Today our text comes from Psalm 94, a cry from the heart of those in need and who live on the margins among us to the God who sees their plight and avenges.

May God bless you as you hear his word today.

1 The Lord is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
pay back to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, Lord, will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?

4 They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.
5 They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress your inheritance.
6 They slay the widow and the foreigner;
they murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?
10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile.

12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?
21 The wicked band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23 He will repay them for their sins
and destroy them for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will destroy them.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,

That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.

May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.

Amen.

Today our text comes from 1 Timothy 5:1-16, 6:17-21, a further reflection on what the freedom to give of our sacrifices and offerings really means, especially in light of those among us who have need.

May God bless you as you hear his word today.

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

And from Chapter 6:17-21:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,

That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.

May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.

Amen.

Today is Remembrance Day. Our text comes, fittingly, from Mark 12:38-44, where Jesus invites our reflection on what the freedom to give of our sacrifices and offerings really means.

May God bless you as you hear his word today.

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping,

That awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.

May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore.

Amen.

Psalm 146 celebrates the compassionate reign of God. It leads us towards loving him and roots our love for neighbour in God’s reign.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord.

I will praise the Lord all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Don’t put your trust in human leaders. Don’t trust in people who can’t save you.

When they die, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help.

Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean.

He made everything in them. He remains faithful forever.

He stands up for those who are treated badly. He gives food to hungry people.

The Lord sets prisoners free.

The Lord gives sight to those who are blind. The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.

The Lord loves those who do what is right.

The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land.

He takes good care of children whose fathers have died.

He also takes good care of widows.

But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do.

The Lord rules forever. The God of Zion will rule for all time to come.

Praise the Lord.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

In today’s reading, Micah 6:1-8, an imaginary court case revolves around the two great commandments: to love God and neighbour.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. He says to me, “Stand up in court. Let the mountains serve as witnesses. Let the hills hear what you have to say.”

Hear the Lord’s case, you mountains. Listen, you age-old foundations of the earth. The Lord has a case against his people Israel. He is bringing charges against them.

The Lord says, “My people, what have I done to you? Have I made things too hard for you? Answer me.

I brought your people up out of Egypt. I set them free from the land where they were slaves. I sent Moses to lead them. Aaron and Miriam helped him.

Remember how Balak, the king of Moab, planned to put a curse on your people. But Balaam, the son of Beor, gave them a blessing instead. Remember their journey from Shittim to Gilgal. I want you to know that I always do what is right.”

The people of Israel say, “What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we’ve done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?”

The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

This week’s gospel reading gives the greatest commandments: to love God and neighbour. In Romans 12:14-21 and 13:8-10, Paul explores these commandments.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not curse them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with one another. Don’t be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Don’t think that you are better than others.

Don’t pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. My dear friends, don’t try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, “I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back” (Deuteronomy 32:35), says the Lord. Do just the opposite. Scripture says,

“If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads” (Proverbs 25:21,22).

Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.

Pay everything you owe. But you can never pay back all the love you owe one another. Whoever loves other people has done everything the law requires. Here are some commandments to think about. “Do not commit adultery.” “Do not commit murder.” “Do not steal.” “Do not want what belongs to others.” (Exodus 20:13–15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17–19,21) These and all other commands are included in one command. Here’s what it is. “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Love does not harm its neighbour. So, love does everything the law requires.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

This week’s gospel reading gives the greatest commandments: to love God and neighbour. In Psalm 51, David shows us what to do when we fail.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

God, have mercy on me according to your faithful love. Because your love is so tender and kind, wipe out my lawless acts.

Wash away all the evil things I’ve done. Make me pure from my sin. I know the lawless acts I’ve committed. I can’t forget my sin.

You are the one I’ve really sinned against. I’ve done what is evil in your sight. So, you are right when you sentence me. You are fair when you judge me.

I know I’ve been a sinner ever since I was born. I’ve been a sinner ever since my mother became pregnant with me.

I know that you wanted faithfulness even when I was in my mother’s body. You taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, then I will be clean. Wash me, then I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.” That will bring me joy and gladness. Let the body you have broken be glad.

Take away all my sins. Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done. God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.

Don’t send me away from you. Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going.

Then I will teach your ways to those who commit lawless acts. And sinners will turn back to you.

You are the God who saves me. I have committed murder. God, take away my guilt. Then my tongue will sing about how right you are no matter what you do. Lord, open my lips so that I can speak. Then my mouth will praise you.

You don’t take delight in sacrifice. If you did, I would bring it. You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings. The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.

May you be pleased to give Zion success. May it please you to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of those who do what is right. Whole burnt offerings will bring delight to you. And bulls will be offered on your altar.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

This week’s gospel reading is from Mark 12:28-34.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength' and 'to love one's neighbour as oneself' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.