Faith Daily | 14 September 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p581

O God,

without you we are not able to please you:

mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit

may in all things direct and rule our hearts;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 7: 31-35

31 ‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.” 33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; 34the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” 35Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rev’d Jan

Taunting, and name calling… yes, memories of the schoolyard, of the meanness, the shallowness and the confusion of youngsters as they work out life, and what is normal and what is ok, whose side they want to be on and who they want to be with.

Schoolyard youngsters grow into parliamentarians, and journalists, and church members and families… so it goes on, the playground judgement, the decrees of who is in and who is out, who is right and who is wrong. And the language, the spiteful words that are intended to hurt and wound, to claim power over the less loud, the less articulate, the powerless.

And Jesus weeps. Who are we to diminish the image of God in another? Who are we to actually believe we are so right all others must be wrong? Who are we to pronounce ‘love one another’ with our lips, and yet with the same lips and voice denounce any semblance of love or charity?

Wisdom is vindicated by all her children; the kingdom of God is there for anyone who can find again the simplicity of new creation as a child, and thus the eyes of God for all of creation.

FINAL PRAYER “Father welcomes” TiS 491

Father welcomes all his children

to his family through his Son;

Father giving his salvation,

life for ever has been won.

Little children come to me,

for my kingdom is of these;

life and love I have to give,

mercy for your sin.