Author Archives: Robin Garr

Epiphany 3C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 26, 2025 (Epiphany 3C)

Christ teaching in the synagogue

Christ teaching in the synagogue (1878-1879), oil painting on canvas by Maurycy Gottlieb (1856-1879). National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Torah – understood as God’s teaching, so holy and beloved that we understand it as law – informs our readings for the Third Sunday of Epiphany. In our first reading, the minor prophet Nehemiah tells about the scribe Ezra reading the Torah to all the people of Jerusalem. They have finally returned home after the exile, but must regain familiarity with Israel’s written tradition. Ezra opens the Torah scroll and spends an entire morning reading and interpreting the text. It is a holy moment as the people, understanding the text perhaps for the first time, weep with joy at this revelation.

Psalm: Psalm 19

In its opening verses, Psalm 19 sings the glory of God. Then its narrative turns to sing the glory of God’s law, Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, in which God’s covenant with the people is expressed and set in context. These are the holy scrolls that the scribe Ezra read to the community in Sunday’’s first reading – and that Jesus will read and interpret in the synagogue in Sunday’s Gospel.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

This week’s passage from 1 Corinthians immediately follows and builds upon last Sunday’s reading, in which we heard Paul declare that every member of the community brings individual gifts and is called to use those gifts in support of the church. Now Paul likens the people of the church to the body of the risen Christ in the world. Each part of the body is needed. Every part is important, and all of them have to work together. The eye, the hand, the ear, the leg … none can go it alone.

Gospel: Luke 4:14-21

Jesus’s public ministry has begun. Driven by the Spirit that came down at the time of his baptism, he has been tested in the desert, preached and taught in Galilee, and now he returns to the synagogue in his childhood home, Nazareth. Unrolling the Torah scroll to the Prophet Isaiah, he reads verses that will define his mission, ideas that echo his mother’s song and God’s covenant with the people at Sinai. This scripture is fulfilled in him, he declares. He has come to bring good news to the poor and the oppressed, and to declare the year of Jubilee in which slaves are freed and debts are forgiven.

Epiphany 2C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 19, 2025 (Epiphany 2C)


The Marriage Feast at Cana

The Marriage Feast at Cana (1500), oil painting on wood panel by Juan de Flandes (1450-1519). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

As we go through this liturgical season, we hear a series of “epiphanies” that manifest the divinity of Jesus to the world. Sunday’s Gospel tells of Jesus’s first miracle as told by John: changing water into wine for the wedding celebration at Cana. Sunday’s first reading comes from the final chapters of the Book of Isaiah. The exile is over. The people have returned to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion, where the ruins of the first temple lie in rubble, and a long, hard time of rebuilding lies ahead. “I will not keep silent … I will not rest,” proclaims the prophet. In words that set the scene for the Gospel’s wedding feast, Isaiah imagines Zion and the people as a bride and groom united in joy.

Psalm: Psalm 36:5-10

The passage selected for Sunday’s Psalm starts at verse 5, discreetly passing over several discouraging verses. We avoid hearing the psalmist lament the pain of being surrounded by wicked and deceitful people who fear neither God nor evil. Rather, we enter just as the song turns from sadness to chords of hope. In contrast with human wickedness, we sing, God showers us with amazing grace and abundant love. God’s protection and faithfulness come to us all, in that day and in this day.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

The second readings for the Epiphany season this year treat us to selections from three particularly beautiful chapters from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. This Sunday and next, we’ll hear Paul imagining the people of God as Christ’s body, with each member of the church enjoying certain gifts and being responsible for particular duties, much as each part of one’s physical body has its own function. The Christian community at Corinth, in Greece, probably consisted of fewer than 100 people; but it had plenty of issues with differences of opinion, arguments, and cliques that called for Paul’s pastoral voice in this letter sent to them from far away. It can be helpful to read 1 Corinthians through this lens.

