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1 in Faith: A Christian Bible Study |
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Scripture Readings for December 2001
If you would like to receive these daily scripture readings by email, click Daily Scripture Reading.These short readings from the Christian Bible are read daily at community prayer in Taizé, an ecumenical and international Christian community in France. The Bible reference indicates a slightly longer passage from scripture. You are encouraged to read the longer passage in the morning before you begin your daily activities, and then to ponder the reading, in silence and prayer, as it comes to mind during the day. For a brief explanation of how I am reading the Christian Bible, you are invited to go to Exegesis or to Witness."To God I call and he saves me, evening, morning and at noon. God's peace delivers my soul, for he hears my cry." This psalm is an appeal for deliverance from personal enemies. The psalmist begins, "Give ear to my prayer, O God . . . Attend to me, and answer me." (vs. 1-2) He says, "Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me." (v. 5) He would like to fly away like a dove to find refuge in the wilderness, but there is no escape. So, he asks God to destroy the plans of his enemy, who the psalmist says is a former friend. Then he begs God to send his enemy to Sheol alive and to "go away in terror" into the grave. (vs. 9, 13-15) The psalmist's affirmation that "God's peace delivers my soul" follows an appeal for God's help in destroying his enemy. That is the literal reading of this psalm. Read allegorically or figuratively the psalm might be taken to refer to a spiritual struggle between temptation and good inclinations. The enemy, in this reading, is the one who causes temptation and threatens to turn the soul away from God. Punishing this spiritual enemy would thus be a way of protecting the soul, rather than the material body and possessions of the psalmist. This way of reading the psalms, which literally are filled with appeals for God to destroy enemies, has been very common in the life of the church. The LORD says: "Look, I am doing something new, even now it is emerging, do you not see it? Yes, I am making a way in the desert and my people will sing my praises." The prophet is looking forward to the conquest of Babylon by the Persians and the release of the Israelites held captive there, so that they can return home. This is the "new thing" that God is doing. Making a way through the desert for them to return to Judah should remind us of the Israelites being led through the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land. God is once again leading his chosen people and renewing his covenant with them. So, how can the people not sing God's praises? What would it mean for the church to have faith today that God was leading the faithful through the desert of our times to a time and place of greater promise? If we had this sense of God's presence, even in the midst of our difficulties, might we be filled with rejoicing? In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and the Father will love them, and we shall come to them and make our home in them." In this part of the gospel of John we find Jesus preparing his disciples for his arrest and death. He tells them, "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you." (v. 18) And he assures them, "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (v. 20) This passage is read as evidence of the unity of Jesus with God, but we see that there is also a unity with the disciples, who keep his word. Jesus says that the Father will love these faithful disciples and that "we" will "make our home in them. Presumably, "we" refers to Jesus and the Father, but immediately after these verses Jesus says "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit" will come to them. So, we might say that the "we" refers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word "Trinity" does not appear in the New Testament, but passages like this are read as evidence of the concept of the Trinity in scripture. It is obvious why this is so, but nonetheless it is literally true that "the Trinity" is not in the Bible. The church developed this doctrine as a way of expressing the meaning of this and other passages in the New Testament that emphasize the unity of God, Jesus and the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit. But some Christians have also seen that this passage from the gospel of John unites the disciples with God and Jesus. The idea that God and Jesus will make their "home" in those who are faithful is a powerful image of the presence of God not only in the church but also in the heart or soul of each faithful person. December 4, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 "All of us, with our unveiled faces reflecting God's glory like mirrors, are being transformed into the image that we reflect." In verses 12-14 Paul says that followers of Christ: "are very bold, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor. But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away." In Exodus 34:29-35 we read that Moses put a veil on to cover his face because it shone so from being in the presence of God that the people were afraid. Thus Paul's statement is doubly offensive to a Jewish reader, because it misrepresents the reason why Moses wore a veil and refers to the covenant with God that was secured through Moses as "the old covenant." The Christian phrase "the Old Testament" comes from this passage and carries with it to this day the meaning that the revelation to the Israelites has been superceded by the revelation in Jesus Christ. Paul makes this point explicitly earlier in the third chapter, where he asserts on behalf of the church that: "our sufficiency is from God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life." (3:5-6) Here is the idea of the "New Testament." It is clear that the gospels are not yet a part of the life of the church, and surely Paul does not expect that his letters will be part of scripture at some later date. He is writing to the church at Corinth because there are controversies and he hopes to resolve them. By distinguishing the Christian community from the Jewish community, Paul is siding with Gentile Christians who are resisting efforts by the church in Jerusalem to impose Jewish law on Gentile converts. Paul's critique of Jewish scripture and law is unfair, but it was effective in defining the church's witness. Today, however, after centuries in which Christians have persecuted Jews, we cannot tolerate the polemic of the past against Jewish faith and practice. We need to remember that Jesus read as scripture what Paul called "the old covenant" and that Jesus was shaped by Jewish faith and practice. Furthermore, Jesus must have respected Jewish law, even though he criticized those he felt were hypocritical in enforcing it on others, because his disciples, who became the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, tried to enforce Jewish law on Gentile converts to the church. In the gospel of Mark, John the Baptist says: "After me will come one more powerful than I. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." The gospel of Mark begins with the statement: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God." We learn the point of the story before we've gotten beyond the first verse of the first chapter. None of the other three gospels in the New Testament begins this way, so we may conclude that this is the choice of the author. All the gospels in the New Testament, however, tell the story of John the Baptist, although with some differences. In the gospel of Mark we learn that John was in the wilderness baptizing those who repented of their sins. We are told that Jesus came to John in the Jordan River and was baptized. The gospels do not explain why Jesus came to John to be baptized. As John was baptizing those who confessed their sins, we might assume that Jesus, too, confessed his sins to John before baptism. John identifies one to come after him, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. But we do not yet know in the story that this is Jesus. The memory of John the Baptist is so strong in the church that it appears near the beginning of all four gospels. Jesus must have come to his own sense of mission through contact with John. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Do not be anxious about your life. Can any of you, by worrying about it, add a single moment to the length of your life? If such a small thing is beyond your power, why worry about the rest?" This teaching is in both the gospel of Matthew (6:25-34) and the gospel of Luke. The only difference is the "put down" of Gentiles in Matthew 6:32 for seeking food, drink and clothes, which does not appear in the gospel of Luke. This is evidence that the gospel of Luke was written for churches with Gentile Christian readers, whereas the gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish Christian congregation. In this passage Jesus is teaching his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and to trust in God for everything else. These are not simply words spoken in the past, but advice being read in the early church by its leaders and their followers (and by us, as well, today). Are we to understand these words literally to mean that if we are hungry and have faith, God will give us food? And that, if we are thirsty and have faith, God will give us water? Or, should we understand this passage to mean that Christians, who have food and water, should share what they have with all those seeking the kingdom of God, particularly those who are devoting themselves to the leadership of the church? Which of these "interpretations" makes the most sense to you? "Let us not love just with words and in speech, but with actions and in truth." The words of this passage are obvious yet always compelling. It is so easy to speak of love, but all those who have loved know it is difficult to be faithful. The author of this letter is writing to a church and encouraging its members to love one another. He is not saying they have to love everyone in the world or even all their neighbors, but he is arguing that Christians cannot proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ if they do not exemplify the love of God among themselves in the church. "By this we know love," the author writes, "that he laid down his life for us." (v. 16) This may mean that we will be called to lay down our lives "for the brethren," but it also means responding to the material needs of other members of the church: "If any one has the world's good and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (v. 17) How indeed? We close our hearts (and our wallets) all the time to those who are in need, even those within the church. How does God's love abide in us? In the gospel of Luke, Mary says to the angel: "I am the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said." The angel Gabriel has come to Mary and told her