Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Nov. 20, 2022 (Christ the King C)

First Reading (Both Lectionary Tracks): Jeremiah 23:1-6

On this, the last Sunday after Pentecost, we mark the feast of Christ the King, a concept borrowed from modern Roman Catholic practice in the spirit of ecumenism that followed Vatican II in the 1970s.

It takes note of Christ’s messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation. Both Lectionary tracks join in the first reading, in which the prophet Jeremiah speaks fierce truth to the leaders of Babylon who held the people in exile. God will soon round up the remnant of his scattered flock and bring them home like a shepherd, the prophet foretells, warning the oppressors that they will be punished for their evil. Soon God will raise up a a mighty new king in David’s tradition, restoring the glory of the lost kingdoms Israel and Judah.

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

This week in place of a psalm we sing Canticle 16, Luke’s Song of Zechariah. Zechariah – whose wife, Elizabeth, was the cousin of Jesus’ mother, Mary – was a priest at the Temple. When he refused to believe that his elderly wife had become pregnant after an angelic visitation, he lost the power of speech. Now his voice returns as he holds the infant and names him John. The child, he declares, will be a prophet in the tradition of Abraham and Sarah – who also were blessed with a child in their old age through God’s action. The child, Zechariah proclaims, will be the prophet who will go before Jesus, the Messiah and king, to declare his way.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 46

This Psalm of praise may not explicitly speak of kings, but it reassures us that whenever terrible things happen, even when Earthly kingdoms and nations are shaken by frightening events, when mountains rock and the oceans roar and foam, God remains with us. God doesn’t promise us a world where horrors can’t happen and no one ever suffers. But even in the worst of times, God abides, inviting us to take refuge in God’s strength. ​Our Prayer for Quiet Confidence (BCP p.832), ​draws from ​Psalm ​46 ​​as it ​reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Second Reading: Colossians 1:11-20

The Christian community of Colossae in what is now Western Turkey may have felt something like Jeremiah’s remnant of Israel in exile. They lived under the constant threat of Roman persecution, fearing that they might lose their homes and even their lives for their faith. The author of this letter urges them to endure their difficulties with patience and the strength that comes from God’s glorious power expressed through Jesus. Jesus, through his incarnation as God in human flesh and the first of all creation, rescues us from the power of darkness and transfers us into the kingdom of Christ.

Gospel: Luke 23:33-43

And now at the end of Pentecost season we reach the end of Jesus’s long road to Jerusalem as told by Luke. This Gospel reading mirrors the Good Friday Gospel, reminding us of our hope for Easter and the resurrection. Jesus is crucified in the company of criminals: a horrible death reserved for Rome’s most despised evildoers, . The inscription over Jesus’ head reads “This is the King of the Jews,” not as a literal statement but an act of public shaming by Pontius Pilate. Soldiers mock him and a crowd makes fun of him. This is surely no traditional king. Meanwhile, Jesus gently invites the repentant criminal at his side into a different kind of kingdom, one for all humanity and for all time.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Nov. 24, 2019

First Reading (both Lectionary tracks): Jeremiah 23:1-6

The Lectionary year of Luke comes to an end on Sunday, and Jesus’ long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem culminates with Christ on the cross.

Hanging under a sign that sneeringly declares him “King of the Jews,” Jesus is flanked by two criminals and mocked by Roman soldiers. Before we reach this Gospel, though, we hear readings that envision the reign of God through King David and Christ as supreme Messiah. In our first reading, The prophet Jeremiah speaks fierce words of woe to the kings of Judah, whose poor leadership and moral guidance brought Jerusalem and its leaders into exile. A mighty Messiah, a stronger shepherd, will come and reign in glory for Israel and Judah, the prophet foretells.

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

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a priest in the Temple whom God had struck mute for refusing to believe that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, had become pregnant after an angelic visitation. In this canticle (replacing the usual Psalm), we look on as his voice returns while he holds and names the infant John. The child, he declares, will be a prophet in the tradition of Abraham and Sarah, who also were blessed with a child through God’s action in their old age. The child, Zecheriah proclaims, will be the prophet who will go before Jesus, the Messiah and king, to declare his way.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 46

Even when terrible things happen, God is with us, promises this psalm of simple hope and praise. When terrible things happen, even when earthly kingdoms and nations are shaken by frightening events, when mountains rock and the oceans roar and foam, God remains with us. God doesn’t promise us a world where horrors can’t happen and no one ever suffers. But even in the worst of times, the Psalmist reminds us, God abides, inviting us to take refuge in God’s strength. ​Our Prayer for Quiet Confidence (BCP p.832), ​draws from ​Psalm ​46 ​​as it ​reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Second Reading: Colossians 1:11-20

The author of the letter to the Colossians, too, speaks to a people facing trouble and fear, the persecuted Christian community of Colossae in what is now Western Turkey, across the Aegean from Greece. These verses urge the Colossians to endure their difficulties with patience and the strength that comes from God’s glorious power. Jesus, through his incarnation as God in human flesh, rescues us from the power of darkness and transfers us into the kingdom of Christ. Christ is the first of all creation and the head of the body of the church.

