Devotion for January 6 (LCMS Daily Lectionary)

Above:  A Globe

Image Source = Christian Fischer

For the Sake of Humanity

JANUARY 6, 2024

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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236

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The Assigned Readings:

Isaiah 66:1-20

Psalm 72 (Morning)

Psalms 100 and 67 (Evening)

Luke 3:21-38

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Some Related Posts:

A Prayer for Our Witness to the World:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/a-prayer-for-our-witness-to-the-world/

A Prayer to Witness to the World:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/a-prayer-to-witness-to-the-world/

A Prayer for World Mission:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/a-prayer-for-world-mission/

As Saints of Old Their First Fruits Brought:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/as-saints-of-old-their-first-fruits-brought/

A Prayer for All Bishops of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/a-prayer-for-all-bishops-of-the-one-holy-catholic-and-apostolic-church/

Light of the World, We Hail Thee:

http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/light-of-the-world-we-hail-thee/

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Thus said the LORD:

The heaven is My throne

And the earth is My footstool:

Where could you build a house for Me,

What place could serve as My abode?

All this was made by My hand,

And thus it all came into being

–declares the LORD.

Yet to such a one I look:

To the poor and the brokenhearted,

Who is concerned about My word.

–Isaiah 66:1-2, TANAKH:  The Holy Scriptures

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This is a devotion for the Feast of the Epiphany.  On this day we commemorate the Magi and focus on the taking of the Christian Gospel to the Gentiles.  The Feast of the Epiphany speaks of the universality of Christ.

The reading from Luke begins with a brief account of our Lord’s baptism and consists mainly of one side of his family tree.  This is material which most readers (often including me) skip.  The temptation (in Chapter 4) is more interesting.

We read in Isaiah 66 that God does not need a temple or sacrifices from we mere mortals.  As a note on page 913 of The Jewish Study Bible (2004) says,

…the Temple exists for the sake of humanity, not the benefit of God.

The link between these two readings is that God acted in time.  The Second Person of the Trinity became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth.  He is our Temple, our high priest, and our sacrifice.  He is Christus Victor–for our benefit, not that of  God.  That is a message worth proclaiming to the nations.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

FEBRUARY 23, 2012 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIGIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MAINZ, AND SAINT BERNWARD, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HILDESHEIM

THE FEAST OF SAINT DOSITHEUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK

THE FEAST OF SAINT POLYCARP, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF SMYRNA

THE FEAST OF SAMUEL WOLCOTT, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER

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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/for-the-sake-of-humanity/

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