that she will bear a special child, who will be called "the son of the Most High." (v. 32) When Mary protests that she is not yet married, Gabriel explains that the "Holy Spirit will come upon" her and that the power of the Most High will give her this child. (v. 35) Then Mary assents to the will of God. This story only appears in the gospel of Luke, where the author begins with stories of two women conceiving special sons. Elizabeth bears John, who will become the Baptist, and Mary bears Jesus, who will become "the Son of God." (v. 35) In the story of the birth of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, the angel communicates with Joseph, not with Mary, and the gospels of Mark and John do not contain birth stories. Once again we see the hand of the author shaping the story for his audience. In the gospel of Luke, Zechariah says at the birth of his son: "Blessed be God, for he allows us to serve him without fear." In this story an angel of the Lord has appeared to Zechariah in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and told him that his wife, Elizabeth, is to give birth to a special child, who "will be filled with the Holy Spirit." (Lk. 1:15) The angel also tells him this child is to be named John. When John (the Baptist) is born, Zechariah "is filled with the Holy Spirit" and prophesies that the "promises of the Lord God of Israel" to deliver the people from the hands of their enemies will be fulfilled, so that the people might serve the Lord without fear. The story of John the Baptist is found in all four gospels of the New Testament, but only the gospel of Luke tells this story of his birth. Only in this gospel do we know anything of John's parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, or hear the prophecy of Zechariah. The presence of the Holy Spirit, not only in Mary but in Elizabeth and Zechariah as well as in John and Jesus, is at the heart of the gospel of Luke. Moreover, the affirmation of this gospel - that God enables us to be faithful without fear - is a comfort that not only nurtured the church in the past, but is of great joy today. "The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Whoever loves their neighbor remains in the light." The author of this letter says he is reaffirming an old commandment, but it is also new because "the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining." The light of Christ, the letter assets, helps us love our neighbors. And if we do not love them, we will find that we have moved out of the light of Christ and into the darkness. This is true whether or not we remain in the church. Attending worship and reading the Bible is not a guarantee that we will remain in the light of Christ. We must also love our neighbors. But this, we all know, is easy to say but hard to do. It is hard to love the neighbor who is unkind to us or who takes unfair advantage of our kindness. It is hard to remain in the light of Christ, even once we have known it. May our prayer, therefore, be that God will strengthen us in our faith and in our love for others. In the gospel of John, Jesus prays for his disciples, saying: "Father, may they all be one, just as you are in me and I am in you, so that they may also be in us and the world may believe that you sent me." This prayer by Jesus is found only in the gospel of John. Jesus is praying for his disciples, because he is about to be killed and they will be left alone in the world. But Jesus tells them that they will not be alone. They are united by the mystery of God, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus also prays for who come to have faith in him through the ministry of his disciples. That is, he prays for the church. This prayer was written to strengthen a young church that was struggling to define its faith over against Jews who saw Jesus as an important teacher but not as the messiah. As a teacher, Jesus was dead, but his words continued (and continue) to live. As the messiah, however, Jesus is resurrected and so lives on, not only in his words, but in the flesh through the life of the church. In this passage in the gospel of John, the Christian community for which the gospel was written is affirming that it is the continuing word of Jesus Christ, because it is united not only with Jesus by keeping his commandments but also with God by the work of the Holy Spirit. In the gospel of John we read that John the Baptist said: "I baptize with water; but standing among you - unknown to you - is the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal." In all four gospels of the New Testament, Jesus begins his ministry after an encounter with John the Baptist. In this gospel John does not baptize Jesus but directs his disciples toward Jesus, after describing him as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (Jn. 1:29) Also in this gospel John does not say that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit, as he does in the other three gospels. But in this gospel, unlike the other gospels, John bears witness that he saw: "the Spirit descended as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him." (Jn. 1:33) In the other three gospels of the New Testament the author narrating the story refers to the Spirit descending "like a dove" upon Jesus. John was baptizing Jews who were confessing their sin and repenting. His baptism was a sign of God's forgiveness. Jesus, too, preached repentance and forgiveness, but the New Testament carefully distinguishes the ministry of John from that of Jesus. Jesus bears the Holy Spirit of God, whereas John baptizes only with water. John's baptism reconciles Jews to God, but the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed by the church as bringing God into the lives of all those with faith. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Happy are the clear in heart: they shall see God. Happy are the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God." This passage is from the Beatitudes, as they are known, because in Latin the first word of each verse begins with "blessed." A more modern translation of the original Greek is "happy." These blessings begin what is called the Sermon on the Mount. essings are surprising, even shocking. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are persecuted for righteousness sake - they are blessed, or happy. Of course, they are not happy, so when Jesus says they are happy we are confounded. Jesus seems to be saying that reality will be turned upside down. Those who are suffering now will receive their rewards. Because they can be assured that this will be, they can be happy now in anticipation of what is to come. "Rejoice and be glad," Jesus says, (v. 12) "for your reward is great in heaven." The kingdom of heaven is what Jesus is bringing into being, so "heaven" is not a place where those who have died go, but is the eternal presence of God among his people. Therefore, Jesus is saying, have faith and rejoice, because God is with you! Acts reports that Paul said: "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, 'There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.'" This passage contains a speech given by Paul before he travels to Jerusalem with the collection he has taken up for the poor in the church there. In this speech Paul defends his ministry, because he knows he will face criticism once he reaches Jerusalem. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem are unhappy with his outreach to the Gentiles, because he has not required Gentile converts to be circumcised or to keep the basic dietary restrictions of Jewish law (see Acts 15). Paul is bringing a collection from the Gentile churches because he intends to keep his promise to do so, which was given in return for support for his ministry among the Gentiles by James, the brother of Jesus, and Peter, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. (Galatians 2) It may be Paul's way of trying to shame the church in Jerusalem into supporting his ministry to the Gentiles, as its leaders pledged they would. So, he tells the Gentile members of the churches he has organized, they will be blessed for giving to help the Jerusalem church. Perhaps he means not only that God will bless them, but that the church in Jerusalem may cease to press Gentile converts to submit to Jewish law. In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life." The gospel of John uses light to refer to life in Christ. Those who do not accept that Jesus is the Messiah will live, the author of the gospel believes, in darkness. There is an argument going on in the church of the author of this gospel, and some are withdrawing because they do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. This is a conflict among Jews who all believe in Jesus but have different beliefs about him. In the gospel of John, Jesus calls his followers to discipleship. They are to be light for the world, as Jesus is light for the world. They are to be the presence of Christ in the world, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is given to them after Jesus is no longer among them. The good news of the gospel of John is that this light will not be overcome by the darkness of the world. Those with faith in Christ, who live in this light, will find eternal life. "Happy are they, who find their strength in you, LORD. As they pass through the valley of tears they make it a place of living springs." The psalmist sings praises to the LORD of hosts. "My heart and flesh sing for joy," he writes, "to the living God." (v. 2) It is faith and hope in God that brings strength, when we walk through the valley of tears or what in Psalm 23 is described as "the valley of the shadow of death." Life leads us to that valley, to sorrow, to fear, to despair, to death. Can we sing a song to the LORD in that valley of darkness? Will we continue to have faith when fear grips our hearts? If we remain faithful, we will be a source of strength and hope for all those we know. Christians read this psalm to refer to God the Father of Jesus Christ, but the psalmist was singing praises to the LORD God of hosts, who he also knew as the "God of Jacob." Can we say, in faith, that we, as well as the psalmist, are praising the same God? Can we affirm that our hope comes from the one God, who was known to Israel through the first covenant, as understood in the law and the prophets, the one God we know through the second covenant in Jesus Christ that we understand through the writings of the New Testament? May God give us the faith to rejoice with the Jewish people of the first covenant in the LORD our God. "Let us love one another, for love is of God and whoever loves is born of God and knows God." The author affirms that "God is love." (v. 8) This love enables us to love and thus to know God and to share God with others. We know that God is love, the author tells us, because Jesus was with us and died for our sin, in order to free us from that burden. Only a loving God could share his love by giving part of himself, in his son, to suffering and death, so that we might know our