Gospel: John 2:1-11


In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus met John the Baptist, was baptized, and assembled his twelve apostles. Now, in Chapter 2, they go out into the world. Their first stop is at a lively wedding feast, where John paints a picture of a gathering in which the wine flowed so freely that the host’s supplies quickly ran dry. When Jesus’s mother calls on him to save the situation, he complies somewhat grudgingly, turning water into new wine that’s much better than the old. This first of Jesus’s miracles (or “signs” as John calls them to highlight their broader significance) occurs at a social event of feast and fellowship, where this sign, John tells us, “revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

Epiphany 1C/Baptism of Our Lord

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 12, 2025 (Epiphany 1C/Baptism of Our Lord)


The Baptism of Christ

The Baptism of Christ (1506), tempera painting on canvas by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). Basilica of Sant’Andrea, Mantua, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

We have an extra-long season after Epiphany this year because Easter does not come until April 20, moving Ash Wednesday forward to March 5. That’s almost as late as Easter can possibly occur, so Epiphany stretches out to fill the gap with eight weeks of epiphanies: Gospel readings focused on events that manifested the divinity of Jesus. We start with the baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his public ministry as told by Luke. In Sunday’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah assures the people returning from exile not to fear because God is with us. God calls us by name and watches over us as we pass safely through waters, rivers, and fire.

Psalm: Psalm 29

Psalm 29 is a thundering hymn of the ancient temple, a song depicting the power of God as it might be seen and heard in a great storm. Thunder crashes and lightning flashes; fire and winds shake the earth and topple trees. These are not things to fear, the Psalmist sings, but signs of the great power and majesty of God. As the storm comes to a close, we are left with God’s promises of strength and peace, gifts that we too seek to gain when we are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism.

Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17

The Acts of the Apostles is a fascinating story about the early church. Written by the Evangelist we know as Luke, it is essentially Part Two of Luke’s gospel, describing years after the fact how Christianity spread from its infant beginning in Jerusalem to much of the Mediterranean world. Though rooted in Judaism, Acts tells us that the church quickly opened its doors to Gentiles as well. This reading speaks of this significant change, as Peter and John travel to Samaria to welcome and embrace the once-hated Samaritans – now baptized in water and the Spirit – as new brothers and sisters in the church.

Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Was John the Baptist the Messiah? Many of his followers came to him at the Jordan hoping that this was the case, we hear as this Gospel passage begins. But John demurs, declaring himself unworthy to untie Jesus’s sandals. John says that it is Jesus, not John, who will baptize not only with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire. John envisions Jesus presiding over a strict and final judgement like a harvester, separating the wheat from the chaff. Then we hear the familiar conclusion of Jesus’s baptism: The Spirit came down as a dove, and God’s voice proclaims that Jesus is God’s son, the Beloved, with whom God is well pleased.

Christmas 2B

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 3, 2025

Magi bear gifts to an infant Jesus in one of the earliest known depictions.

Magi bear gifts to an infant Jesus in one of the earliest known depictions. 2nd Century Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14

Merry Christmas! Sunday is the Twelfth Day of Christmas – the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6 will relate the story of the Three Magi – and Sunday’s Lectionary readings reflect the thanksgiving, hope, and joy of Christmastide. In Sunday’s first reading, Jeremiah – who is often called “the weeping prophet” for the dire warnings of destruction that fill his prophecy – turns to shouts of praise and joy. The prophet offers hope for all of God’s people, even those weeping in sorrow and pain. God will comfort all, turn our sorrow into gladness, our mourning into joy.

Psalm: Psalm 84

In poetic themes and metaphors that resonate with the reading from Jeremiah, the Psalmist provides a hymn of trust and praise in a loving God who will protect the people and lead them home. God will provide clear water in desolate places, guard them in the heights, and serve as their shield against burning sun and raging enemy. And home at last, they will know the joy of worshiping in the restored temple, lavished with God’s grace and glory.

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

Paul offers generous, expansive praise for the Christian community at Ephesus in the opening pages of his letter to the church in this Greek city located on what is now Turkey’s Aegean shore. Paul praises the Ephesians for their faith in Jesus and offers them a promise similar to the one we heard in last week’s reading from Galatians: All are adopted as God’s children through Jesus, and in this way are freely given God’s grace.

