Psalms 20, 21:1-7(8-14); Ecclesiasticus 3:17-31; Acts 28:17-31; Luke 9:37-50When I was in seminary a professor of homiletics told the class I was a participant in that the folks who put the lectionary together (both the Daily Office and the weekly Sunday lectionary) did not pay attention to matching the Hebrew Testament lessons to the New Testament lessons in theme or in content. She told us that she knew one of the original individuals who cobbled the lectionary together when they were putting together the "new" Prayer Book in 1979 and that is from where she got her information.
If that is true, than the Holy Spirit was clearly involved in the process, for, similar to yesterday's reading, we have a lovely "match" between our Ecclesiasticus reading and our lesson from Luke. Be humble we are told in our Hebrew Testament reading. Let that attitude, that affect and demeanor be our guiding principle. In Luke we have Jesus healing, pointing to children as a model of correct behavior and an instruction to allow all who heal in Jesus' name to do what they are called to do. Jesus does not point his finger to himself, he is not one for self-aggrandizement. He is a model of surety and courage and loving humbleness.
Whatever is the truth about how the lectionary for today came into existence, whether by design, happenstance or the work of the Holy Spirit, we are gifted a beautiful reminder about how to carry ourselves, how to present ourselves to the world, how to "be" in our hearts.
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Copyright 2008, John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
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