2 Samuel 7:1-14a,  Ephesian 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34 and 53-56 are all up for discussion this week. We revisit the covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, a covenant of an everlasting throne for David and one that lies behind Jewish understandings of Messiah as standing in the royal line of David. When Jesus is called a "son of David" it is this covenant being evoked.

Ephesians 2:11-22 continues the theme of unity, but this time with an emphasis on peace between those who are different. It is a peace that is both spiritual and political. The passages from Mark 6 frame the feeding of the 5000 story and highlight the combined ministry and teaching and healing - word and deed together embody Jesus' compassion.

We refer to Fleming Rutledge's discussion of the "the blood of the sacrifice" in her book The Crucifixion and Gosnell Yorke's "Hearing the Politics of Peace"