The Lectionary offers a choice of three Gospels for the Second Sunday of Christmas: Matthew’s account of the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt from King Herod’s wrath; Luke’s story of the boy Jesus in the Temple; and Matthew’s narrative of the visit of the wise men from the East.

Gospel: Matthew 2:13-23

This is a difficult reading to ponder during the joy of Christmastide, and it gets worse if you look up the three verses that the Lectionary omits: The horrifying story about Herod’s genocidal slaughter of the infants in Bethlehem. This bloody event may not be historical, as no contemporary historians of the era mention it. Even without this passage, though, the story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing to Egypt as refugees frames an important reality: When Jesus is grown, he will seek to bring in the Kingdom of God by delivering good news to the poor and the oppressed. This mission will not always be received with joy and approval, and it will lead to his crucifixion.

Gospel: Luke 2:41-52

The four gospels tell us little or nothing about Jesus’s childhood and youth. This disappointing gap is filled only by this short, fascinating story that appears only in Luke’s Gospel: Twelve-year-old Jesus disappears while the family is in Jerusalem, to the horror of Joseph and Mary, who find him three days later in the Temple, impressing the elders with his intelligent discussion. The child reassures his frantic parents, declaring that his place is in his “Father’s house,” the Temple. In the next chapter, in Luke’s account of the baptism of the 30-year-old Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan, we will hear the voice of God announce that Jesus is indeed God’s beloved Son.

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

“We Three Kings of Orient Are … “ One of the most memorable Christmas hymns tells the familiar story of wise men from the East who followed a shining star to Bethlehem, the village that the prophets foretold as the birthplace of the Messiah. It might surprise us, though, to remember that Matthew doesn’t actually say there were three of them, or that they were kings. They are called “Magi” in the original Greek, a word meaning “magicians,” “astrologers,” or, simply, “wise men.” They came, Matthew tells us, following the star. They brought gifts. They knelt and paid homage to baby Jesus as if he were a king … and then they thwarted Herod’s evil plan to murder the child by heading home by a different route.

Christmas 1

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 22, 2024

Saint John the Evangelist

Saint John the Evangelist (c.1624-1629), oil painting on canvas by Domenico Zampieri (“Domenichino,” 1581-1641). National Gallery, Washington, D.C. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3
The Twelve Days of Christmas continue until the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. It’s hard to resist the feeling that Christmas was over on December 26, though. We’ll return to work Monday, if we didn’t have to go back already; soon we’ll pack the colorful lights, the Christmas gift boxes and the holiday music. Sunday’s reading, from near the end of the book of Isaiah, finds the people getting back to work too. Returned to Jerusalem after years in exile, they rejoice in God’s righteousness as they face the hard work of rebuilding.

Psalm: Psalm 147
One of the half-dozen resounding songs of joy that conclude the book of Psalms, this memorable hymn begins with a mighty “Praise the Lord,” a shout of exultation that the ancient Hebrews sang as “Hallelu-Yah!” We praise the Lord who is near, who heals our hearts and binds our wounds. We praise the mighty far-off God of all creation, too: The Lord of stars and clouds, winds and waters, rain and the growing grass, all the animals and all of us, too. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

Second Reading: Galatians 3:23-25;4:4-7
In his short letter to the Christians of Galatia, a Gentile Christian community in central Turkey, Paul argues in fierce conflict against some in the early church who demanded that gentile converts follow the strict requirements of Jewish law. We should be careful, though, not to interpret these words as anti-Jewish or as suggesting that the new covenant abolishes the old. There is no controversy in his ringing conclusion to this passage, though, celebrating our joy in being adopted without restriction as God’s heirs and children through Christ.

Gospel: John 1:1-18
These spiritual and poetic words that begin the Gospel of John are so familiar that we may hear them without deep thought. But let’s stop to pay attention: Surely John had the creation story from Genesis in mind when he began with the very same words, “In the beginning.” Then he goes on to place Jesus, the Word, at the moment of creation, when God uttered the creative word, “Let there be light.” John names John the Baptist as the witness to Jesus’ divinity, and he echoes Paul’s point about Moses giving the Law while Jesus gives grace.

