Archive for the ‘Isaiah 61’ Tag
Above: Oak Tree in the Midlands of England, 1865-1890
Image in the Public Domain
Divine Comfort
DECEMBER 17, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11
Luke 1:46b-55
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
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Almighty God, you once called John the Baptist
to give witness to the coming of your Son and to prepare his way.
Grant us, your people, the wisdom to see your purpose today
and the openness to hear your will,
that we may witness to Christ’s coming and so prepare his way;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 13
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Almighty God, through John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ,
you once proclaimed salvation;
now grant that we may know this salvation and serve you
in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 13
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The emphasis in three of the four readings this week is on comfort.
- The context in (Third) Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 is the disappointment of many Jewish former exiles regarding the condition of their ancestral homeland.
- The readings from the New Testament share the context of the first century of the Common Era. The Magnificat blends comfort and castigation–comfort for those who need it and castigation for those who deserve it. Divine judgment and mercy remain in balance. As I have read, the purpose of the Gospel is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. That saying is consistent with the Gospel of Luke, with its theme of reversal of fortune. Indeed, comfort for the afflicted is frequently an affliction for those afflicting them.
Given that the emphasis this week is divine comfort, may we dwell there, too. May we frolic in it and thank God for it. And may we ponder how God is calling us to function as agents of divine comfort. How much better would the world be if more people went out of their way to comfort others instead of ignoring or afflicting them? Receiving grace imposes the obligation to extend it to others. Grace is free, not cheap.
So, O reader, pay attention and look around. How is God calling you to extend comfort?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 1, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE EIGHTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNA OF OXENHALL AND HER FAITHFUL DESCENDANTS, SAINT WENNA THE QUEEN, SAINT NON, SAINT SAMSON OF DOL, SAINT CYBI, AND SAINT DAVID OF WALES
THE FEAST OF EDWARD DEARLE, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WISHART, SCOTTISH CALVINIST REFORMER AND MARTYR, 1546; AND WALTER MILNE, SCOTTISH PROTESTANT MARTYR
THE FEAST OF RICHARD REDHEAD, ANGLICAN COMPOSER, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROGER LEFORT, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF BOURGES
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Tabernacle
Image in the Public Domain
Precious to God
NOT OBSERVED IN 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 147:13-21 (LBW) or Psalm 147:12-20 (LW)
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
John 1:1-18
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Almighty God, you have filled us with the
new light of the Word who became flesh and lived among us.
Let the light of our faith shine in all that we do;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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O God, our Maker and Redeemer,
who wonderfully created and in the incarnation of your Son
yet more wondrously restored our human nature,
grant that we may ever be alive in him who made himself to be like us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 19
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The people of God are precious to God. All people are precious to God, of course. I focus on the people of God in this post because that is the axis of the through line in the assigned readings.
The readings from Isaiah and the Psalms, in the context of the Babylonian Exile, speak of the vindication of the Jewish exiles. Reading the first portion of Psalm 147 augments this theme.
Ephesians 1:5 refers to God having predestined certain people through Jesus Christ “for adoption toward him.” Adopted children of God receive an inheritance. The audience in the Epistle to the Ephesians was Gentile Christians.
John 1:14, in the Greek text (not necessarily in most English translations) speaks of the Word (Logos) of God–Jesus–pitching a tent in humankind. This tent is the Tent of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9). John 1:14 contains echoes of Joel 3:7; Zechariah 2:10; Ezekiel 43:7; Sirach 24:8; and other passages.
When the Prologue proclaims that the Word made his dwelling among men, we are being told that the flesh of Jesus Christ is the new localization of the ancient Tabernacle. The Gospel will present Jesus as the replacement of the Temple (ii.19-22), which is a variation of the same theme.
—Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII (1966), 33
The verb meaning “to pitch a tent” or “to dwell” occurs also in Revelation 7:15 (to refer to God’s presence in Heaven) and in Revelation 21:3:
He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.
God is present among us. Do we notice? God may seem thoroughly camouflaged, given the way the world is. Yet God, who has long been present, will not depart. People are precious to God. Do we notice? Do we consider others precious to God? Do we think of ourselves as precious to God?
How we think of ourselves and others dictates how we treat others. This underpins the Golden Rule. This also underpins mutuality, a Biblical virtue.
So, how do we think of ourselves and others?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 16, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERTO DE NOBOLI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BERARD AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS IN MOROCCO, 1220
THE FEAST OF EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS, U.S. UNITARIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BUNNETT, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUANA MARIA CONDESA LLUCH, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PROTECTRESS OF WORKERS
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY RICHARD MATTHEWS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, ORGANIST, AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Negev Desert
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
DECEMBER 17, 2023
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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 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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Isaiah 61:1-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:1-18
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Advent, in most lectionaries, begins with the Second Coming of Jesus and ends in a way that leads into the First Coming. The Humes four-year lectionary follows that pattern.
The balance of divine judgment and mercy in these four readings is obvious. In them judgment and mercy are like sides of a coin; one cannot have one without the other being present. For example, in Isaiah 61, in the voice of Third Isaiah, divine mercy for exiles entails judgment of their oppressors. The reading from 1 Thessalonians omits 5:15, unfortunately.
Make sure that people do not try to repay evil for evil; always aim at what is best for each other and for everyone.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
God reserves the right to repay evil with judgment. Far be it from me to tell God when to judge and when to show mercy.
The lectionary’s turn toward the First Coming is especially obvious in John 1:1-18, the magnificent prologue to the Fourth Gospel. According to this pericope, which emphasizes mercy (as the Johannine Gospel does), judgment is still present. It is human judgment, though; those who reject the light of God condemn themselves.
That which we call divine wrath, judgment, and punishment is simply the consequences of our actions blowing back on us much of the time. These can be occasions for repentance, followed by forgiveness and restoration. Hellfire-and-damnation theology is at least as wrong as universalism; both are extreme positions.
As we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, may we, trusting in God and walking with Jesus, recall these words (in the context of the Second Coming) from 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
…and may your spirit, life and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VENERABLE MATTHEW TALBOT, RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC IN DUBLIN, IRELAND
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI AND THE SISTERS OF MARY DELL’ORTO
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK LUCIAN HOSMER, U.S. UNITARIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SEATTLE, FIRST NATIONS CHIEF, WAR LEADER, AND DIPLOMAT
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/06/07/judgment-and-mercy-part-xii/
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Above: The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, by William Holman Hunt
Image in the Public Domain
Sonship and Fatherhood
JANUARY 2, 2022
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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 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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Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 147
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:41-52
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The Reverend George Washington Barrett (d. 1956), a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as well as one of my great-grandfathers, preached in the early years of the twentieth century that Jesus grew up in a Christian home. That analysis would have shocked the author of the Gospel of Matthew, who understood Jesus to have been a thoroughly Jewish figure whose life story echoed the history of Israel. In that Gospel, with its prominent contrast between Heaven and Earth, the young Jesus’s identification of God as his (heavenly) Father while St. Joseph, the man who raised the Messiah, was alive, brought up issues of types of fatherhood.
By faith and grace we are sons of God–members of the divine household. For the purpose of inclusion, a cause near and dear to my generally liberal heart, certain contemporary translations render the Greek word for “sons” as “children.” In so doing they lose the connection between the Son of God (4:4) as well as the “Spirit of his Son” (4:6) and each of us as a son of God by God’s actions (4:7), a case St. Paul the Apostle made in a culture in which only sons inherited. The gendered, seemingly exclusive language is actually inclusive, and the modernized, inclusive, neutered language sacrifices literary and theological subleties. I know a New Testament scholar who favors translating “sons” as “sons and daughters” rather than “children” for modern readers. He concedes that doing so sacrifices some meaning while stating that all modern translations sacrifice some meaning. I favor a translation that sacrifices as little meaning as possible and abhors superficial inclusiveness that makes us feel good and accomplishes little else.
We are, anyway, heirs of God, by faith and grace. We, the “sons of God,” are not exclusively male or Jewish; we come from many categories, but all of us are in God. This is wonderful news! The love of God, although unconditional, imposes the duty of faithful response on its recipients, not all of whom obey.
We can ever repay God, but at least we can be grateful. The metaphor of God as Father is a wonderful one. Yes, maternal images for God exist in the Bible, but the paternal ones are on my mind as I write this post, based partially on texts that use the word “father.” When human fathers disown their children, abuse them, et cetera, the metaphor of God as Father emphasizes the contrast between God and such sub par human fathers. One might think of St. Joseph, certainly a fine father (He did raise Jesus), but even he had human failings. As fine a father (as in the man who raises a child) St. Joseph was, we are supposed to understand, God is better. God is perfect. God adopts us. God cares deeply about us.
Do we care deeply about God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/sonship-and-fatherhood/
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Above: Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds
Image in the Public Domain
Reasons for Hope
DECEMBER 25, 2023
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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 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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Proper 2
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:[1-7] 8-20
Proper 3
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-12
John 1:1-14
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The Reverend Will Humes, consistent with the Roman Catholic tradition of the three masses of Christmas, provides Propers 1, 2, and 3 in his proposed lectionary. Proper 1 is for Christmas Eve. Propers 2 and 3 are for Christmas Day.