suffering and death will not separate us from the love of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is God's way of convincing us that we, too, if we have faith, will be joined with God after our death. Love is the fruit of faith. The New Testament tells us that God only asks us to have faith, but this is a lot. It not only means trying our best to be loving, but accepting that we can be loving only by allowing God's love to work through us. Our love is not our achievement, but a result of trusting in God to love through us. That is what it means to live in faith, to live in Christ, and to enter into the kingdom of heaven (God). In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Strive first for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness. Do not worry about tomorrow." In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that they should not be anxious about what they will eat, or drink or wear. "For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (v. 32) What would it mean to strive for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness? This statement occurs in the Sermon on the Mount. Earlier in that sermon Jesus has taught his disciples that the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, and the pure in heart will be blessed. He has told his disciples to keep the Jewish law, but also to go beyond it by loving their enemies as well as their neighbors. They are also to beware of practicing their piety in public as a way of gaining recognition. What would it mean for us to seek first the kingdom of God? We think our world is so different from the ancient world of the gospels. Yet, the challenge to mourn, to be merciful and meek and pure in heart, remains the same. And surely we should not seek public recognition for our piety. We are called not to have the right beliefs about God but to be faithful in the way that we live. So, why be anxious? Trust in God. The gospel of Luke reports that the angel said to Mary: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus." In the gospel of Luke the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her that she will bear a son, who will be called "the Son of the Most High" and "the Son of God." (v. 35) This story is only related by the gospel of Luke. In the gospel of Matthew the angel comes to Joseph to announce the coming of a special son. One of the most distinctive differences between the four gospels is the way they begin. Only the gospels of Matthew and Luke have birth stories. The shepherds are in the gospel of Luke, and the wise men are in the gospel of Matthew. The gospel of Mark begins with the ministry of Jesus, and the gospel of John begins with a philosophical prologue. The wonderful story in the gospel of Luke of two women, Elizabeth and Mary, who bear special sons, John and Jesus, reminds us that women were leaders in the churches organized by Paul. In these Greek-speaking congregations women who owned property and who had a measure of independence, because they enjoyed certain rights under Roman law, found in the church an opportunity to respond to God's love. Mary, the mother of Jesus, has symbolized that response through the ages in the life of the church, as the Virgin and Mother of God to whom many Christians have offered their prayers. But whether we pray to Mary or simply delight in her story, we can remember her gratefully as the mother of Jesus. December 20, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 "Our Lord Jesus Christ became poor for your sake, so that through his poverty you might become rich." Paul is taking up a collection for the poor in the church of Jerusalem. He promised to do this, when Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, told him they would support his ministry to the Gentiles. (Galatians 2:9-10) Paul tells the Corinthians that they should give out of their "abundance," remembering how much Jesus has given to them. Of course, Jesus did not give money to them, but he entered into death so that they might have life. Thus, Jesus did not literally "become poor." A literal reading here misunderstands what Paul is saying. We need to read this passage figuratively. Are we moved today by this image? We are the recipients of life, because of the death of Jesus. His sacrifice frees us from the burden of sin, because in his dying and rising we know the forgiveness of God. The good news of the gospel is that our sins are forgiven, if we have faith. By God's grace we have received new life. So, like the Corinthians, we should give of our abundance to help care for the needs of those who are poor. In you, LORD is the source of life; in your light we see light." This psalm begins by describing how the wicked have no fear of God. Then the psalmist sings: "Thy steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds." (v. 5) LORD is all in capital letters, because it stands for the name of God that was too holy to be spoken. Modern translations sometimes render this four letter symbol YHWH as Yahweh, and traditionally this was often written as Jehovah. The Hebrew text does not give the vowels, and because the name was very never spoken no one knows how the four letters should be translated into English. It is clear in the psalm, however, that LORD is the same as God, even though in Hebrew these are different words with diverse histories. Twice more in the psalm we read of the "steadfast love" of God, and this is the source of our life and our hope. God is "the source of life" and the "salvation to the upright of heart." The psalm