A Wild Beast in the Wilderness
I. Readings
Psalms 119:73-80, 145, 121, 6
Genesis 37:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-19
Mark 1:1-13
II. Selections
Psalm 119:75
I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right,
and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
Genesis 37:11
So his brothers were jealous of [Joseph], but his father kept the matter in mind.
1 Corinthians 1:13
Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Mark 1:13
[Jesus] was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
III. Meditation
Jealously is a wild beast in the wilderness of our lives.
Jealousy is a tool Satan uses to divide us, brother and
sister from sister and brother. Our divisions grieve you;
and when we pretend to be superior to others, you
humble us. We may complain, but in our heart of hearts
we know your judgments are right. Save us from hasty
assumptions that spring from jealousy; free us instead
to keep your faithfulness in mind, and to be accepting.
Meditations inspired by readings from the Daily Lectionary as found in the Mission Yearbook of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Elmer E. Ewing
- I am an emeritus professor from Cornell University and was a Commissioned Lay Preacher in the Presbyterian Church (USA). For many years I have followed the Daily Lectionary as printed in the Mission Yearbook of my church. For each day of a two-year cycle, the lectionary lists four psalms and three other scriptural passages--usually one from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. My practice is to copy down a verse or two from one of the psalms and from each of the other three passages. After I have written out all four selections, I reflect upon them, rearrange their order, and incorporate them into a meditation. Sometimes I retain much of the original wording; sometimes all that remains of a selection is an idea that was stimulated when I read the original words. All selections are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. For the Daily Lectionary, see the link below.
"Elijah" - A bronze sculpture by a friend, the late Reverend Gurdon Brewster. Click on the image to see more of his sculptures.
Archives
Samples from the archives
- 3/19/18 Remedy for Hubris--A Child Could Do It
- 2/25/14 Unbind me, Jesus
- 10/26/13 Refreshing hearts, in Christ
- 8/9/13 When things I do displease you, God
- 2/7/13 Freed, saved, gathered in
- 1/1/13 For a joy that is complete
- 11/20/12 Though the fig tree does not blossom
- 11/19/12 Alas, my house is set on high
- 10/14/12 Held in your arms
- 9/14/12 The land cries out against us
- 8/29/12 The snare of false accusation
- 8/5/12 Tie up the strong man
- 4/5/12 We who dip bread
- 9/23/10 The right to be joyful
- 9/18/10 Chief cornerstone
- 7/27/10 Triumph over enemies
- 10/9/08 Our iniquity is great
- 5/14/08 When at night
- 2/17/08 The thin and ugly
- 1/17/07 We do not know you
- 1/3/07 Promises
- 1/2/07 For things not seen
- 10/3/06 Fear of you
- 10/2/06 Little we know
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