Reflection on readings for August 18

You have seen, O Lord;
do not be silent!
O Lord, do not be far from me!
(Psalm 35:22)

Esther 1:1-3:15
The king got drunk and ordered his queen to come to the party. She refused. Seeing the possible outcome of wifely rebellion, the royal officials recommended that she be fired. She was. The king sent a letter to every province in his kingdom that every man should be the master in his house.

After the king got over his anger, he began to miss having a wife. A national search began. Mordecai, one of the Jews who had been taken from Judah by the Babylonians recommended his niece Esther as a candidate for queen.

Mordecai learned of a plot against the king, told Esther, now the queen., who passed on the information to her husband.

Mordecai would protect the king but couldn't bring himself to bow down before the king's high official, Haman. Haman told the king that there was a group of people who were different and should no longer be tolerated. The king responded by issuing an order to kill all the Jews.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Institution of the Lord's Supper. Reminders and Warnings.

Psalm 35:17-28
Reading Robert Alter's The Book of Psalms pointed out to me that there are four groups of characters in this psalm: God, the supplicant, enemies, and supporters. Alter states that the supplicant in this psalm can imagine vindication and that his supporters will be happy about it.

Proverbs 21:19-20
It is better to live in a desert land  
than with a contentious and fretful wife.
Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise,
but the fool devours it.

Prayer for Today: O Lord, help us to figure out how to get along with the other people in the church. Help us to balance any sacrifice that comity would require by remembering all that you were willing to give up for us. Help us to consider what they need as we consider what we already have. Amen.