ends with a prayer that the wicked will not gain the upper hand over the righteous. In the darkness of these days may we pray for the light and love of God to guide us in the paths of righteousness. "God is our refuge and strength, and an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be in turmoil." The psalm begins with this stirring affirmation of faith. Then it presents a vision of the "city of God," which shall not be moved by the turmoil on the earth. The nations may rage, and the kingdoms may totter. But "the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." (v. 6) This LORD "makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire!" (v. 9) Our earth is now in turmoil. Can we take refuge in God? Can we give our lives in faith to the One, who gives us life and who has forgiven us for our selfishness and lack of faith? And can we manifest the love of God in our troubled world? December 23, Deuteronomy 30:11-14 "God's word is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart for you to put it into practice." In this last sermon by Moses he tells the Israelites that the commandments, which God has given them, are not too hard. God's word, Moses says, is on their lips and in their heart, so they can keep the commandments. The book of Deuteronomy was probably the scroll that was discovered in the temple in the reign of Josiah over Judah. It was read aloud to the people and led to a renewal of the covenant in their life. Moses was not the author of Deuteronomy, because the book includes a description of his death. It may be that the book was even written in the time of Josiah in order to strengthen the temple leadership. In any event, Deuteronomy was used to bring the word of God back into the lives of the people. It literally put the word of God on their lips and, perhaps also, back into their hearts. When Christians read about the word of God being in their hearts, they think of the Holy Spirit or the presence of Jesus or Christ. But we should recall that this image is also in the Old Testament. For the Israelites and for their descendants, the Jews, in the time of Jesus and in the centuries of the Christian era, the word of God has been on their lips and in their hearts. Christians need not think otherwise in order to celebrate the good news of the gospel. After all, we are at Christmas celebrating the birth of a very special Jew who was born to a Jewish mother and father and who called Jewish disciples to proclaim the good news of the love of God that was revealed in the Jewish scriptures. "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." The beginning of the gospel of John affirms that Jesus Chris is the word made flesh, the word that was with God in the beginning, and the word that was God. This true light came into the world, but was rejected by the world. Those who received this word, however, were given the power to become "children of God," who are born not of flesh and blood but of God. (v. 12) The law was given by Moses, the gospel of John acknowledges, but "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (v. 17) Grace and truth are Greek concepts, which do not appear in the Hebrew scriptures. The gospel of John uses these Greek ideas to translate the Jewish hope for a Messiah into an affirmation of faith that will speak especially to Jews who have been trained in Greek literature and thought. The God who spoke through Moses is now speaking through Jesus, and also through the gospel of John that was written for Greek-speaking Jews. The power of this gospel is evident in the way that it continues to speak to us today, in English, even though we know little about either Jewish or Greek culture. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And his name will be: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." The prophet proclaims the coming of the ideal king, who will bring an end to war and provide justice for all the peoples of the earth. Jews have read these words as a promise that has yet to be fulfilled. Christians have read these words as fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But even Christians acknowledge that the reign of Christ is not yet complete, so both Jews and Christians together may look forward to the fulfillment of God's promise of peace and justice in our world. This text is well-known to us because of Handel's "Messiah." The oratorio includes a baritone solo with the words, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." And the chorus sings, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." What marvelous music for Christmas! When Simeon saw the child, Jesus, he praised God and said: "Now, Lord, you can let your servant depart in peace as you promised. For my eyes have seen the salvation you have prepared for all people to see." This story appears only in the gospel of Luke. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to fulfill the requirements of Jewish law (Leviticus 12:2-8). Because of their poverty, they are permitted to present a pair of turtle doves (rather than a lamb and a dove) as a burnt offering to purify Mary (because her flow of blood has made her unclean) and as a sin offering to atone for any sins they may have committed. Simeon, an old man waiting in the temple to see the coming of the Messiah, takes Jesus in his arms and blesses God. His song of praise has come to be known as the "Nunc Dimittis," because these are the first words of the Latin translation. Simeon says that Jesus will be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." (v. 32) At the time the gospel of Luke was written, Gentiles were already a part of the church in many cities of the Roman empire. Moreover, the gospel seems to be written for Gentile Christians. But the words of Simeon come from Isaiah 42:6, which is generally translated: "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations . . .." The word "Gentiles" was not in use when Isaiah wrote his prophecy, because the descendants of the Israelites were not known as "Jews" until the time of the Roman empire, when Jews were recognized as having a different religion and were exempted from imperial rituals. The word "Gentiles" came into use by Jews to refer to non-Jews. The author of the gospel of Luke has changed the word "nations" to "Gentiles" in order to make the text from Isaiah point directly to the growth of the Gentile church in the Roman empire. "Life itself became visible, we saw it and testify to it. We proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us." This letter begins very much like the gospel of John, which is why it was assumed in the church that the same author wrote both. The letter itself, however, does not give the name of the author. The author affirms that the word made flesh is the eternal life that has been revealed to the church: "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." (v. 3) The letter expresses the joy of an early Christian community. Its members celebrate their life together and their experience of the presence of God. The church can not witness, if it is without joy. Therefore, let us rejoice in this season of darkness and proclaim the good news that God is with us in Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the world. December 28, Colossians 3:12-17 "Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. The Lord has forgiven you, do the same in your turn." Paul encourages the Christians in Colossae, as God's chosen ones, to show compassion and kindness for one another. Clearly there are conflicts within the church, or he would not need to stress forgiveness and "love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (v. 14) Paul prays that the "peace of Christ" will rule in their hearts, and that the word of Christ will guide them in their teaching and worship. And he counsels them to "do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (v. 17) In Paul's letters, what matters most is the unity of the church. Therefore, Paul exhorts and encourages Christians to embrace forbearance and to be forgiving. As God has forgiven them, so they should forgive one another. Otherwise, how will the world see the good news of the gospel? Paul urges them to put Christ before all else, so they will have the strength to love one another. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches: "Happy are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours." The Beatitudes are in the gospel of Luke, as well as in the gospel of Matthew, but this version in the gospel of Luke is less familiar. Here Jesus is reported as saying the poor are happy, but in the gospel of Matthew Jesus says that "the poor in spirit" are happy. The gospel of Matthew does not emphasize that the good news is for those who are poor and oppressed, but this is the focus of the gospel of Luke. The third gospel also contains "woes," which are absent from the gospel of Matthew. "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." (vs. 24-26) No wonder we are unfamiliar with this teaching! We are rich, we are well fed, we are laughing and enjoying our prosperity, we enjoy a good reputation among our peers. The gospel of Matthew lets us off the hook, but the gospel of Luke forces us to reflect on our faith. How are we witnessing to the good news of the gospel? How are we putting the kingdom of God before everything else? December 30, Luke 11:9-13In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." This passage ends with the affirmation: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (v. 13) Perhaps we are not "evil," but certainly we are self-centered. Nonetheless, our children melt our hearts, and we sacrifice a great deal for them. As the children of God, we are similarly blessed. However, God will not give us anything that we ask for. God is not Santa Claus. Yet, God will give us the love and hope and faith that are gifts of the Holy Spirit, if we ask to come into his kingdom. Prayer should not, therefore, be understood as asking to receive what we want, but as opening ourselves to God for what we need. God knows that we need to be forgiven, and so God forgives us. God knows that we need love, so God loves us. God offers the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, ask, find and celebrate. In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "You did not choose me. No, I chose you, and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit." In this gospel Jesus says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (vs. 9-11) Thus, the commandment that Jesus gives his disciples is that they love one another, as he has loved them. This is why he has chosen them to be his disciples. And this is what the author of this gospel believes the church is to represent to the world. Do we feel chosen to bear the fruit of the gospel in the world? Is our love for one another great enough to call the world to greater compassion and forgiveness? Is the joy of Christ in us, so that our joy is full? And can we share this joy with others? May this be our prayer for the new year. |
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