In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenged his disciples not to pursue power as the world pursues it. Rather, we are called to put our trust and hope in God as illustrated in this reading from Nehemiah 1.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

These are the words of Nehemiah. He was the son of Hakaliah.

I was in the fort of Susa. I was there in the 20th year that Artaxerxes was king. It was in the month of Kislev. At that time Hanani came from Judah with some other men. He was one of my brothers. I asked him and the other men about the Jews who were left alive in Judah. They had returned from Babylon. I also asked him about Jerusalem.

He and the men with him said to me, “Some of the people who returned are still alive. They are back in the land of Judah. But they are having a hard time. They are ashamed. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down. Its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard about these things, I sat down and wept. For several days I was very sad. I didn’t eat any food. And I prayed to the God of heaven. I said,

“Lord, you are the God of heaven. You are a great and wonderful God. You keep the covenant you made with those who love you and obey your commandments. You show them your love. Please pay careful attention to my prayer. See how your people are suffering. Please listen to me. I’m praying to you day and night. I’m praying for the people of Israel. We Israelites have committed sins against you. All of us admit it. I and my family have also sinned against you. We’ve done some very evil things. We haven’t obeyed the commands, rules and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember what you told him. You said, ‘If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me, I will bring you back. If you obey my commands, I will gather you together again. I will bring you back from the farthest places on earth. I will bring you to the special place where I have chosen to put my Name.’

“Lord, they are your people. They serve you. You used your great strength and mighty hand to set them free from Egypt. Lord, please pay careful attention to my prayer. Listen to the prayers of all of us. We take delight in bringing honour to your name. Give me success today when I bring my request to King Artaxerxes.”

I was the king’s wine taster.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenged his disciples not to pursue power as the world pursues it. In today’s reading, Jesus models for us how he expects power and authority to be used in his kingdom. Here is John 13:1-17.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So, he now loved them to the very end.

They were having their evening meal. The devil had already tempted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. He had urged Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God. So, he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples’ feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter. “Lord,” Peter said to him, “are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter. “You will never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you can’t share life with me.”

“Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!”

Jesus answered, “People who have had a bath need to wash only their feet. The rest of their body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are.” Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not everyone was clean.

When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You are right. That is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you. What I’m about to tell you is true. A slave is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. Now you know these things. So, you will be blessed if you do them.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.

In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus challenges his disciples not to pursue power. In today’s reading, Israel does not heed the warning that a king will misuse his power.

Here is 1 Samuel 8:4-18.

May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.

So, all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So, appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”

Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So, he prayed to the Lord. The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too. Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.”

Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. Samuel told them, “Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plough his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants. He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to. He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”

In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As you journey on, go with his blessing:

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.