Daily Reading, Daily Thinking: June 14th, 2019

What do these readings have in common? On the surface level, it seems as only the Epistle and Gospel have anything in common: The disappointment in the Followers of God to live out their life with peace, love, and holiness. The third reading is about the inauguration of the Levitical Priesthood. And all these readings seem to be misplaced in connection to the Feast celebrated this Sunday, Pentecost. Pentecost, a time were God made holy the diversity of Babel and, in a sense, inaugurated the church. Where's the connection? There's a possible connection between the three readings and the Feast: Sound. Pentecost and the "tongues of fire", Aaron with the golden bells as a reminder to the people, the words spoken by Jesus and the gossip about Paul by the Corinthians (and his response as "speaking in Christ before God"). These are the reminder to the Church of God's absolute calling to us: to be a holy House of Prayer in the mist of our many-tongued life and to build up Faith, Hope, and above all, Love.

Luke 19:41-48

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’

Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be a house of prayer”;
   but you have made it a den of robbers.’

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

I have been a fool! You forced me to it. Indeed you should have been the ones commending me, for I am not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works. How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

Here I am, ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, because I do not want what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? Let it be assumed that I did not burden you. Nevertheless (you say) since I was crafty, I took you in by deceit. Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up. For I fear that when I come, I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarrelling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

Sirach 45:6-16
He exalted Aaron, a holy man like Moses
   who was his brother, of the tribe of Levi.
He made an everlasting covenant with him,
   and gave him the priesthood of the people.
He blessed him with stateliness,
   and put a glorious robe on him.
He clothed him in perfect splendour,
   and strengthened him with the symbols of authority,
   the linen undergarments, the long robe, and the ephod.
And he encircled him with pomegranates,
   with many golden bells all round,
to send forth a sound as he walked,
   to make their ringing heard in the temple
   as a reminder to his people;
with the sacred vestment, of gold and violet
   and purple, the work of an embroiderer;
with the oracle of judgement, Urim and Thummim;
   with twisted crimson, the work of an artisan;
with precious stones engraved like seals,
   in a setting of gold, the work of a jeweller,
to commemorate in engraved letters
   each of the tribes of Israel;
with a gold crown upon his turban,
   inscribed like a seal with ‘Holiness’,
a distinction to be prized, the work of an expert,
   a delight to the eyes, richly adorned.
Before him such beautiful things did not exist.
   No outsider ever put them on,
but only his sons
   and his descendants in perpetuity.
His sacrifices shall be wholly burned
   twice every day continually.
Moses ordained him,
   and anointed him with holy oil;
it was an everlasting covenant for him
   and for his descendants as long as the heavens endure,
to minister to the Lord and serve as priest
   and bless his people in his name.
He chose him out of all the living
   to offer sacrifice to the Lord,
incense and a pleasing odour as a memorial portion,
   to make atonement for the people.