Reflecting on the 17th Sunday in ordinary time part 2

Where we have come from - readings for Sunday 28th July Genesis 18.20-32 Psalm 138 Colossians 2.6-15 (16-19) Luke 11.1-13

Readings for today

	Psalm 55.16-23
	Esther 6.1 - 7.6 Romans 9.30 - 10.40

thought for today

Haman is about to become the victim of his own prejudice against Mordecai, the Jew at the gate. When the King talks honouring someone he assumes he himself is the candidate and struggles to believe it he has to arrange Mordecai's parade of honour. There is worse to come for Haman when he is exposed by Esther as the orchestrator of a terrible plot. Though the text never mentions God, I am sure the psalmist would see God's hand at work as the demure (to this point) Esther frustrates Haman's cunning.  

Esther will succeed in rescuing her people from the threatened pogrom, but Paul longs for a more ultimate salvation for Israel and insists that they are never outside God's purpose.

Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission