God Over all Gods
Reflecting on the Second Sunday of Easter: Three Days after Sunday (Year B)
Scripture
Psalter: Psalm 135
Old Testament: Isaiah 26:1-15
Gospel: Mark 12:18-27
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Prayer
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
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Reflection
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
you who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for he is gracious.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.
For I know that the Lord is great;
our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both humans and animals;
he sent signs and wonders
into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
they have eyes, but they do not see;
they have ears, but they do not hear,
a nose, but there is no breath in their mouths.
Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 135)
Psalm 135 is a hymn of divine grandeur and worship, a melody that echoes through the ages, celebrating the Lord’s power and benevolence. The psalm opens with a call to praise, beckoning the servants of the Lord to lift their voices in adoration within the sacred halls of the temple, where the divine presence dwells eternal.
It speaks of reverence and gratitude for the Lord’s unfathomable greatness and the inexplicable acts of creation and providence. The psalmist extols the Lord’s supremacy over all gods, a testament to God’s unparalleled power, crafting the cosmos and commanding the celestial bodies in their heavenly dance.
The Earth, with its teeming life and varied landscapes, is depicted as a masterpiece of divine artistry, where the Lord’s will manifests in the thunderous weather and nurturing rains, sustaining all forms of existence. The narrative then shifts to the historical, recounting the Lord’s mighty deeds in delivering the Israelites, a people chosen and cherished, from the clutches of oppression in Egypt.
In a crescendo of remembrance it celebrates the overthrow of mighty kings, and the bestowal of a promised land to Israel, as signs of the Lord’s enduring covenant and love. This historical recollection serves as a potent reminder of the divine unchanging faithfulness and justice, attributes that demand reverence and awe.
The psalm closes with a reiteration of the call to praise, an echo that reverberates through generations, urging the descendants of Israel to honor the Lord. It is a reminder that the Lord’s name endures forever, transcending time and memory, a beacon of hope and salvation for all who seek refuge in his eternal embrace.
PRAYER: O God, Open our hearts to your power moving around us and between us and within us, until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen. (Revised Common Lectionary)
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