55 - Baptism and Temptations

Matthew 3:13-4:17


John has been preaching repentance, and baptizing those who want to change their way.  Jesus embraces John's rejection of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  And Jesus is declared to be God's son, in language reminiscent of Isaiah 42:1 -- "Here is my servant...I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations." 

Jesus being baptized - Guido Reni

Immediately he is led to the wilderness, and tempted by Satan.  After 40 days of fasting, will he use his position and power for himself, or trust in God?  Will he make a stone into bread for himself, or trust in God to provide, as God provided manna for the Hebrew people wandering in the wilderness?  Will he seek to just save himself, or trust in God to provide what is necessary to take the promised land?  Will Jesus take possession of and power over all the earth, only in exchange for worshiping Satan?  Jesus answers again by reference to the statement of the law in Deuteronomy:  "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him."

Satan tempting Jesus

 Jesus is ready to start his ministry.

54 - John the Baptist

Luke 3:1-3:20


John begins his ministry, pointing to Isaiah, as Jesus did later when he started his ministry.  


He says that "all flesh" shall see the salvation of God -- meaning all humanity.


And what is necessary for true repentance?  Changing the way you live -- turn around and give one of your cloaks to anyone who has none, and likewise with food.  Not cheating when collecting taxes, nor extorting from the weak.    

John the Baptist preaching

He promised that Jesus, not he, was the Messiah, the Christos.  While John could baptize with water, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.


John of course does not know when to be quiet, and he also calls out Herod for his misbehavior.  This gets John thrown into prison, which of course came to no good end for John.

53 - The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1-2:40 

Geertgen tot Sint Jans

52 - Gabriel's Message

Luke 1:1-1:80

Luke does as he promises, to set out an "orderly account" of the events of Jesus life, teachings, death and resurrection, and later, in Acts, of the birth and spread of the early church.

At the beginning, God's angels announce first to Zechariah and then to Mary what was about to happen.  Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who are, like Abraham and Sarah aged and barren, are to have a son, John, who will:

"turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.  With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people  prepared for the Lord."

Annunciation by Henry Turner

Then the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, and says, as in other angelic appearances:  "Do not be afraid."  He tells her astounding news:

"you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Mary responds with what we have come to call the Magnificat, from the first word in Latin, as her soul "magnifies" the Lord. 

This beloved canticle is said or sung frequently in the daily offices, and too little in other services.  Mary praises God for his mercy on those who fear him, for scattering the proud, and bringing down the powerful from their thrones.  Like the prayer of Hannah, she praises God for having lifted up the lowly, and [having] filled the hungry with good things (Hannah says:  He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts up the needy from the ash heap...).

Finally John the baptizer is born, and Zechariah praises God with another canticle called Benediuctus Dominus Deus in the Book of Common Prayer:  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.

 What do the Magnificat and the Benediuctus Dominus Deus mean to you?

51 - The Word Became Flesh

John 1:1-1:18
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people."


What an audacious, nay, outrageous claim.  That the Word was from the beginning.  That the Word was with God, and at the very same time the Word was God.  Nothing happened, nothing came into being without this Word.


"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth."


How can this Word, this perfect intelligence/being/creator/beyond-our-imagining take on the grimy flesh of human beings, who live only a short and miserable life, and return to dust?  How can this be?


"It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known."

50 - The Day of Judgment

Malachi 1:1 - 2:13
Malachi 2:14 - 4:5

It is not clear to me why Malachi should be considered one of the top 50 passages in the Hebrew scripture.

Why not one of these:
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
or
Job 31:16-23
or
Psalm 72
or
Micah 6:1-8
or
Amos 5:18-24

Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream

What passage do you think should have been included?

49 - The Story of Jonah

Jonah 1:1 - 2:7

Jonah 2:8-4:11

One of the most humorous books of scripture, Jonah tells the delightful tale of a reluctant prophet who delivers the briefest of prophetic warnings, and sulks when he is successful.

Interspersed among the prophet who runs away when God calls, a giant fish in whose belly the prophet recites psalms, and a king who commands the animals to fast, is a story of God's grace being available to all, including non-Hebrews, of the importance of repentance, and a reminder that God is in charge.

Jonah preaching to Nineveh

48 - Daniel in the Lions' Den

Daniel 6:1-6:28

In a story that is reminiscent both of Joseph in Genesis, and the book of Esther, Daniel is a faithful Jew who with his three companions has been hijacked to Babylon to serve in the court of King Nebuchanzzar.  All do well in learning the language and court customs.  Daniel has not only interpreted the king's dream (like Joseph), but also was able to fathom what the dream was.  His companions, having been caught not worshiping a local statue, have survived being thrown into the fiery furnace.

Now Daniel has risen to a very high position in the court of a successor king.  Other jealous courtiers seek to trip him up, by getting the king, Darius, to sign a decree forbidding praying to anyone other than himself.  Daniel ignored the rule, and continued praying toward Jerusalem, to the God of Israel, three times a day.  He is caught and condemned to be thrown in the lion's den.

As we know, God "shut the lions' mouths" and Daniel survived the night.

Daniel and the lions

Imagine that you were living in a place that was totally inimical to your Christian faith.  How would you keep your faith?

47 - Jeremiah's Call and Message

Jeremiah 1:1-3:5

Jeremiah is another of the "major" prophets, meaning the book is of significant length.

His call narrative reminds us of Moses.  Jeremiah protests "Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."  Likewise Moses had said "I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."  But in both cases God promises "I am with you."

And so Jeremiah speaks as God's prophet, accusing Judah and Israel of having forsaken the God who brought them out of Israel, and of sacrificing to other gods.

God's accusations are against all the people -- the rulers, the teachers and the priests.  All were guilty.

Jeremiah's language reflects the patriarchal society he lived in.  Many of the references to the sinfulness of the people use images of an adulterous woman, a wicked woman, even "a restive young camel interlacing her tracks" - interpreted elsewhere as "a lustful she-camel restlessly running about."

Jeremiah again reminds the people of what they lose when they turn away from God, who brought them out of slavery, who gave them the law, and a land to live in and worship him.  Why do they keep turning away from Him?  Why do we?

46 - The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 51:1-53:12

The prophets served as messengers from God, and often critiqued kings or societies for not living up to God's expectations.

One of my favorite preachers says:  "a prophet is one who sees what God sees, who hears what God hears, and feels what God feels.  A prophet is one who is deeply connected to God’s heart, and who always speaks the truth."

Isaiah was such a truth teller.  (Or truth tellers, as there were at least two contributors to the book of Isaiah).  Examples of Isaiah's writing you may recognize:

"...seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

"they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;"

‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,    make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

The section we read today is referred to as the Suffering Servant passage (there are other passages in Isaiah 42, 49 and 50 which also refer to the servant).  Christian tradition, starting in Acts 8, interprets the Suffering Servant as Jesus Christ.  But how did the Hebrew people, several centuries before Christ, interpret this passage?

There is no simple answer.  Jewish scholars have intensely debated the references in these passage for centuries.  Is the Servant Isaiah?  Or Jeremiah?  Or Moses?  Or all of the Hebrew nation? 

Isaiah

In any case this passage and all of Isaiah are a rich source of understanding about the nature of God, and his relationship to all people.

45 - Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 16:1-18:24

A few gems from today's readings:

16¹⁸Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.

17⁵Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;
those who are glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their parents.

 Which ones were your favorites?

44 - Godly Wisdom

Proverbs 1:1-4:27

1⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

⁸Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teaching;

Proverbs is a key part of "Wisdom" literature in Hebrew scripture, combining folk wisdom and teachings of the elders, much in the form of a parent (especially a father) instructing a child (especially a son).  

Much of the teaching reflects the patriarchal structure of society at the time, but also attention is directed to the feminine personification of divine Wisdom (in contrast to the foolish or strange woman).

How do you make sure children learn to love divine wisdom?

43 - Praise the Lord

Psalm 103:1-103:22

From this and other psalms of praise we learn much about the character of God.  He is the one who:  forgives, heals, redeems, works justice for the oppressed.

He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger.

Perhaps above all his characteristic is loving-kindness, sometimes rendered "steadfast love."

No wonder the instinct to praise such a God!

42 - Have Mercy on Me

Psalm 51:1-51:19

In the Jewish Study Bible, Psalm 51 begins with these words:

For the leader.  A psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had come to Bathsheba.


By Jewish tradition, this psalm reflects David's confession and repentance when confronted by Nathan -- see the posting here about that story in 2 Samuel.

But biblical scholars think it more likely that the psalm was composed in the period of or after the exile to Babylon.

In any case, the psalm reflect a deep understanding of the human sense of guilt, and asks God's help, by asking for:  mercy (v. 1); blotting out of transgressions (2); washing and purification (2); purging (7).

Every reading reveals new insights into scripture.  This time I noticed that on the one hand the psalm prays that I may have greater insight into my sins, that I be taught "wisdom in my secret heart."  On the other hand I pray that God not look at my sins - that He "hide his face" from my iniquities.

This psalm is an essential part of our Ash Wednesday liturgy.  What do you see that you hadn't noticed before?

41 - The Lord is my Shepherd

The most beloved psalm.  Try reading several versions.

The NRSV version: Psalm 23:1-23:6

And the classical King James Version:


¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
 ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


And the Message version:


 ¹You, LORD, are my shepherd.
   I will never be in need.
    ²You let me rest in fields of green grass.
   You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
    ³and you refresh my life.
   You are true to your name, and you lead me
   along the right paths.
    ⁴I may walk through valleys as dark as death,
   but I won't be afraid.
   You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.
    ⁵You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.
   You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup
   until it overflows.
    ⁶Your kindness and love will always be with me
   each day of my life, and I will live forever
   in your house, LORD.


And the translation in the Book of Common Prayer:

1      The Lord is my shepherd; *

     I shall not be in want.

2      He makes me lie down in green pastures *

     and leads me beside still waters.

3      He revives my soul *

     and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4      Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil; *

     for you are with me;

     your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5      You spread a table before me in the presence of those

who trouble me; *

     you have anointed my head with oil,

     and my cup is running over.

6      Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days

of my life, *

     and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

   Which do you prefer?  Why?