Christmas Day I, II, and III

Posted on by
Reply

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Christmas Day I, II, and III (Dec. 25, 2024)

(Lectionary Selections I, II, and III are suggested for use for Christmas Eve midnight, Christmas dawn, and the main service on Christmas Day, respectively.).

Christmas Day I

Nativity of Jesus

Nativity of Jesus (c.1600-1610), oil painting on canvas by Alessandro Tiarini (1577-1668). Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading, Selection I: Isaiah 9:2-7

O Come, All Ye Faithful! It is Christmas again, and we gather with joy to celebrate the birth of the infant Jesus, God in human form. First we hear Luke’s familiar story of the census, the angels, and the manger. In our first reading for Selection I (Christmas Eve), we begin with the prophet Isaiah’s verses that would inspire the composer George Frideric Handel in “The Messiah.” The prophet foretells a glorious future when the oppressor’s yoke will be broken and a child will be born for us, a son given to us, a Wonderful Counsellor will take the throne of David: Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Psalm, Selection I: Psalm 96

All the earth sings a new song, blessing God’s name in this joyous psalm of praise. There is fascinating theology here, ideas that we may see reflected in the New Testament: We are called to proclaim the good news of God’s salvation; we are to go out and declare God’s glory, a great commission to show God’s majesty to all the nations. The whole earth, the heavens, the seas, the forests and all that is in them rejoice before our God.

Second Reading, Selection I: Titus 2:11-14

If the letter of Titus seems unfamiliar, here’s why: This is the only book of the New Testament that does not appear in the regular three-year Lectionary of Sunday readings. We read passages from it only in the first two services on Christmas Day. Much of Titus’ short letter is spent warning the people of Crete to rein in their sinful behavior, an instruction that leads the writer to a worthy conclusion: We should live well and renounce bad actions as we wait for the grace of God through Jesus Christ, who gave himself to redeem us and make us God’s people.

Gospel, Selection I: Luke 2:1-14(15-20)

Now we come to the familiar Gospel story of Jesus’s birth, as told in the nativity account told by Luke. This is the Gospel that gives us the memorable stories of Mary giving birth, wrapping the child in swaddling clothes and laying him in a manger in Bethlehem – the City of David – because there was no room in the inn. Here we have the beautiful scene of baby Jesus and his parents suddenly surrounded by shepherds and their flocks. Angels sing gloriously overhead while the Lord’s angel tells them that the baby is a Savior and the Messiah.

Christmas Day II

First Reading, Selection II: Isaiah 62:6-12

In the first reading from Isaiah for Selection II (Christmas dawn), we listen in as the people’s exile in Babylon nears its end. Through the power of God’s strong right hand and mighty arm, the Prophet Isaiah foretells, the people will return to Jerusalem. Prepare the way, build up the highway toward home and clear it of stones, the prophet calls. No longer shall enemies harvest Zion’s grain and drink its wine; God will bring a glorious future of redemption and salvation that will last until the end of time.

Psalm, Selection II: Psalm 97

God is king, and all creation rejoices. This Psalm praises God in an image of power and might that echoes the fearsome God who led the Israelites through the desert and protected them there, surrounded by clouds, lightning and fire. This psalm shows us a God over all other gods, over all other nations, but it also reveals a God who loves the righteous, provides light for them, and cares for those who live justly.

Second Reading, Selection II: Titus 3:4-7

In this passage, the writer known as Titus emphasizes that Jesus is God, our savior, the perfect manifestation of goodness and loving-kindness. Jesus saved us not because of any good that we had done, Titus writes, but entirely because he is merciful, giving us God’s grace through baptism by water and the Holy Spirit. Justified by God’s grace, we become heirs to eternal life through Jesus.

Gospel, Selection II: Luke 2:(1-7)8-20

Here again is the familiar Gospel story of Jesus’s birth, as told in the nativity account told by Luke. This is the Gospel that gives us the memorable stories of Mary giving birth, wrapping the child in swaddling clothes and laying him in a manger in Bethlehem – the City of David – because there was no room in the inn. Here we have the beautiful scene of baby Jesus and his parents suddenly surrounded by shepherds and their flocks. Angels sing gloriously overhead while the Lord’s angel tells them that the baby is a Savior and the Messiah.

