From hymnsite.com:
Scriptural Readings:
Jeremiah 2:4-13 (New International Version, ©2010)
4 Hear the word of the LORD, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the LORD says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the LORD?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,”
declares the LORD.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar[a] and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the LORD.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Footnotes:
a.Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
Proverbs 25:6-7 (New International Version, ©2010)
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What you have seen with your eyes
Psalm 81
Psalm 81[a]
For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.
1 Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Footnotes:
a.Psalm 81:1 In Hebrew texts 81:1-16 is numbered 81:2-17.
b.Psalm 81:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 81:10-16
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10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
11 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13 “If my people would only listen to me,
if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica
Psalm 112 (New International Version, ©2010)
Psalm 112
Psalm 112[a]
1 Praise the LORD.[b]
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn[c] will be lifted high in honor.
10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
Footnotes:
a.Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
b.Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
c.Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity
Luke 14
Jesus at a Pharisee’s House
1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica
Luke 14:7-14
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7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica
Hebrews 13
Concluding Exhortations
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”[a]
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Footnotes:
a.Hebrews 13:5 Deut. 31:6
b.Hebrews 13:6 Psalm 118:6,7
New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica
Hebrews 13:15-16
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15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Featured Hymn
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Hymn #298, 299
Words by Isaac Watts
Music by Lowell Mason (298), Anonymous (299)
Tune Name: HAMBURG (298), ROCKINGHAM (299)
The lectionary scriptures this week are full of warnings. They are full of statements about what God's people should not do. There are a few positive notes, of course, but lots and lots of negatives. Have you ever seen someone who "lives the Christian faith" by the "do's and don'ts" method? Sure you have. Do pray. Don't kill. Do worship. Don't lie. Do this. Don't that. Do. Don't. Do. Don't. And on it goes. What a lot of instructions!
Is there anything wrong with following the instructions in God's Word? Of course not! Even people who deny the inspired nature of the scriptures acknowledge that the laws dealing with interaction between people are good. So if we are in agreement on the "good stuff," why do we need the rest of the Bible? If we find common ground on a positive note, what is the need to deal with the negative? Is there really anything more that we need to deal with? Maybe so. If we look for them, perhaps we can see some of the ways that the negatives and the positives complement each other.
This week's featured hymn was written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). The words have captured the attention of Christians ever since. Charles Wesley, who is recognized as one of the most prolific hymn writers of all time, is reported to have said that he would be willing to give up all he had ever written if he could have simply written this one hymn.
What does this hymn say that is so special? Does it tell us what to do? Not really. Does it tell us what to not do? Not really. Then what does it tell us? Read the words and think about these questions:
1. When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride. 2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that harm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 4. Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
So. There it is. What should we do? To me, these words embody the incredible message of the Bible. We have done nothing to be proud of next to Christ. There is no list of rules, no "do's and don'ts," that could ever measure up to what Christ has done. Our pride is contemptible. We have nothing to boast about. We are hopelessly in debt to a Lord who gave all for us. And the question remains, what should we do?
Maybe this is where we come full circle--a circle that brings us back to the scriptures for this week. (At least that's where I'm trying to take this!) When we survey that wondrous cross, when we recognize that we owe so much to our Lord who gave us so much, then maybe, just maybe, it should lead us to at least remember some of the do's and don'ts. Do call upon the Lord. Don't forget to ask, "Where is the Lord?" Do humble yourself. Don't let your pride humiliate you. Do God's will. Don't have a stubborn heart against God. Do believe. Don't let your faith be shaken. Do minister to the needy. Don't give so that you can receive. Do the Lord's work. Don't forget to do good.
Love so amazing, so divine, demands our souls, our lives, our all.
God bless you--
Lection at HymnSite.com
Passages suggested are from The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Abingdon Press, 1992) copyright © by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Reprinted with permission of CCT.
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