17th October 2021
21st Day after Pentecost
Fr Ron's Focus on the Word of God.
(21st Sunday after Pentecost: Job 38:1-7, 34-41; Hebrews 5:1-10; Psalm 104:1-10,26; Mark 10: 35-45)
As you know, for the past few weeks we have been reading our way through portions of the book of Job in the Old Testament. Up to this point in the Book of Job (Job 38:1-7, 34-41), we've only heard from Job and his friends, who have thoroughly convinced Job that the sufferings that he's endured is because of some heinous sin he has committed. Job, knowing that he committed no such sin, rails against God for punishing him unjustly. Here though, in the 38th chapter, God shows up and puts Job in his place, showing how much larger and greater a vision God has when he looks at the world.
Alongside Job, we have been reading from the Book of Hebrews, which is often described as a ‘letter-epistle’ but is really a sermon, by an unknown author. In our reading for this week (Hebrews 5:1-10), a distinction is made between the earthly order of priests (that of Aaron) who served the Temple in Jerusalem, and the heavenly order of Melchizedek, of which Jesus is a member.
Aaronite priests offer sacrifice in the Temple according to the "rules," but the priesthood of Melchizedek is of a higher order which truly brings people into communion with God.
In our Gospel reading, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, had a nickname, possibly given to them by Jesus himself: the ‘Sons of Thunder’! In this passage from Mark (Mark 10:35-45) you can see why they earned such a distinction! They desire glory for themselves, but they haven't yet gotten the fact that in Jesus' world glory comes from the suffering of the cross.
ARCHBISHOP’S WEEKLY REFLECTION….
"God's gift of Communication"
The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh1rza2wZCs