Gospel: Luke 23:33-43

It may seem surprising to hear a Gospel about Christ on the cross at this time of year. But this passage shows us Christ as a completely different kind of king! Jesus is crucified, a horrible form of execution reserved for Rome’s most despised evildoers. He hangs bleeding and in unimaginable pain, while above him is placed a sign meant to mock him by declaring him King of the Jews. Soldiers and a criminal on a nearby cross torment him as a Messiah who can’t save himself. Yet while all this is going on, Jesus shows his love and his true power, quietly inviting a repentant criminal on another cross into a different kind of kingdom, one given for all humanity and for all time.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Nov. 20, 2016

First Reading (Both Lectionary Tracks): Jeremiah 23:1-6

We celebrate the feast of Christ the King today, marking the end of the Pentecost season and turning toward Advent. In this reading we hear the prophet Jeremiah speaking forceful truth to the leaders of Babylon, who were holding Israel and Judah in exile. God will soon round up the remnant of his scattered flock and bring them home like a shepherd, the prophet foretells, warning the oppressors that they will be punished for their evil. Soon God will raise up a a mighty new king in David’s tradition, restoring the glory of the lost kingdoms. As Christians we may see our hope of good shepherd and mighty king reflected in these words, but we must not ignore their original intent as God’s promise to return the people from exile.

Canticle 16, BCP (Luke 1:68-79)

This week we sing Canticle 16, Luke’s Song of Zechariah, instead of a Psalm. Zechariah, whose wife, Elizabeth, was the cousin of Jesus’ mother, Mary, was a priest at the Temple. When he refused to believe that his elderly wife had become pregnant after an angelic visitation, he was struck mute. Now his voice returns when he holds and names the infant John. The child, he declares, will be a prophet in the tradition of Abraham and Sarah – who also were blessed with a child in their old age through God’s action. We know that John, the Baptist, will proclaim the fulfillment of God’s covenant in Jesus, who sets us free.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 46

This Psalm of praise may not explicitly speak of kings, but it reassures us that whenever terrible things happen, even when earthly kingdoms and nations are shaken by frightening events, when mountains rock and the oceans roar and foam, God remains with us. God doesn’t promise us a world where horrors can’t happen and no one ever suffers. But even in the worst of times, God abides, inviting us to take refuge in God’s strength. ​Our Prayer for Quiet Confidence (BCP p.832), ​draws from ​Psalm ​46 ​​as it ​reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Second Reading: Colossians 1:11-20

The Christian community of Colossae in what is now Western Turkey may have felt something like Jeremiah’s remnant of Israel in exile, as they faced Roman persecution and feared that they might lose their homes and even their lives for their faith. The author of this letter urges them to endure their difficulties with patience and the strength that comes from God’s glorious power expressed through Jesus. We gain redemption and the forgiveness of our sins through Christ, whose incarnation as God in human flesh makes him the first of all creation and the head of the body of the church.

Gospel: Luke 23:33-43

It may seem surprising to hear a passage from Luke’s account of the Crucifixion at this time of year. But this shows Christ as an entirely different kind of king! Jesus is crucified, a horrible death reserved for Rome’s most despised evildoers. He hangs bleeding and in unimaginable pain, while above him is placed a sign meant to mock him by declaring him King of the Jews. Soldiers and a criminal on a nearby cross torment him as a Messiah who can’t save himself. Yet while all this is going on, Jesus shows his love and his true power, quietly inviting a repentant criminal on another cross into a different kind of kingdom, one given for all humanity and for all time.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013.

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
The prophet Jeremiah spoke these fierce words of woe to the leaders of Babylon, who were holding Jerusalem and its leaders in exile. He foresaw a mighty new King David restoring the glory of Israel and Judah, the lost kingdoms of the chosen people. It is important for us to understand these ringing verses in their original intent. But it can be reassuring for Christians, too, to see reflected in these words another promise: our hope in Jesus as both good shepherd and mighty king and savior, who reigns over all with justice and righteousness

Psalm: Psalm 46
Even when terrible things happen, God is with us. This assurance offers simple hope, and yet it can be hard to hear. When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, surely the mountains shook in the heart of the sea as its waters roared and foamed. God does not promise us a world where horrors can’t happen and no one suffers. But even in the worst of times, God is there, inviting us to take refuge in God’s strength. Today’s verse reflects the beauty of our Prayer for Quiet Confidence (BCP p.832): “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalm (Track 2): Luke 1:68-79 (Canticle 16, BCP)
Zechariah, a temple priest who God had struck mute for refusing to believe that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, had become pregnant after an angelic visitation, gets his voice back when he holds and names the infant John. The child, he declares, will be a prophet in the tradition of Abraham and Sarah – who also had been blessed with a child through God’s action in their old age. We know that John, the Baptist, will proclaim the fulfillment of God’s covenant in Jesus, who will set us free as our mighty savior.

Second Reading: Colossians 1:11-20
Like Jeremiah and the Psalmist, the author of the letter to the Colossians, too, speaks to a people in trouble, the persecuted Christian community of Colossae in what is now Western Turkey. These verses urge them to endure their difficulties with patience and the strength that comes from God’s glorious power through Jesus, whose incarnation as God in human flesh makes him the first of all creation and the head of the body of the church.

Gospel: Luke 23:33-43
And so we come to the end of Pentecost season and Jesus’s long road to Jerusalem with a Gospel reading that recalls Good Friday … and our hope for Easter and the resurrection! Jesus is crucified, a horrible death reserved for Rome’s most despised evildoers, in the company of criminals. The soldiers and one criminal taunt him as a failed king, while Jesus quietly invites the repentant criminal into a different kind of kingdom, for all humanity and for all time.