(I apologize for falling behind. I have been traveling and busy to boot. We now resume our regular postings.)
The scriptures read are Amos 1, Psalm 107 and Matthew 9.
Amos 1. Amos pronounced God's judgement on the lands who did awful stuff to his people.
Psalm 107. This new jazz version of this psalm is fantastic.
Matthew 9. Technically, Jesus is not blaspheming; ie, using God's name wrongly. But by forgiving sins, he seemed to be arrogating to himself authority that belongs to God alone.
As a tax collector Matthew could set his own fees and add them to the taxes people paid. He is giving up a lot to follow Jesus.
Jesus sees himself as a doctor and sinners as sick people, needing a cure, not further condemnation.
The woman with the bleeding would have been considered from unclean and was anyone touching her. Touching a corpse would also render a person unclean. Jesus is breaking a lot of rules in order to help others.
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