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.

What One Person Can Do--July 4, 2019



We know, O God, that
there is strength in numbers;
Pilate yielded to a shouting mob;
the spirits of the Israelites fainted
over the size of the Philistine army.
Still, it is amazing what one person
inspired by you can accomplish;
Philip converted thousands.

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. 143:4
Therefore my spirit faints within me;
          my heart within me is appalled.

1 Sam. 13:5
The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

Acts 8:40
But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Luke 23:23
But [the chief priests, the leaders, and the people] kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that [Jesus] should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.

Posted by Elmer E. Ewing

2 comments:

  1. Mea SententiaJuly 4, 2019 at 10:50 PM

    Luke doesn't mention the custom of releasing a prisoner, as the other gospels do. I found that omission curious. Apart from such a custom, it seems improbable for him to give in to their demands.

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  2. Elmer E. EwingJuly 4, 2019 at 11:40 PM

    I hadn't noticed that omission. It seems to me, though, that from Luke's narrative, he was aware of the custom (vss. 18, 25). Without the custom of a release, I wouldn't see why the crowd would mention Barabbas.

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