
songs mentions Jerusalem (or “Zion”) and the blessing of peace. Psalm 128 connects
the blessing of God to daily life. It is in patriarchal terms, no doubt. A note
about “fear of the Lord:” biblical fear is not about being intimidated; it is
about approaching God with awe, reverence, and humility.
1 Happy are they all who fear the Lord,
*
and who follow in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of your labor; *
happiness and prosperity shall be yours.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, *
your children like olive shoots round about your
table.
4 The man who fears the Lord
*
shall thus indeed be blessed.
5 The Lord bless you
from Zion, *
and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all
the days of your life..
6 May you live to see your children’s children; *
may peace be upon Israel.
1st Reading
(Track 2): 1 Kings 3:5-12
Our first reading is the “origin story” of King Solomon’s famous
wisdom, here given as “an understanding mind,” which could also be translated,
“an obedient heart.” His desire is to follow his father David, both in David’s
faithfulness to the Lord, and in the
Lord’s faithfulness to David.
Solomon begins his reign with significant acts of piety, although he will later
become entangled with other religious traditions, and maintaining power will
come to trump wisdom.
3:5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by
night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast
love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in
faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you
have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to
sit on his throne today. 7 And now,
O Lord my God, you have made your
servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I
do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And
your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great
people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding
mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern
this your great people?” 10 It
pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11
God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked
for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have
asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I
give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no
one like you shall arise after you.
Psalm
119:129-136 (Track 2)
Psalm 119 is the longest of the psalms at 176 verses
and is a masterful acrostic poem with every eight verses beginning with
subsequent letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Today, for instance, each verse in
Hebrew begins with the letter “Pe”. The psalm is a hymn extolling the law,
with some synonym of “law” appearing in almost every verse.
129 Your decrees are wonderful; *
therefore I obey them with all my heart.
130 When your word goes forth it gives light; *
it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant; *
I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me in mercy, *
as you always do to those who love your Name.
133 Steady my footsteps in your word; *
let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Rescue me from those who would oppress me, *
and I will keep your commandments.
135 Let your countenance shine upon your servant *
and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears, *
because people do not keep your law.
2nd Reading: Romans 8:26-39
The end of the eighth chapter of Romans (particularly
verses 38 & 39) is well known. There is an important progression of thought
here. First (26 & 27), the Spirit’s intimacy with a human being is an
intimacy to our very depths. Second (28-30), God’s intention for humankind is
good, his purpose is to create a large family with Jesus as its first-born.
Third (31-36), Paul asks a serious of rhetorical questions, proclaiming that
the one who judges us is also the one who prays for us and has died for us.
Finally (37-39), Paul exuberantly proclaims the love from which no one or nothing
can separate us.
8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how
to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for
words. 27 And God, who searches the
heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for
the saints according to the will of God. 28 We
know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are
called according to his purpose. 29 For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also
called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified
he also glorified. 31 What then are
we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but
gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God's
elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who
is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the
right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are
being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Five short parables
of the kingdom make up our Gospel reading. In each one the kingdom is something
hidden and mysterious which becomes known and after which one must seek. The
final parable of the net is also a parable of judgment. Note, however, that
“every kind” is brought in, and it is the fisherman (clearly Jesus) who does
the sorting, not us. The sentence at the end of the passage is an important one
in Matthew’s Gospel, a summary of one of his main points. In his predominantly
Jewish community, discernment about the usefulness of things old and/or new is
vitally important, as it ever has been and ever will be in the Church.
13:31 Jesus put before them another
parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and
sowed in his field; 32 it is the
smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs
and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its
branches.” 33 He told them another
parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in
with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. 44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and
sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he
went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught
fish of every kind; 48 when it was
full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw
out the bad. 49 So it will be at
the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the
righteous 50 and throw them into
the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Have you understood all this?” They
answered, “Yes.” 52 And he said to
them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is
like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and
what is old.”
The Scripture quotations (except for the Psalms)
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. All rights reserved. The Collect of the Day and the translation of
the Psalms are from The Book of Common
Prayer. Commentaries are copyright ©
2020 Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843. www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy for group study with this attribution. Bulletin inserts are also available in
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