The Daily Readings for Tuesday, 17 November 2015

The Daily Readings for Tuesday, 17 November 2015
2 Maccabees 6: Martyrs for the faith
18 A certain Eleazar, one of the leading scribes, elderly in age and with a most dignified outward appearance, was being compelled to open his mouth and eat pork. 19 But preferring death with honor to life with religious defilement, he proceeded voluntarily to the torture instrument, 20 spitting out the meat. In this he showed how everyone ought to stand fast and reject what isn’t lawful to taste despite the intense desire to live.
21 But those in charge of the unlawful sacrifice, because they had known the man for a long time, took him aside in private and urged him to bring meat that was lawful, prepared beforehand by himself, and then pretend to eat the meat from the sacrifice that the king commanded. 22 By doing this he might escape death and attain friendly treatment because of his old friendship with them. 23 But adopting a dignified perspective worthy of his seniority, his distinguished old age and the gray hair he had acquired, and worthy of his excellent conduct from childhood, and, moreover, worthy of the holy and God-created laws, he declared to them to send him to the grave[2 Maccabees 6:23 Gk Hades] immediately: 24 “It’s not worthy of our old age to act out such a role. Otherwise, many of the young would assume wrongly that Eleazar the 90-year-old had changed to a foreign way of life. 25 If I acted out this charade for the sake of living a moment longer, I would mislead them, and I would be defiled and dishonored in my old age. 26 Even if I escaped the punishment of human beings for the moment, I would certainly not escape the hands of the almighty—whether alive or dead. 27 So I give up my life courageously now to show myself worthy of my old age, 28 and to leave a fine example for the young people of how to die a good death with eagerness and dignity for the revered and sacred laws.” After he spoke he immediately approached the torture instrument. 29 [2 Maccabees 6:29 Correction; Gk uncertain] Those who had shown goodwill toward him earlier now felt hostility toward him,[2 Maccabees 6:29 Correction; Gk uncertain] because the words he had spoken seemed insane to them. 30 When his life was about to end from the beating, he groaned, “It is clear to the Lord with his sacred knowledge that, although I could have been saved from death, I endure in my body harsh pain from this beating, yet in my soul I cheerfully suffer these things because I respect him.” 31 In this manner he died, and his own death left behind a most noble and memorable example of virtue not only for the youth but also for the majority of his nation.
Psalms 3:2 (1) Adonai, how many enemies I have!
How countless are those attacking me;
3 (2) how countless those who say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” (Selah)
4 (3) But you, Adonai, are a shield for me;
you are my glory, you lift my head high.
5 (4) With my voice I call out to Adonai,
and he answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)
6 (5) I lie down and sleep, then wake up again,
because Adonai sustains me.
7 (6) I am not afraid of the tens of thousands
set against me on every side.
Luke 19:1 Yeshua entered Yericho and was passing through, 2 when a man named Zakkai appeared who was a chief tax-collector and a wealthy man. 3 He was trying to see who Yeshua was; but, being short, he couldn’t, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed a fig tree in order to see him, for Yeshua was about to pass that way. 5 When he came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zakkai! Hurry! Come down, because I have to stay at your house today!” 6 He climbed down as fast as he could and welcomed Yeshua joyfully. 7 Everyone who saw it began muttering, “He has gone to be the house-guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zakkai stood there and said to the Lord, “Here, Lord, I am giving half of all I own to the poor; and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.” 9 Yeshua said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, inasmuch as this man too is a son of Avraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”
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