Christmas Day III

First Reading, Selection III: Isaiah 52:7-10

Israel’s exile in Babylon is ending in this passage from Isaiah for Selection III (Christmas Day). God’s messenger brings good news of peace and salvation: When God leads the people back to Zion, the temple on the mountain, Jerusalem, even the ruins of the devastated city will break into song. Such is the joy of God’s return to the holy city: God reigns, the people are comforted, and all the nations shall see the power of God’s holy arm and the salvation that it brings.

Psalm, Selection III: Psalm 98

In a Psalm of praise filled with joyous music, we are again called to stand up and rejoice with harps, trumpets and horns. We sing a new song of praise for the victory won by God’s mighty right hand and holy arm. All the nations, not only Israel, shout with joy. Even the sea, the land, the rivers and the hills will rejoice when God comes to judge all the world with righteousness and equity. Lift up your voice! Rejoice and sing!

Second Reading, Selection III: Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12)

The letter to the Hebrews begins with this beautifully poetic description of Jesus, chosen as the son of God, the perfect reflection of God’s glory, higher even than the angels. Indeed, the writer tells us, when Jesus was born into the world, multitudes of angels appeared in the heavens to worship him. Because Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness, says the Letter to the Hebrews, his throne is for ever and ever, and God speaks to us no longer through the prophets but through him.

Gospel, Selection III: John 1:1-14

There is no nativity story in John’s Gospel. Luke and Matthew, each in his own way, give us the familiar story of the newborn baby born in Bethlehem. But John introduces us to Jesus in a completely different way: It’s a poetic and spiritual passage instead, celebrating the unimaginable glory of God’s own word becoming flesh and living among us, lighting up the world. The Word that was in the beginning with God, when God said, “Let there be light,” is now, will be, and in God’s time always has been, incarnate as human flesh, Jesus, Messiah, God with us.

Advent 4C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 22, 2024

Madonna of the Magnificat

Madonna del Magnificat (Madonna of the Magnificat), tempera painting on panel (1483) by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510). Uffizi Gallery, Florence. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

God’s active, liberating preference for the poor and the oppressed is made manifest in Sunday’s readings. This theme may seem surprising at first, but it is in fact a deeply significant message for the impending birth of Jesus, who will hold up the poor, the hungry, the ill, and imprisoned and oppressed as the central focus of his good news. We begin with a reading from Micah, one of the earliest prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Micah has warned the people of Jerusalem that their injustices against the weak and the poor will bring down God’s wrath. In Sunday’s verses, Micah foretells that a new ruler was to come from the village of Bethlehem – the birthplace of King David – to reunite the surviving remnant of Israel as a shepherd leads his flock, all under God’s protection in peace.

Psalm: Canticle 15 (Luke 1:46b-55)

The Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise, may either be sung as Sunday’s Psalm or read as the second portion of the Gospel of the day. In this beloved story as told by Luke, the pregnant Mary sings out grateful praise for God. She rejoices in all that God has done for her, celebrating a powerful yet merciful God who loves us and calls us to acts of mercy and justice. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly, she sings. God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. God’s justice is restorative – taking from those who have much and giving to those who have none.

Alternate Psalm: Psalm 80:1-7

Psalm 80 was likely written during a time of exile and destruction or recalls such a time. The place names in the second verse suggest lamentation over the loss of the Northern Kingdom – Israel – to the Assyrians. The first seven of its 18 verses resonate in sorrow as the people call on Israel’s God to come and help. The people, we hear in a memorable metaphor, have been fed with the bread of tears and given tears to drink. Though they have suffered the derision, laughter, and scorn of their enemies, including their own neighbors, the Psalmist expresses the belief that God has the power to save them through the light of God’s own countenance.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

We return for this one Sunday to the Letter to the Hebrews, which we had visited extensively for several weeks this past autumn. Consistent with its theme of contrasting Jewish Christianity against Temple Judaism, it echoes prophecies of Isaiah and Amos, who warned of a God who “takes no pleasure” in temple sacrifices. Instead, it proposes that God’s promise to Israel at Sinai has now been fulfilled through the Incarnation of Jesus and his sacrifice on the Cross.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

