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.

Mercy and Sacrifice--Oct. 9, 2013


[from Oct. 5, 2011 archive]

Your eye is on all who hold you in awe,
on those who hope in your steadfast love.

Where shall we go, and who will teach us
why you desire mercy, not sacrifice?

Perhaps we should go to the covenant people
and drink with them the covenant cup,

and drinking remember the merciful One
who gave himself as a sacrifice.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 89:1-18; 147:1-11; 1; 33
2 Kings 22:14-23:3
1 Cor. 11:23-34
Matt. 9:9-17

Selected Verses

Ps. 33:18
Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
          on those who hope in his steadfast love…

2 Kings 23:3
The king [Josiah] stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book.  All the people joined in the covenant.

1 Cor. 11:25
In the same way [Jesus] took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Matt. 9:13
"…Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'  For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."  [Jesus to the Pharisees who had asked why he ate with tax collectors and sinners]

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

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