Until You Have Mercy Upon Them--Aug. 21, 2018

[From Aug. 22, 2006 archive]

The world is full of suffering,

people whose eyes look to you,

until you have mercy upon them.

And the world is full of brutal people,

people who suppose you support them

as they attack the innocent and unsuspecting.

It is not new, this persecution by the self-righteous,

who view it their God-appointed privilege to eradicate

all who differ from them and then to appropriate their land.

It is not new,

not to have

your love in us.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 123; 146; 30; 86

Judges 18:1-15

Acts 8:1-13

John 5:30-47

Selected Verses

Ps. 123:2

As the eyes of servants

            look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a maid

            to the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,

            until he has mercy upon us.

Judges 18:10

“…When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people.  The land is broad—God has indeed given it into your hands—a place where there is no lack of anything on earth.”  [Five spies report about Laish to the Danite tribe, urging its capture.]

Acts 8:1b

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

John 5:42

“…But I know that you do not have the love of God in you.  …  ”  [Jesus, to the authorities]