Many Are Perplexed, O God--May 9, 2015

Many are perplexed, O God Most High.

Are you the God of steadfast love

in the morning, of faithfulness at night?

Or God who kills and makes alive,

who wounds and heals--God from whose

hand one can never be delivered?

And Jesus, who is he?  John beheaded,

raised from the dead? Or old Elijah

reappeared, or another ancient prophet?

No, he is the Christ; upon him have

fallen insults from us all, who insult you;

thereby he shows us who you are.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 92; 149; 23; 114

Deut. 32:34-43

Rom. 15:1-13

Luke 9:1-17

Selected Verses

Ps. 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
          to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
          and your faithfulness by night…

Deut. 32:39

See now that I, even I, am he;
          there is no god besides me.
I kill and I make alive;
          I wound and I heal;
          and no one can deliver from my hand. 

Rom. 15:3

For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

Luke 9:7

Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.