When in Luxury We Glorify Ourselves--Nov. 9, 2015

Your hand has been gracious upon us;

but though with our lips we honor you,

Jesus, sometimes our hearts are far away.

 Forgive us when we idolize silver and gold,

glorifying ourselves in luxurious living.

Teach us rather to commit ourselves

to the common good, to building

up and not to tearing down.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 135; 145; 97; 112

Neh. 2:1-20

Rev. 18:1-8

Matt. 15:1-20

Selected Verses

Ps. 135:15

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
          the work of human hands. 

Neh. 2:18

I told [the people of Jerusalem] that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me.  Then they said, “Let us start building!”  So they committed themselves to the common good. 

Rev. 18:7a

"…As [Babylon] glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
          so give her a like measure of torment and grief.  …"

[A voice from heaven]

Matt. 15:7-8

"…You hypocrites!  Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
          but their hearts are far from me…'"

[Jesus to the Pharisees and scribes]