Our readings from Proverbs this morning speak about the importance of being diligent in the work that God has given us to do.
Our Second reading comes from the book of Nehemiah and describes the diligence and the focus of Nehemiah and those working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
The Gospel lesson for this morning comes from the ninth chapter of Luke’s telling of the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus talks about the diligence and the focus necessary to be about the work of being his disciple.
6 Consider the ant, you lazy bum.
Watch its ways, and become wise.
7 Although it has no overseer, officer, or ruler,
8 in summertime it stores its food supply.
At harvest time it gathers its food.
9 How long will you lie there, you lazy bum?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 “Just a little sleep,
just a little slumber,
just a little nap.”
11 Then your poverty will come to you like a drifter,
and your need will come to you like a bandit.
4 Lazy hands bring poverty,
but hard-working hands bring riches.
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat,
but the one who chases unrealistic dreams has no sense.
Our Second reading comes from the book of Nehemiah and describes the diligence and the focus of Nehemiah and those working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
In the month of Nisan, in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year as king, after some wine was brought for the king, I picked up the cup of wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence before.
2 The king asked me, “Why do you look so sad? You aren’t sick, are you? You must be troubled about something.” (I was really afraid).
3 “May the king live forever!” I said to the king. “Why shouldn’t I look sad when the city, the place where my ancestors are buried, is in ruins and its gates are burned down?”
4 “What do you want?” the king asked me.
So I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I asked the king, “If it pleases Your Majesty, and you are willing to grant my request, let me go to Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild it.”
6 Then, while the queen was sitting beside him, the king asked me, “How long will you be gone, and when will you come back?” When I gave him a specific date, he was willing to let me go.
7 I also asked the king, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River. In the letters tell them to grant me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah.
15 The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. The wall took 52 days to finish. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence. They realized we had done this work with the help of our God.
The Gospel lesson for this morning comes from the ninth chapter of Luke’s telling of the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus talks about the diligence and the focus necessary to be about the work of being his disciple.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”
59 He told another man, “Follow me!”
But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about God’s kingdom.”
61 Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”
62 Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for God’s kingdom.”
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