04 April 2015

Saturday, 04 April 2015 Holy Saturday

commemorating the darkest day in world history, Jesus dead and buried.

This is perhaps the best song for the occasion.

Woke to 30 degrees and snow on the ground.  This is the 3rd Saturday of Spring, but snow.  Not to my liking, believe me.

A bit short of wise words today.  As noted before, a former co-worker was killed in a wreck Thursday night in central Alabama.  Took the wind out of a LOT of people's sails, believe me.

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The Old Testament reading here is chapters 12, 13, and 14 of the book of the Judges.  This will take us into the beginning of the account of Samson.
And a word about the term "judge" as in the title of this work.  We tend to think of judges today as jurists, over-promoted lawyers sitting as a Probate Court judge, or Court of Common Pleas, or even Supreme Court or the like.  That's not really what it means, here, and most of these judges, Samson certainly, weren't wearing judge robes and sitting in a courtroom hearing polite arguments in measured tones.  When we lived in Arkansas, a number of years ago, they have what they call "county judges".  I guess they do sit as sort of a mayor's court, for things like stop sign violations, etc., but what they are is something like county commissioners, and sometimes sit as a group for that purpose.  Leaders, in other words, in regions where the more formal structures of mayors and city councils and such don't exist.  They have actually a fair amount of latitude and authority, but don't have the power to, for example, have someone sent to state prison or hanged.  And largely people follow their lead just because it's part of the custom of the area.  It's not strictly equivalent to the "judges" shown in these passages, but it's a nod in that direction.  OK?


1
And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
2
And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3
And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
4
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5
And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.
7
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
8
And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
9
And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
10
Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
11
And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
12
And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14
And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
15
And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.


1
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5
For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7
But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8
Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9
And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10
And the woman made haste, and ran, and showed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11
And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
12
And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14
She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
15
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
16
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
17
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor?
18
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19
So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20
For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
21
But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
22
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23
But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24
And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25
And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.


1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3
Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6
And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7
And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.
9
And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
10
So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11
And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12
And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13
But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16
And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17
And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18
And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20
But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.






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The New Testament reading is verses 37-62 in Luke chapter 9

37
And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
38
And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39
And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40
And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41
And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42
And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43
And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44
Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45
But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
46
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47
And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48
And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49
And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
51
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52
And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
57
And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.




03 April 2015

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 03 April 2015 also known as Good Friday

quiet here, very.  Seems appropriate on these High Holy Days.  Quiet.  Should be.

I am short of words today, unusual I know.  Heard from friends that a mutual acquaintance, s woman I'd had much business dealings with when in Alabama, was killed in a traffic accident last night.  The whole group is taking it very hard, as should be the case.  She will be missed.  We were not friends, but she always treated me well, which was by no means the norm. 

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The Old Testament reading here is chapters 10 and 11 in the book of the Judges


1
And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.
2
And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir.
3
And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
4
And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5
And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.
6
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
7
And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
8
And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9
Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
10
And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
11
And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12
The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14
Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16
And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17
Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
18
And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.


1
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
2
And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.
3
Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
4
And it came to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5
And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:
6
And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
7
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?
8
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
9
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
10
And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.
11
Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
12
And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?
13
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
14
And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:
15
And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:
16
But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;
17
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
19
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20
But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
21
And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
22
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
23
So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?
24
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
25
And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
27
Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
28
Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33
And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36
And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40
That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.







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The New Testament passage is verses 1-36 in the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

1
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3
And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4
And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5
And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6
And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7
Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8
And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9
And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10
And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11
And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12
And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13
But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14
For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15
And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16
Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17
And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18
And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19
They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21
And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22
Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
27
But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28
And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
30
And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
31
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
32
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33
And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
34
While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36
And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.



02 April 2015

Today's Readings and Stuff --- Thursday, 02 April 2015 often referred to as Maundy Thursday

good day to all.

