The Road to Iceland

(Paraphrase) When he noticed how the guests vied for th e places of honour, he told a story .   “When you are invited by someone to a big banquet, do not choose the place of hono u r ; someone more distinguished than you may have been invited; the host who invited both of you may have to come and ask you to move’ and then in disgrace you would have to find a place of lesser honour . W hen you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place . When y our host comes around , he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be hono ured rightly in front of the other guests .   A ll who exalt and elevate themselves will be humbled, and those who are humble about themselves will be honoured .” He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends , or brothers or family, or rich neighbo u rs, just so that they will invite you in return, and you w ill be re cognised . W hen you give a banquet , invite the po

Now the word of God came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."   Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."  But God said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says God. Then God put out a hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." ****************************************************************************** Jeremiah speaks. He says clearly “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a proph

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.   He dug it and cleared it of stones,   and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it,   and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem   and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard   that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes,   why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.   I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of God is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are hi

Hear the word of God, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of God, you people of Gomorrah!   What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? ; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams   and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me,   who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more;   bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation - I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals   my soul hates; they have become a burden to me,   I am weary of bearing them.   When you stretch out your hands, I will look away from you, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.   Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;   remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice,   rescue th