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.

Jesus, Justice Denied--July 4, 2013


 Lord Jesus, in your humiliation justice was denied you,
for Pilate listened to the mob, not to his reason. 
Your people began to slip away, while your
enemy pursued you and crushed
your life to the ground.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 143; 147:12-20; 81; 116
1 Sam. 13:5-18
Acts 8:26-40
Luke 23:13-25

Selected Verses

Ps. 143:3
For the enemy has pursued me,
          crushing my life to the ground,
          making me sit in darkness like those long dead.

1 Sam. 13:8
[Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul.

Acts 8:33a
"…In his humiliation justice was denied him…”
[Philip quotes scripture to the Ethiopian eunuch]

Luke 23:23-24
But [the chief priests, the leaders, and the people] kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that [Jesus] should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.  So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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