This is a day of quiet and painful introspection for me, as it always is on this day.  This is the day of the year, often called "Maundy Thursday", when Christians commemorate the Last Supper and the Passion of the Christ.  This commemorates the night Jesus was betrayed by one of His followers, and seized by the soldiers.  It is hard for me on may levels.  One is that. like any time of intense introspection, it makes my own sins and failures, errors of commission and omission, lost opportunities, hasty words, sloth, and general Bad Attitude, in comparison with Christ, and what He has done for me, all the more painful.  Another memory is of a time some 20 years ago.  We were part of a church in east Tennessee that celebrated the Last Supper on this night, but had that as the culmination of a re-enactment of the Last Supper, of the night in the garden of Gethsemane, and of the arrest of Jesus enabled by the betrayal of Judas. And it was me playing the part of Judas for 4 or 5 years.  It's not easy, believe me, to be THE focus of the betrayal of the Lord.  It makes a person, it made ME, personally aware of how often I had denied and betrayed Him.  That memory, that pain, is afresh for me every year at this time, and perhaps always will be.  He has forgiven much.

Dear Wife is asleep near me on the recliner.  She messed up her meds last night, took the ones last night that she should have taken this morning, which among other things kept her awake when she should have been sleeping.  So she took the ones late this morning that she should have taken last night, and now she's passed out on the recliner.  And will probably do likewise later on.  The sleep is good for her.  We have a relatively warm day today, but that has been accompanied by heavy rain all day as a front moved in and has hung around.  With all her arthritis (and other maladies) her joints are like a built-in barometer, and the fronts lead to pain, a lot of it.  The cortisone the doc shot her foot up with yesterday has had some effects on all that, the cortisone probably contributed to her wide-awake last night, and hopefully are acting about now to provide some small relief from the bone spurs in the foot.

I had to make a quick doctor trip myself this morning.  I have a scheduled appointment next week and they'd wanted a 12-hour fast blood sample for analysis in advance of that, so I went over to let the phlebotomist have at me.  She did good.

And tomorrow is "Good Friday".  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday commemorate a dark and nearly hopeless time in the history of our world.  NEARLY hopeless.  But then came the morning.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 8 and 9 of the book of the Judges.  Yesterday, we saw the story of Gideon, the part many of us know well.  But here is the rest of the story, the part many have skipped over.


1
And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2
And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4
And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5
And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6
And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7
And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8
And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9
And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11
And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.
12
And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13
And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14
And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.
15
And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16
And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17
And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18
Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19
And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.
20
And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.
21
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.
22
Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23
And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
24
And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25
And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27
And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28
Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
29
And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
30
And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
31
And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
32
And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.
34
And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
35
Neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.


1
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
2
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
3
And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
4
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
5
And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
6
And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
7
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
8
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
9
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
10
And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
11
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12
Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
13
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
14
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
15
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
16
Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
17
(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18
And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
19
If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
21
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
22
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
23
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24
That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
25
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
26
And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
28
And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
29
And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
30
And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
31
And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
32
Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
33
And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
34
And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
35
And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
36
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37
And Gaal spake again, and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
38
Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
39
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
41
And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
42
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
43
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
44
And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.
45
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
47
And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
48
And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
49
And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
50
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
51
But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
52
And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
54
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
56
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57
And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.




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The New Testament reading here is verses 22-56 of the 8th chapter in the Gospel of Luke.
Earlier, I used the term "hopeless".  Here we see several situations that seemed hopeless.  Until Jesus became involved. 
I like the response of the man who was freed of the demons.  He was one of the people who lived on the wrong side of the lake, around the wrong kind of people, and rejected even by them.  He even hung around tombs and pigs, the sort of place no good religious boy from the right side of the lake would be any where near.  But Jesus had a different view of the matter.  And reached out and changed the situation.  And then,  He told the man to not come into the "holy huddle", but to go out and tell people what the Lord had done for him.  Which he did.  Would that we do as well.

22
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23
But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24
And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
26
And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
28
When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30
And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
31
And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
32
And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33
Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
34
When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35
Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
36
They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
37
Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
38
Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39
Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
40
And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
41
And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42
For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
43
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44
Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45
And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
49
While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50
But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51
And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
52
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54
And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55
And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56
And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.