This lovely reading includes the narrative that immediately precedes the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. The evangelist we know as Luke tells the story of Mary’s visit to her older cousin Elizabeth. Both women were pregnant – Elizabeth with John, Mary with Jesus – and both had conceived in miraculous ways after being visited by angels with the news that they would give birth. When the women meet, Elizabeth feels her child leap in her womb with what she perceives as joy. Elizabeth, suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit, declares Mary blessed among women. Elizabeth wonders in amazement, “Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” Then, in the following verses, Mary responds with the Magnificat, the revolutionary song that we heard in the Canticle appointed for this day.

Advent 3C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 15, 2024

Saint John the Baptist Preaching

Saint John the Baptist Preaching (c.1735-1745), oil painting on canvas by Francesco Zuccarelli (1702-1788). Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland. (Click image to enlarge.)]

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

This week we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath for the Third Sunday of Advent, traditionally called Gaudete (“Rejoice”) Sunday or Rose Sunday. A common thread in the day’s Lectionary readings calls us to be joyful even in times of stress. The minor prophet Zephaniah warned that Jerusalem would be destroyed because its people had turned away from God. But then, in this passage from the third and final chapter of this short book, the prophet’s thoughts turn to hope: After an exile, a joyous time will follow, when God will gather Israel’s righteous people, restore their fortunes, and bring them home.

Psalm: Canticle 9 (Isaiah 12:2-6)

Even in modern times, a seasonal drought is a serious threat to crops, farmers, consumers, and even a nation’s economy. In biblical times, drought was even worse: A failed crop could mean life or death. Isaiah, the major prophet who foretold Israel’s destruction, exile, and return surely knew that water is one of the most important things that God gives us. This Canticle, drawn from the first portion of Isaiah before the exile, called on the people to thank God with joy whenever they draw precious, life-giving water from the springs of salvation.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

Last Sunday, in the opening verses of Philippians, we heard Paul express his love. Now, near the end of this affectionate letter from prison in Rome to the people of this little church in Northeastern Greece that he had founded years before, he urges them to be gentle and kind: Rejoice in God’s love and trust in God’s mercy and peace. Paul’s words to them, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” have become a familiar blessing through the ages.

Gospel: Luke 3:7-18

At first glance, it’s not easy to find the joy in this Gospel portion, which concludes Luke’s account of John the Baptist in the desert that we began last week. Luke shows us a long-haired, ranting prophet, yelling at the crowds who came to be baptized by him, declaring them “a brood of vipers.” John is no Messiah, he tells them. But he shouts that one more powerful than he will soon come to baptize with the Holy Spirit, separating the good wheat from the unworthy chaff. Get ready, John demands. Share your clothing and food with those who have none. Don’t cheat. Don’t be selfish! These are the themes that we’ll hear repeatedly in Luke’s Gospel this Lectionary year. Jesus too will proclaim them as he spreads the Good News, the joy.

Advent 2C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 8, 2024

Saint John the Baptist preaching in the Wilderness

Saint John the Baptist preaching in the Wilderness (c.1640), oil painting on canvas by Pier Francesco Mola (1612-1666). National Gallery, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Baruch 5:1-9

A messenger is coming to make the way ready for the Messiah! Two alternative passages from minor prophets both draw this hope to our attention in Sunday’s first reading. The first option is found in the book of Baruch, whose name in Hebrew means “Blessed.” His is one of the apocryphal books placed at the end of the Hebrew Bible. Echoing a more familiar passage from Isaiah, Baruch tells Israel in exile that it no longer needs to mourn, for God will lower the mountains and fill up the valleys to make level ground upon which the people may walk safely home. In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Luke repeat Isaiah’s verses in the voice of John the Baptist.

Or:

First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

In this alternative first reading, the minor prophet Malachi – whose name actually means “my messenger” in Hebrew – brings a dire warning to the people living in Jerusalem generations after the return from exile: God’s messenger must cleanse the people with fire, he prophesies, an action necessary to make them pure and pleasing to God. “Who can endure the day of his coming?” the prophet sings, in words that Handel would make unforgettable 2,000 years later in The Messiah. “He is like a refiner’s fire!”

Psalm: Canticle 16 (Luke 1: 68-79)

We sing Canticle 16 from the Book of Common Prayer – a direct quote from Luke’s Gospel – in place of a psalm. These verses tell the story of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, a priest of the Temple. When Zechariah had refused to believe that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, had really become pregnant after an angelic visitation, God struck him mute. Now Zechariah’s voice is restored as he holds the infant and names him John. This child, Zechariah declares, is to be a prophet like Abraham, the messenger who will “go before the Lord to prepare his way.”

Second Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

The Christian community at Philippi in Greece, according to Luke’s account in Acts, was the first church formed by Paul in Europe as he traveled west from Asia Minor. This brief letter, written from a Roman prison several years later, is full of love and gratitude. In these opening verses, Paul offers greetings, love, thanks for their friendship, and prayers for their well-being. Recalling how eagerly they had accepted the Gospel, Paul prays for this congregation’s continued spiritual growth and insight, which he hopes will lead them to a harvest of righteousness and justice.

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

Zechariah’s son John is a grown man now, and he has begun his public life as John the Baptist, a prophet crying in the wilderness along the Jordan. Beginning his account with a detailed roster of Roman and Jewish leaders of John’s time, including John’s father, Zechariah, Luke tells how John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Then, in words we also hear in Handel’s Messiah, Luke roots John’s prophecy in Isaiah’s call to prepare the way of the Lord, making his paths straight, filling every valley and making every mountain and hill low so that all humanity may see God’s salvation.

Advent 1C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 1, 2024

The Great Last Judgement

The Great Last Judgement (1617), oil painting, altarpiece, by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16

Advent has come, and we begin a new Lectionary year centered on the Gospel according to Luke. The commercial celebration of Christmas may already be in full swing, but the quieter, gentler celebration of Advent comes as a blessing. Advent is a time to prepare, to wait for the celebration of Jesus’s birth – the Incarnation – and for the final coming of Christ’s kingdom in power and glory. Sunday’s readings begin with a prophecy from Jeremiah to Israel in exile. Jerusalem and the temple have been destroyed, and King David’s dynasty has ended after 400 years. But there is hope, Jeremiah assures the people: A new branch – a messiah – will spring up and grow in David’s line, and will restore justice and righteousness in a new Israel.

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9

Echoing Jeremiah’s promises to Israel in Sunday’s first reading, this passage from Psalm 25 speaks of a people facing the threat of humiliation and defeat. Trusting fully in God for salvation, relying on God’s everlasting compassion and love, the Psalmist asks God to forgive the people’s youthful errors and wrong turns while teaching them the right path. The Psalmist asks God to remember us not for our sins but with all God’s compassion and steadfast love – “chesed” in the original Hebrew – an emotion-laden word that may also be translated as “faithfulness,” “kindness,” “mercy” or “grace.”

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

This short passage is drawn from the earliest of Paul’s known letters. It was written to a beloved community in Northern Greece, seeking to strengthen their hearts in holiness so as to remain blameless before God when Jesus and his saints return: an outcome that in those early days was still expected to happen at any time. Writing from far away, Paul calls God’s blessings on the lives of the Thessalonians, expressing hope that he may soon be reunited with them. In the meantime, he prays that the people of this community will love one another and everyone, just as he loves them.

Gospel: Luke 21:25-36

Jesus is teaching the apostles after they have left the Temple, not long before they gather for the Last Supper and his passion begins. In alarming apocalyptic language reminiscent of the Gospel from Mark that we heard the Sunday before last, Jesus warns of the destruction of the Temple and of hard times to come. There will be frightening signs in the earth and heavens and the seas; false prophets speaking in Jesus’s name; nations rising against nations, famines, and wars and rumors of wars. But these signs will reveal, Jesus tells them, that the world’s redemption is drawing near. So don’t be alarmed, he assures them: This is but the beginning of the birth pangs, the Kingdom of God drawing near.