Wednesday, July 24 | St. Andrew's Anglican Church

Psalm 49

¹ Hear this, all peoples!
    Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
²both low and high,
    rich and poor together!
³My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
⁵Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
⁶those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
⁷Truly no man can ransom another,
    or give to God the price of his life,
⁸for the ransom of their life is costly
    and can never suffice,
⁹that he should live on forever
    and never see the pit.
¹⁰For he sees that even the wise die;
    the fool and the stupid alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹Their graves are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they called lands by their own names.
¹²Man in his pomp will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that perish.
¹³This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
    yet after them people approve of their boasts.
¹⁴Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
    and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
¹⁵But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me.
¹⁶Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
    when the glory of his house increases.
¹⁷For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
    his glory will not go down after him.
¹⁸For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
    —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
¹⁹his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
    who will never again see light.
²⁰Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 53

¹ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.
²God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
    to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.
³They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.
⁴Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?
⁵There they are, in great terror,
    where there is no terror!
    For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
⁶Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Psalm 119:49-72

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant,
    in which you have made me hope.
⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction,
    that your promise gives me life.
⁵¹The insolent utterly deride me,
    but I do not turn away from your law.
⁵²When I think of your rules from of old,
    I take comfort, O Lord.
⁵³Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
    who forsake your law.
⁵⁴Your statutes have been my songs
    in the house of my sojourning.
⁵⁵I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
    and keep your law.
⁵⁶This blessing has fallen to me,
    that I have kept your precepts.
⁵⁷The Lord is my portion;
    I promise to keep your words.
⁵⁸I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.
⁵⁹When I think on my ways,
    I turn my feet to your testimonies;
⁶⁰I hasten and do not delay
    to keep your commandments.
⁶¹Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
    I do not forget your law.
⁶²At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.
⁶³I am a companion of all who fear you,
    of those who keep your precepts.
⁶⁴The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!
⁶⁵You have dealt well with your servant,
    O Lord, according to your word.
⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.
⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.
⁶⁸You are good and do good;
    teach me your statutes.
⁶⁹The insolent smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
⁷⁰their heart is unfeeling like fat,
    but I delight in your law.
⁷¹It is good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.
⁷²The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Joshua 8:30-35

³⁰At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³ And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

Romans 14:13-23

¹³Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. ¹⁴I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. ¹⁵For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. ¹⁶So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. ²⁰Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. ²¹It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ²²The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. ²³But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Matthew 26:57-68

⁵⁷ Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. ⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶² And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, ⁶⁸ saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”