Swept Away with the Wicked--June 26, 2012

O God, sometimes it seems the righteous

are established like a strong mountain;

then sometimes, because of the sins of the

wicked, the righteous are swept away.

Perhaps, dear God, you turn your face

away to let this happen; or is it that

you turn your face away because you

cannot bear to see it happen?

We do not know, but for you all things

are possible.  Give us faith, and

reckon faith to us as righteousness, and

do not let us be swept away by sin.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 123; 146; 30; 86

Numb. 16:20-35

Rom. 4:1-12

Matt. 19:23-30

Selected Verses

Ps. 30:7

By your favor, O LORD,
          you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
          I was dismayed.

Numb. 16:26

[Moses] said to the congregation, "Turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be swept away for all their sins."

Rom. 4:9

Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised?  We say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness."

Matt. 19:25-26

When the disciples heard [how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom], they were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible."