Epiphany 4C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Feb. 3, 2019

First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

As many of the biblical prophets learned, it is not easy to hear God’s call and shout it out to crowds that don’t want to hear it. But when God calls us, God stands with us. God knows us even before the moment of our birth.

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (1630), oil painting on oak panel by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (Click image to enlarge.)

In Sunday’s first reading we hear of Jeremiah, one of the major Hebrew Bible prophets who saw destruction and exile coming for Israel because the people had abandoned their covenant to follow God’s way. God called Jeremiah when he was only a boy. Jeremiah thought he was too young for such a responsibility. He feared his message would anger his hearers. But God put words in his mouth and strength in his spine and sent him out all the same.

Psalm: Psalm 71:1-6

The Psalmist sings in harmony with God’s reassurance to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” In the Psalm, too, we sing gratitude to God who sustains us and provides our strength since before we were born, since we were carried in our mother’s womb. We sing only the first seven of the entire Psalm’s 24 verses, but its message is consistent: God is our rock and refuge. We sing thanksgiving for God’s presence and protection. Our trust in God’s strength gives us hope.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

This week we hear Paul’s beloved celebration of love! Paul is not speaking of romantic love here but the gentle but powerful selfless love (from the Greek word “agape”) that binds us all as worshipers in Christian community, giving us the strength to carry out God’s work together. These words complete the readings that came before it, in which Paul spoke of the way that God gives us all different gifts and calls us to different duties, all working together like the parts of the body, each important and all necessary. Now we hear that love is the glue that holds the community together. Faith, hope and love abide, but love is the most important of all.

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

We hear the second part of the Gospel account that began last Sunday, when we heard Jesus telling his neighbors in the synagogue at Nazareth that he had come to fulfill Isaiah’s call to bring good news to the poor. Now, as Luke’s account continues, Jesus pushes a little too hard. First, he predicts that his neighbors will reject him because they knew him as a child, adding, “no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.” Then he recalls two Bible stories in which God’s grace was given not to the chosen people but to Gentiles. This is clearly the last straw, as the entire synagogue congregation rises up, drives him out of town and tries to throw him off a cliff! Jesus slips away safely, and in the next chapter he and the apostles will move along to Capernaum on the shores of Galilee to begin his public ministry.

Epiphany 3C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 27, 2019

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

The idea of Torah – God’s teaching so holy and beloved that it is understood as law – runs like a stream through Sunday’s readings.

Christ preaching in the synagogue.

Christ preaching in the synagogue. Fourteenth century fresco in the Visoki Decani monastery in Kosovo. (Click image to enlarge.)

We hear it from the prophet Nehemiah reading the Torah to the people returned from exile in the first reading, to Jesus opening the Torah to begin his ministry with Isaiah’s call to justice in the Gospel. In the first reading, it is a holy moment when the prophet Ezra opens the Torah and spends the entire morning reading and interpreting the text to a people who weep with joy at this revelation.

Psalm: Psalm 19

First in this Psalm we sing the glory of God. Then we sing the glory of God’s law, which the Psalmist understands as the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament that set out God’s covenant with the people. These are the holy scrolls that the scribe Ezra read to the community in the first reading and that Jesus will read in the synagogue in the Gospel. The heavens and the skies themselves pour out the glory of God and of God’s work in the law.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a


Today’s reading immediately follows and builds on last Sunday’s declaration that every member has individual gifts and is called to specific services in the church using those gifts. Paul now likens the people of Corinth – and every Christian community – to the body of the risen Christ in the world. All the parts of the body are 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. What is true of our bodies is true of church: We’re all joined together in the work of the community. We need each other and we must respect one another.

Gospel: Luke 4:14-21

Jesus’ public ministry has begun. Driven by the Spirit that came down at the time of his baptism and sent him to be tested in the desert, he now 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, claiming as his own the duty 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. 20, 2019

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

As we continue discovering Jesus during our Epiphany journey, this Sunday’s Gospel gives us John’s account of Jesus’ first miracle, changing water into wine for the wedding feast at Cana.

The Marriage Feast at Cana

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

In Sunday’s first reading we are nearing the end of Isaiah’s great book of prophecy. The people’s long exile is over. They have returned to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion, where the ruins of the first temple lie in rubble. The celebration of return is over now, and the people recognize that a long, hard time of rebuilding lies ahead. “I will not keep silent … I will not rest,” proclaims the prophet. He will call unceasingly on God’s help until the temple and the city are rebuilt. In words that set the scene for the Gospel’s wedding feast, Isaiah personifies Zion and the people as a bride and groom united in joy.

Psalm: Psalm 36:5-10

Sunday’s Psalm starts in the middle, at verse 5, just as its narrative takes a sharp turn. The first verses were discouraging: The Psalmist sung in lament of being surrounded by wicked and deceitful people who fear neither God nor evil. But we come in 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

We will spend the remaining Sundays after Epiphany in a close reading in three particularly beautiful chapters in Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Today and next week we’ll hear Paul’s discourse about 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 body has its own function. This little Greek community probably consisted of fewer than 100 people; but that small group had plenty of problems with cliques, differences of opinion, and arguments. In this pastoral letter written from far away, Paul reminds the congregation that every member is blessed with God’s grace; every member has a role in bringing the good news of Jesus to the world.

Gospel: John 2:1-11

In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus has met John the Baptist, been baptized, and assembled his twelve apostles. Now they go out into the world, and 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 ran dry. When Jesus’ mother calls on him to save the situation, he complies somewhat grudgingly, revealing new wine that’s much better than the old. There’s plenty of symbolism to work with here, but consider this point of view: Jesus’ very first miracle, according to John, occurs at a social event of feast and fellowship, where he and his disciples enjoy good food and good drink with family and friends.

Epiphany 1C/Baptism of Our Lord

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 13, 2019

First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

We have an extra long season after Epiphany this year – eight Sundays with Gospels sketching the revelation of Jesus as Messiah – because Easter falls on April 21 and Ash Wednesday on March 6. That’s almost as late as Easter can possibly occur, so Epiphany stretches out to fill the gap. This week we hear of the Baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his public ministry, with Sunday readings that speak of water and fire.

The Baptism of Christ

The Baptism of Christ (1510-1520). Oil painting on oak by Joachim Patinir (c.1480-1524). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah assures us that God is with us. God calls us by name and watches over us as we pass safely through waters, rivers, and fire. “Do not fear,” the prophet tells the people returning from exile, “for I am with you.”

Psalm: Psalm 29

Sunday’s Psalm 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. It is the Evangelist Luke’s interpretation of how Christianity spread from its infant beginning in Jerusalem to much of the then-known world in the Mediterranean. Though rooted in Judaism, the church soon opened its doors to Gentiles as well. These verses mark this significant change, as Peter and John travel to Samaria to welcome and embrace the once-hated Samaritans, 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 in this hope. But Luke proclaims the contrary, telling us that John declared himself unworthy to untie Jesus’ 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. Finally we come to Luke’s concise telling of the familiar story of Jesus’ baptism: The Spirit comes down as a dove, and God’s voice proclaims that Jesus is God’s son, the Beloved, with whom God is well pleased.

The Epiphany

Posted on by
1

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 6, 2019

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

On Epiphany, once known as the Feast of Lights, we celebrate the revelation of Jesus as God Incarnate. It begins with the coming of the Magi, and our weekly gospel stories through this season will tell of other events that manifest the divinity of Jesus.

The Three Wise Kings,

The Three Wise Kings, Atlas Catalàn, 1375, Fol. V. (Click image to enlarge.)

In Sunday’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah calls out a message of hope to Israel as it returns home from exile. Jerusalem may lie in ruins, but, the prophet foretells, God’s light is dawning like a new day. A virtual blanket of camels bearing gifts will cover the nation’s land as earthly kings trek toward the restored Jerusalem laden with gold and frankincense for the new ruler: an image we will see echoed in the Magi bringing similar gifts to the Christ child.

Psalm: Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

Sunday’s Psalm, attributed by tradition to King Solomon, also evokes images of kings of all nations bearing gifts to honor Israel’s time of glory. With God’s blessing, Israel’s king earns the service of all nations, the Psalmist sings. But with great power comes great responsibility: The king must be righteous and just. The king “shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor. … He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy.”

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12

Most modern Biblical scholars believe that the letter to the people of Ephesus was not actually written by Paul but by a follower writing in his name a generation after his death. Why point this out? In the effort to discern Paul’s emerging theology as he led the early church, it’s important to isolate his own words from those written by others at a different time. But this does not mean that the message in these verses is not helpful and important. Indeed, it clearly echoes two of Paul’s consistent themes: Gentiles, and thus all humankind, are included among God’s chosen people; and all of us are included in Christ’s body on earth and called to make God’s wisdom known.

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

“We three kings of Orient are …” Who doesn’t love this traditional carol of Christmas and Epiphany? The story of the wise men from the East is a familiar and beloved image of the season, although much of it is enshrined more in tradition than in actual scripture. The story appears only in Matthew’s Gospel; and Matthew doesn’t actually tell us that they were kings, or that there were three of them, or even that they rode on camels. This is what we hear: Wise men came, following a star that had led them to pay homage to “the child who has been born king of the Jews.” They did bear gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They knelt and paid homage to the child Jesus as if he were a king. And then they thwarted evil Herod’s plan by heading home by another road.

Christmas 1

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 30, 2018

First Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Christmas has come: Rejoice! Joy to the world: The Word of God that brought the world into being now comes to us in Jesus, the light through which we can see God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and now lives among us.

Announcement to the shepherds

Announcement to the shepherds (c.1600), painting in the manner of Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651). Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, the Netherlands. Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah sings out the joy and exultation that mark the end of the people’s exile in Babylon and their return to Jerusalem. Furthermore, Isaiah’s song expresses hope that God will restore the city and the temple as a light of the world, a new Zion that will spring up like a garden to show God’s righteousness and justice.

Psalm 147:13-21

The last six of 150 Psalms bring the ancient temple’s hymn book to a close with a triumphant climax of praise and celebration. Psalm 147 echoes Isaiah’s song of triumphant celebration, thanking and praising God for restoring Jerusalem and bringing the exiles home. Using metaphors of grain and wool, warmth and healing, the Psalmist invokes God’s Word of creation and God’s Spirit wind that bring warmth and life and make Earth’s waters flow.

Second Reading: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7

In this early letter to the Christian community in Galatia, Asia Minor, Paul reminds us that God sent Jesus, born of a woman and fully human, to make us all the children and heirs of God. In its original context, Paul was offering\ advice to a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile Christians who were struggling between accepting God’s free gift of grace through faith, contrasting with the works required by the discipline of the old law. Paul’s arguments here, and in his later letter to the Romans, fueled a great debate over justification by faith or works centuries later in the Reformation.

Gospel: John 1:1-18

“In the beginning … ” The first words of John’s Gospel exactly mirror the first words of Genesis: “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,” God’s Word, “Let there be light,” opened up creation. The Word of God that brought the world into being comes to us now as Jesus, the light through which we can see God. The Word was with God, and now lives among us.

Christmas Day I, II, and III

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on the Lessons for Christmas Day
(Readings for Lectionary Selections I, II, and III)

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

Christmas is here! We see a great light and sing a new song as we behold with joy in the city of David the birth of a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Adoration of the shepherds

Adoration of the shepherds (1622). Oil on canvas by Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656), Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany. (Wikimedia Commons)
(Click image to enlarge)

In our first reading, from the early chapters of Isaiah, in words that the composer Handel will borrow for “The Messiah,” the prophet foretells a glorious future when the oppressor’s yoke will broken and a child will be born for us, a son given to us, a Wonderful Counsellor to take the throne of David: Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. .

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

In this first reading, the exile is ending. Through the power of God’s strong right hand and mighty arm, the people will return to Jerusalem. Prepare the way, build up the highway toward home and clear it of stones: No longer shall enemies harvest Zion’s grain and drink its wine; a glorious future of redemption and salvation that will last until the end of time.

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

Israel’s exile in Babylon is ending, and God’s messenger brings good news of peace and salvation as God leads the people back to Zion, the temple on the mountain, Jerusalem. Even the ruins of the devastated city are called to 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 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.

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 is a God over all other gods, over all other nations, but also a God who loves the righteous, provides light for them, and cares for those who live justly.

Psalm, Selection III: Psalm 98

Again we are called to stand up and rejoice in a Psalm of praise that is full of joyous music, harp, trumpets and horn. 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 I: Titus 2:11-14

Here’s a Bible Trivia fact! Titus is the only book of the New Testament that does not appear in the regular three-year Lectionary of Sunday service readings. We hear it only on Christmas. Much of Titus’ short letter is spent warning the people of Crete to rein in their sinful behavior, an argument that leads 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.

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

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, 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.

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

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

Gospel: Luke 2:1-14(15-20), Selection I; and Luke 2:(1-7)8-20, Selection II

And now we come to the familiar story of Jesus’ birth. Today we read the nativity according to 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, while angels sing gloriously overhead while the Lord’s angel tells them that the baby is a Savior and the Messiah.

Gospel, Selection III: John 1:1-14

No, there is no nativity story in this Christmas 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 poetic and spiritual 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” and there was 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. 23, 2018

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.

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

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

We begin with a reading from Micah, one of the earliest Old Testament prophets. 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 would come from the village of Bethlehem – the birthplace of King David – to reunite the surviving remnant 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 song 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

This Psalm was likely written during or recalls a time of exile and destruction – the place names in the second verse suggest that it relates to the loss of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, to the Assyrians. In verses of sorrow, it calls on Israel’s God to come and help, to restore the people, who, 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, God has power to save them through the light of God’s own countenance.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

The Letter to the Hebrews, modern biblical scholars say, probably originates from the early 100s, after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., when Christianity was separating from rabbinical Judaism. Perhaps intended to reach backsliding Christian Jews, it seems to suggest that God abolished the “empty” sacrifices of the Jewish Temple, replacing them with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. In modern times, especially after the Holocaust, we should try to avoid this view of Judaism as “abolished,” hearing instead the hopeful message that God’s promise to Israel at Sinai continues in us, the body of Christ, through Jesus’ incarnation, the Christmas miracle.

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

This lovely reading from Luke includes the narrative that immediately precedes the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. Here we are told of Mary’s visit to her older cousin Elizabeth. Both women are pregnant – Elizabeth with John, Mary with Jesus – and both conceived in miraculous ways, 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. “Why has this happened to me,” Elizabeth wonders in amazement, “that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” Then, in the following verses, Mary responds with the Magnificat.

Advent 3C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 16, 2018

San Giovanni Battista (Saint John the Baptist)

San Giovanni Battista (Saint John the Baptist), oil painting on walnut wood (c.1513-c.1516) by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). The Louvre, Paris. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

This week we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath to mark the third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete (“Rejoice”) Sunday or Rose Sunday. A common thread in the day’s readings calls us to be joyful. Zephanaiah, a minor prophet who came before Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophesied of Jerusalem’s coming destruction. But then, here in the third and final chapter of the short book, Zephaniah promises that after the exile a joyous time will follow, when God will gather Israel’s righteous people, restore their fortunes and bring them home.

Alternate to the Psalm: Canticle 9 (Isaiah 12:2-6)

“Surely it is God who saves us. We will trust in God and not be afraid.” These familiar verses that we often read in Morning Prayer offer joy and comfort in knowing that we are safe under God’s protection. In these psalm-like verses, Isaiah connects salvation with drawing water, a meaningful metaphor for people in arid lands, for in biblical times, drought meant death. Thank God with joy when we draw precious, life-giving water from the springs of salvation, Isaiah tells us. Sing out our joy and sing praises to God.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Beginning with this familiar admonition, Paul calls the people of Philippi to respond with joy, for the Lord is near. Even though it is a difficult time, he advises, pray and give thanks, let our gentleness be known to all, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding will fill our hearts and minds. In our world of stress and tension, can we imagine God’s peace, something so wonderful that we can’t even comprehend it?

Gospel: Luke 3:7-18

At first glance, it’s not easy to find the joy in this Gospel passage, concluding Luke’s account of John the Baptist in the desert that started last week. Luke shows us the long-haired, ranting prophet, preaching and baptizing, yelling at the crowds and calling them “a brood of vipers.” John declares that he is not the Messiah but prophesies that one more powerful is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit, separating the good wheat from the unworthy chaff. The people ask what they should do to be ready, and John tells them to share their clothing and their food with those who have none. Don’t cheat. Don’t be selfish! This is a theme that will carry through Luke’s Gospel. We will hear it again and again from Jesus as he proclaims the Good News, the joy.

Advent 2C

Posted on by
Reply

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Dec. 9, 2018

Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness.

Saint John the Baptist Preaching to the Masses in the Wilderness. Oil painting on oak by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638). Galerie de Jonckheere, Paris. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Baruch 5:1-9

In our first reading, the minor prophet Baruch reflects a more familiar Isaiah passage: He tells Israel in exile to stop mourning, for God will lower the mountains and fill up the valleys to make level ground upon which Israel may walk safely home. In Sunday’s Gospel, we will hear Luke quote the Isaiah passage as a prophecy of John the Baptist. (This, by the way, is one of only two times in the three-year lectionary cycle that we’ll hear a reading from Baruch, one of the apocryphal books after the end of the Old Testament. Baruch, whose name is mentioned briefly in Jeremiah, was said to be a friend and scribe of that more famous prophet.)

Alternate First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

In the second week of Advent, we turn from apocalyptic expectations of fear and foreboding to a more hopeful theme: A Messenger is coming to make the way ready for the Messiah. The minor prophet Malachi, whose name actually means “my messenger” in Hebrew, warns that God’s Messenger must cleanse the people with fire, making 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!”

Alternate to the Psalm: Canticle 16 (Luke 1: 68-79)

In place of a Psalm today we sing a Canticle taken from Luke’s Gospel. 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. But his voice returned when he held the infant and named 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 letter, written from a Roman prison several years later, is full of love and gratitude. In these verses near the beginning of the short letter, he 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 in God’s love through Christ.

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 river. Luke begins his account of John (which we’ll continue next week) with a detailed roster of Roman and Jewish leaders of the time, perhaps as a way to place the prophet in this historical setting for his readers decades later, after the death and resurrection of Jesus and the fall of the Temple. John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Luke tells us, quoting a prophecy of Isaiah as John’s call to “Prepare the way of the Lord … make his paths straight,” filling every valley and making every mountain and hill low so that all humanity may see God’s salvation.