Leviticus 1:1-3:17
I’m sure we all felt an unbridled joy when we opened our bibles today and saw the succulent delights of Leviticus waiting for us. I know this book is the butt of all Christian jokes about the joys of the bible and, after today’s reading, I suspect we all know why. I don’t think I’d realised before that Leviticus is actually a direct prophecy given to Moses so, if nothing else, it should serve as a warning always to carry a pen when you go to seek some direction from the Lord. The continual refrain throughout this section is the phrase “aroma pleasing to the Lord”. This is actually quite something. It cries out about the glorious potential we have as bits of God’s creation, to be able to take some other bits of God’s creation and actually do something with them that pleases our maker. And from this perspective these instructions don’t seem quite so dull, rather, they seem more like a recipe for baking a cake that you know will bring a huge smile to the face of the one you love.
Mark 9:33-10:12
I know only too well the volcano of awkwardness that would have spewed up inside each of the disciples when Jesus asked them what they were talking about on the road. It’s that moment when you realise what a dufus you are being for thinking that this stuff is about you and your reputation. Jesus turns all that posturing on its head and reinstates himself at the top of the pyramid. And, in fact, it’s not really a pyramid at all as a pyramid implies a hierarchy among Jesus’ followers that just does not exist. Maybe it is more like a funnel with everyone continually swilling themselves down towards the bottom as they welcome, serve and protect those around them. Only Jesus has any status here - we are all merely his servants.
Psalm 27:1-6
Verse 4 is the big player in this psalm but check out verse 6 - David giving shouts of joy as he hands over his sheep (or whatever) to the priests. What a maniac.
