Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, February 3rd, 2019

As I write up my reflections, the Midwestern United States is suffering from a brutal cold snap.  Many communities are experiencing below-zero temperatures with very dangerous wind chills.  We pray for everyone's safety, especially those who cannot avoid being outside in this weather.

For the Revised Common Lectionary readings, we get the rest of the story of Jesus returning to Nazareth and teaching in the local synagogue; unfortunately, it does not go well.  We also get a passage that we often hear during weddings but has more to say to us when we read the whole passage and read it in the context of the rest of 1 Corinthians.  If this were not enough, we also get Jeremiah's call story.

You will find some of my thoughts and reactions to these stories in italicized text.  I would love for you to share your first impressions from and questions to these passages in the comments below so that we can continue the conversation.


Jeremiah 1:4 - 10

 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
 and before you were born I consecrated you;
 I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."  7 But the LORD said to me,
 "Do not say, 'I am only a boy';
 for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
 and you shall speak whatever I command you.
 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,
 says the LORD."

 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,
 "Now I have put my words in your mouth.
 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
 to pluck up and to pull down,
 to destroy and to overthrow,
 to build and to plant."

- Does Jeremiah 1:7 change much if we look at it as this?
“But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, (insert excuse here); for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.’”

- The early part of the Jeremiah reading suggests that the Lord may also have had a particular calling in mind for us when the Lord created us.  Do we sense that we were “born to do” something?

- Jeremiah 1 reminds us that the youngest among us are also sent out as the Lord’s messengers and ambassadors.  Sometimes, they are sent to us, their elders.

Psalm 71:1 - 6

 1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
 2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
 3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
 5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
 6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.


- Sometimes, we question whether a young child can truly have faith.  Psalm 71 suggests that our relationship with the Lord can begin even before we are born.


1 Corinthians 13:1 - 13

 1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.  9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.  11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.  12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.  13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

- Is it possible to have faith outside of love?  What does faith without love look like?  Is it a form of escapism: “I have everything that I need, and the rest of the world can go to hell!”?  Is it something like James 2:19 hints at: “You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe – and shudder.”?

- Reading 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 together suggests that our spiritual gifts will come to an end (at our deaths?) but faith, hope, and love will not die.  Therefore, these things are greater than our spiritual gifts.

- “Seeing in a mirror dimly” doesn’t mean much to us because we have high-quality mirrors in our homes.  A better sense of Paul’s metaphor comes from trying to decipher details as we look at a reflection in a polished piece of metal.  Mirrors in the ancient world were usually a piece of polished brass or bronze.

Luke 4:21 - 30

 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."  22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"  23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'"  24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown.  25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.  27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.  29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.  30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

- The people of Nazareth are greatly offended by the idea that the Messiah might be sent into the world for Gentiles as well as Jews.  The people want the Messiah to be for them alone.  Do we hesitate or resist the Lord’s calling to ministry when that ministry is for the benefit of people not like us and/or for people outside of our community/state/nation?

- What are reasons that families or congregations reject their children when they return home?  Come home with a significant other that is not the same race/nationality; Come home with a significant other that is the same gender; Express a political belief system that contrasts with the family/congregation; Personal failure that the family/congregation cannot forgive... what other reasons can you add to the list?

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, January 27, 2019

In Southeast Indiana, many congregations have had to cancel their Sunday worship services the past two weekends.  Snow and ice have interrupted many congregational plans.  We have also missed taking time to reflect on Luke's account of Jesus' baptism, Jesus' first of seven "signs" in the Gospel of John, and the giving of spiritual gifts through the one Holy Spirit.

So how do we come back from this weather-imposed hiatus?  By diving into the image of the body of Christ and Jesus' visit to his hometown of Nazareth.  Though we've likely heard and/or read these stories before, we may focus on something new this time around.

What are you hearing in these familiar stories as well as these verses from Nehemiah and Psalm 19?  I'll share my impressions and questions in italics after each reading.  I invite you to share your impressions and questions in the comments below.


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

1 ...all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel.  2 Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.  3 He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8 So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.  9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

- Why did the people cry as the Law was being read?  Suggestions include: tears of joy; tears of confession that the people have not kept the Lord’s law for many years, perhaps for many generations; tears that the rebuilt Temple is not as large or grand as the Temple that was torn down by the Babylonians.

- Is there a special significance to the location where this took place, the square before the Water Gate?

Psalm 19

 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;

 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;

 9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

 11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

 12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

 13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

- Psalm 19, which rejoices over how the Lord’s law/instruction spreads around the world, is a great pairing with the Nehemiah story in which the Torah is re-discovered, read, and interpreted to the Israelites.

1 Corinthians 12:12 - 31a

 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.  15 If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.  16 And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.  17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?  20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body.  21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."  22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.  26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.  28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.  29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?  31 But strive for the greater gifts.

- How often do we fall short of Paul’s description of spiritual gifts and the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12?  How often do we proclaim certain spiritual gifts as superior and other spiritual gifts as inferior?  How often do we declare that certain Christians are separated from the Body of Christ and that we do not need them?

- The “greater gifts” are identified in 1 Corinthians 13.

- How would you describe your personal strengths?  What do you do well?  How might you use your strengths and gifts to participate in what the Lord is doing within the world?

Luke 4:14 - 21

 14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.  15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

 16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

 because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,

 to let the oppressed go free,

 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

- Jesus is returning from his baptism in the Jordan River (Luke 3) and his time of testing in the wilderness (Luke 4:1 – 13).

- Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1 - 2, but he seems to be re-interpreting Isaiah 61 as he reads it.  He drops certain phrases and adds others so that what he reads is an accurate description of his mission.

- While we can imply certain dropped phrases are covered by other phrases, the dropping of the phrase “to proclaim…the day of vengeance of our God” is a significant edit.  It reveals that Jesus’ mission is not a mission of revenge against those who have harmed the people of God.  Jesus’ mission will be achieved through acts of love, not acts of violence and war.

- “The year of the Lord’s favor,” or year of jubilee, was intended to be a divinely-ordered reset of the world.  In this year, all debts would be forgiven.  In this year, all lands that had been sold would be returned to the family of the original owner so that the family could retain their original land rights from the time the Israelites entered the promised land.  In this year, everyone could have a clean slate again.

- Although Israel was supposed to observe a “jubilee” year every 50 years, there is no record of Israel ever carrying out a “jubilee” year.

Monday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, January 20th, 2019

On this snowy Monday morning, I am looking ahead to Sunday's readings as I prepare to preach.  This week, we get the story of Jesus attending a wedding feast in Cana, where he bails out a host who runs out of a very important staple item for the feast.  We also get Paul addressing a dispute among the Corinthians regarding the greatest spiritual gift and an interesting declaration in Isaiah.  This set of readings is theologically rich and offers many opportunities for preaching themes.

Would you help me narrow this down to one focus?  I invite you to read these passages with me.  I will share my first impressions in italics.  You have the opportunity to share your impressions and questions in the comments below.  Let's study these passages together!


Isaiah 62:1 - 5

 1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
 and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
 until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
 and her salvation like a burning torch.
 2 The nations shall see your vindication,
 and all the kings your glory;
 and you shall be called by a new name
 that the mouth of the LORD will give.
 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
 and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
 and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
 but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
 and your land Married;
 for the LORD delights in you,
 and your land shall be married.

 5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
 so shall your builder marry you,
 and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
 so shall your God rejoice over you.

- Who is the speaker here?  Is it the Lord?  Or is it a Judean stating an intention to pester the Lord until the Lord acts like he wants?

- At the time this was written, people believed that both people and places were defined by their names.  The meaning of your name defined a key quality about you or the place in question.  So, if the local area was named “Azuvah” (“Forsaken”) and “Shmamah” (“Desolate”), you can assume it’s a tough place to live.  But if it is names “Hephzibah” (“My Delight is in Her”) and “Beulah” (“Married”), you can assume that it is a wonderful area in which to live.

Psalm 36:5 - 10

 5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,

 your faithfulness to the clouds.

 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep;

 you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

 All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

 8 They feast on the abundance of your house,

 and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

 9 For with you is the fountain of life;

 in your light we see light.

 10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,

 and your salvation to the upright of heart!

- The Isaiah passage comes from what is known as “Third Isaiah” which addresses the people after they have returned from the exile and are rebuilding Jerusalem.  The promise that the land will become prosperous once again matches the psalm’s references to all people taking shelter under the Lord’s wings and feasting upon the abundance of the Lord’s house.

1 Corinthians 12:1 - 11

 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.  2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.  3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 

- If you are concerned about false prophets, Paul gives us a clear test: if the person in question can proclaim “Jesus is Lord,” then the Holy Spirit is within that person.

- Paul is attempting to settle a local argument over the greatest spiritual gift by pointing to the Holy Spirit and proclaiming that all spiritual gifts are equal to one another because they all come from the Holy Spirit.  He then moves into the argument that all spiritual gifts are necessary for the health and well-being of the Body of Christ (we will look at this more next week).

John 2:1 - 11

 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."  4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come."  5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim.  8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it.  9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now."  11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 

- Running out of wine would be a great embarrassment to the host of the wedding feast.

- In the Gospel of John, we highlight seven moments as signs that Jesus is the Messiah.  This is the first of these seven signs.

- For those who can afford it, a wedding feast like this might continue all week.  So the gathered community may need the 120-180 gallons of wine that Jesus has just created.

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Baptism of Our Lord Sunday 2019 (January 13th)

This Sunday is "Baptism of Our Lord Sunday," which focuses on the day John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.  Because we are focusing on the Gospel of Luke this year, we read Luke's account of this moment...which is rather bare in its description.  There is no discussion between John and Jesus.  We don't even get a description of the moment of baptism!  We simply hear that Jesus was baptized during this time when John was baptizing many people.  So, what does Luke tell us about this moment?

In our other readings, we get a proclamation from the Lord through Isaiah, and psalm declaring the Lord's power over creation, and an interesting journey for Peter and John into Samaria.  There is plenty to consider here, and I hope you will join me in the discussion by commenting below.


Isaiah 43:1 - 7

 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.
 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you;
 6 I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth--

 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

- The people were able to return to Jerusalem because Persia managed to conquer Babylon.  How much territory did Persia conquer?  Did their empire extend to Egypt and beyond?  (Later answer: yes, it did!  See this map from Wikipedia depicting the expansion of the Persian Empire from the mid-500's BC to the early 400's BC.)

- Arguing whether the Lord should exchange one people/nation for another concedes the claim that the Lord has the power and authority to make such exchanges in the first place.

- Later in Isaiah, the Lord will proclaim that all other nations will stream to Jerusalem and receive the same blessings that the Israelites receive.  We can infer this in verse 7, when the Lord calls for everyone “whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” to be gathered into the kingdom.

Psalm 29

 1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.

 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.

 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

 7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.

 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

 9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

 11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! 

- Plenty of focus on "the voice of the LORD," which has the ability to speak things into being.

Acts 8:14 - 17

 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.  15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).  17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

- The early church had different baptismal formulations.  While the church eventually settled on baptizing people “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” it was common for people to baptize in the name of Jesus alone or even with the baptism of John (see Acts 19:1 – 7).

- This may be the basis for the old practice of “confirming” baptisms.  At one time, Roman Catholic bishops would travel across their territories and visit congregations to “confirm” all of the baptisms that had taken place since their last visit by laying hands on each of the baptized.

Luke 3:15 - 17, 21 - 22

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

- The reading skips over the mention of Herod throwing John into prison in an attempt to keep the focus on Jesus.

- There is a tradition which claims that, by being baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus made all water holy.

- In Luke, there is a time delay between the baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

- Luke's account is focused on the descent of the Holy Spirit and the voice declaring Jesus to be "my Son, the Beloved."  If we have read from the beginning, the declaration that Jesus is the son of God is not new information.  The question becomes: "What does this add to our understanding of who Jesus is?"  Does the presence of the Holy Spirit tell us anything?

- Luke 3 continues by noting Jesus’ age at this time (30) as well as Jesus’ family tree stretching back to Adam.

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Epiphany 2019 (January 6th)

Happy New Year, everyone!

After the rush towards Christmas Eve, I am back to share my thoughts and reactions to the Bible readings (New Revised Standard Version) assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday.  This week, we will celebrate Epiphany, which marks the arrival of the "Wise Men" or "Magi" at Jesus' home.  This occasion also marks the official end of the Christmas season, which stretches from December 25th to January 5th (i.e. the 12 Days of Christmas).

While I will share my thoughts and responses to the passages in the italicized text below, I hope that the conversation does not end here.  I encourage you to respond with your insights and questions regarding these passages so that we can discuss them.


Isaiah 60:1 - 6

 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
 3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

 4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.

- I’d bet that we hear this Isaiah reading today because of the references to light, gold, and frankincense.

- “Thick darkness” in Hebrew is a reference to a cloud.  “Thick darkness” covering the people may be something like a fog.

- Who is the “you” being addressed by Isaiah 60?  Is it Jerusalem?

Psalm 72:1 - 7, 10 - 14

 1 <Of Solomon.> Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.

 2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

 3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.

 4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.

 5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

 6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.

 7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.

 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.

 12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.

 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.

 14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.

- Psalm 72, which is “of Solomon,” reads like a king expressing his desires for the person who will succeed him on the throne.

Ephesians 3:1 - 12

 1 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--  2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, 3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.  5 In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power.  8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; 10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

- Ephesians does not seem to address the Epiphany (or manifestation) of Christ but the inclusion of the Gentiles within the body of Christ.

- Ephesians 3 makes several references to “mystery.”  Culturally, we do not handle mystery well.  We want to know the answer.  When confronted with a mystery, we treat it as a problem to solve.  In this case, the answer is something to be revealed to us.

Matthew 2:1 - 12

 1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."  3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.  5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.  8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."  9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.  11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

- Does the fact that King Herod is unaware of Jesus’ birth reveal the bubble he existed within?  After all, I doubt that the shepherds only spoke of his birth on that first night; they likely shared the news with others, who likely told others… But Herod first hears of Jesus’ birth from these foreign travelers.  (Think “Nobody I know voted for (President Richard Nixon)!”)

- Matthew 2:13 – 18 tells the rest of the story.  An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, commanding him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod (this is the basis for calling Jesus a “refugee”).  Herod realizes that the Wise Men are not going to return to him and share Jesus’ location, so he decrees that all male children in Bethlehem under the age of 2 should be killed to protect his power.  (This is what the Church  commemorates on December 28th with “Holy Innocents.”)

- Is this how we react to change, to “threats” to our traditions and preferences?  Do we attempt to hunt down and destroy anything that may force us to question what we have always believed and what we have always done?