Above: Christ Pantocrator Moody
Image in the Public Domain
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
All-powerful God, in Jesus Christ you turned death into life and defeat into victory.
Increase our faith and trust in him,
that we may triumph over all evil in the strength
of the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 39
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 26:16-27:1
Psalm 74
Luke 11:14-28
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bestir Yourself because of the perpetual tumult,
all the outrages of the enemy in the sanctuary.
–Psalm 74:3, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
O LORD: In their distress they sought You;
Your chastisement reduced them
To anguished whispered prayer.
–Isaiah 26:16, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
But [Jesus] said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
–Luke 11:28, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Bible, being of human authorship and containing texts reflecting changing perspectives over a long period of time, contradicts itself on points small, medium, and large. This fact does not trouble me, for (A) I am not a biblical literalist, and (B) I worship God, not the Bible. I do detect much biblical consistency, however. Again and again biblical texts tell us, for example, to obey the commandments of God and agree that these include social and economic justice. Texts tell us consistently of divine preference for the poor and disapproval of the exploitation of people. Pure doctrine alone is insufficient, for justice matters to God.
The people in Isaiah 26 had committed idolatry, as had our Lord and Savior’s accusers in Luke 11. The idols in Luke 11 were ideas about God and how God works. Jesus exposed these ideas as false, but ideologies clung to their doctrines and attempted to explain away the evidence they saw. The enemies in the sanctuary were among the professional religious people.
Lest we, you and I, O reader, congratulate ourselves on our fidelity to God (unlike those people of Judah in Isaiah 26 and like those religious officials in Luke 11), may we avoid the sin of self-righteousness. God remains active and continues to refuse to fit into the God-shaped boxes we call theology. Do we see God’s actions then call them evil? We might. Have we confused our opinions for God’s facts? Certainly, at least part of the time. May we be and remain open to spiritual correction and recognize good when we see it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 18, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LEONIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR; ORIGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN; DEMETRIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSELM II OF LUCCA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL OF CYPRUS, EASTERN ORTHODOX MARTYR
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Adapted from this post:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
Pingback: Devotion for Wednesday After Proper 5, Year B (ELCA Daily Lectionary) | ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS