We also hear the story of Paul's entry into Macedonia, a province of Greece, and the revelation of the New Jerusalem descending to Earth at the end of the age.
In the italicized text below, I have included my initial thoughts and reactions to these readings. I invite you to use the comment section below to share your thoughts, reactions, and questions.
Acts 16:9 - 15
9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.
- The vision Paul receives comes to him after several attempts to take his ministry into the interior of modern-day Turkey were thwarted by the Holy Spirit.
- Legend holds that Lydia became a leader in the Church at Philippi.
- This would be the beginnings of the community that received Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
- “The light of God’s face (shining) upon us” is an image of the Lord’s blessing and favor.
Revelation 21:10, 22 - 22:5
10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
- The verses we skip over give a detailed description of the city as it is established on Earth.
- At this point in the vision, there is no need to shut the gates because the Lord has destroyed the anti-Christ and all of his allies. Anything else that exists at this time is welcome within the city walls.
- I believe that “abomination or falsehood” is not a reference to sinful acts such as adultery and lying but rather a reference to purposeful acts of worship toward things or individuals other than the Triune God. I will double-check this later to be sure that I am reading this properly.
- The water of life, here depicted as flowing from the throne of God, can be found all around us. We do not need “special” water from a sacred location. The presence of the Lord within the water is what makes water the “water of life.”
- The absence of darkness is another way of stating that there is an absence of evil and other entities or forces that oppose the Triune God. Unfortunately, this contrast of light and darkness has been used to justify racism (i.e. light = white skin, darkness = dark skin), and speaking exclusively within the light/darkness metaphor can be harmful to those who have been harmed by others using this justification.
John 14:23 - 29
23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
- How do we read, “Those who love me will keep my word…”? Is this a command to keep all of the Law? Is this a reference to a smaller subset of the Law? A reference to his teachings over the previous months and years? Or is this focused solely on these final instructions in John 13 – 17?
- “Advocate,” if I recall correctly, was a term used in the judicial system. Formally, it was a reference to a defense attorney. Informally, it was a reference to anyone who worked or testified in support of the defendant.
- People of “the world” usually give in ways that provide significant benefit the giver. Jesus’ gift of ‘shalom,’ or wholeness, is for our benefit and not Jesus’ benefit.
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