St. Gregory I “the Great,” Bishop of Rome (d. 604), provided the oldest surviving documentation of the three masses of Christmas. The midnight mass was at the Church of St. Mary Major. The second mass, at dawn, was at St. Anastasia’s Church. The third mass of the day was at the Church of St. Peter.
Proper 2
The context of Isaiah 62 was the end of the Babylonian Exile. The nations had witnessed the vindication of Israel in 61:10-62:2. The best days of the returning exiles lay ahead. The problem was that, according to all historical sources, those predictions of paradise on Earth did not come true. Returning exiles lived in a poor, backwater satrapy of the Persian Empire. Many people pushed those vaunted hopes into the future.
God is in charge. This is good news for the righteous and bad news for those He consumes. Justification by grace, which results from divine mercy, makes the justified heirs to eternal life, which is knowing God via Jesus (John 17:3). Part of living faithfully, of responding favorably to God in response to divine mercy, is striving to live more patiently as one acknowledges God’s promises. There is always hope, even though some of it has yet to arrive.
Regardless of the year you are reading this post, O reader, I guarantee that global news looks nothing like God’s full-blown reign on Earth. This is a matter of human sinfulness and of divine scheduling. Mustering patience can be difficult, I know, but we need not rely on our strength, which is insufficient anyhow. Fortunately, God seems to smile upon even the effort to muster patience; at least the attempt is a sign of good faith.
Proper 3
The readings from Hebrews 1 and John 1 present the heavenly Jesus, who dwelt among people and met with both acceptance and rejection. All the people of the Earth should rejoice because of the Incarnation, but most do not. This is unfortunate. It is also a matter for divine judgment and mercy; I will not presume to know more about the balance of those two factors than the very little I perceive.
The reading from Isaiah 52 is a prophecy of the restoration of Jerusalem. The Presence of God will dwell with the people, as it did after the Exodus and before the crossing into Canaan, we read. The full victory of God remains for the future, but the Incarnation constitutes a unique divine intervention into human events. The Incarnation points toward intervention and tells us, among other things, that we who follow Christ have excellent reasons to hope for the future.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/reasons-for-hope/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Our Mission from God
JANUARY 20, 2022
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures
to be written for the nourishment of your people.
Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that, comforted by your promises,
we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life,
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 23
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 61:1-7
Psalm 19
Romans 7:1-6
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The law of the LORD is perfect; it restores vitality,
the commandments of the LORD are reliable;
they provide wisdom for those who need it.
–Psalm 19:8, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989), by Harry Mowvley
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That is true. Yet what are we readers supposed to do with Romans 7:1-6?
I found the Commentary on Romans (Swedish, 1944; English, 1949) by Swedish Lutheran Bishop Anders Nygren helpful in considering that question. Nygren’s Commentary has proven to be influential and durable, for other published exegetes have quoted and/or referred to it. So why not cut out the middle man and go directly to Nygren?
Nygren argued that, according to St. Paul the Apostle, the Law (Torah) never dies. It has not expired or run its course, and Christ has neither superceded, negated, nor repealed it:
The law does not die. There is only one way to liberation. Only in the fact that the Christian has died with Christ is he really and truly set free beyond the realm of the law. Paul’s emphasis lies on this genuine liberation.
–Page 272
On page 268 Nygren presents in two columns the parallels between Romans 6 and 7:1-6. In Chapter 6 Christians die to sin so that they might walk in newness of life, in freedom from sin. When we turn to Chapter 7, we read of dying to the law for the purpose of serving in the new life of the Spirit, in freedom from the law.
This liberation has come through the death of Christ, and through the fact that by baptism we have become sharers in His death.
–Page 269
As a note in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003) stated well,
The point Paul desires to make is that death ends obligations; the law has lost its claim over Christians, who have transferred their allegiance to Christ.
–Page 2019
The theme of liberation via God to live righteously in the joy of God applies also to Isaiah 61:1-7. The speaker in that text is most likely the author of the last few chapters of the Book of Isaiah. The notes in The Jewish Study Bible–Second Edition (2014) identify him as Deutero-Isaiah. I think that Trito-Isaiah is the accurate label, but that is a minor issue. The prophet speaks of his mandate from God
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned;
To proclaim a year of the LORD’s favor
And a day of vindication by our God;
To comfort all who mourn….
–Isaiah 61:1b-2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The historical context of this pericope is the return of the Hebrew exiles to their ancestral homeland. Decades of captivity had understandably caused much despondency and prompted much derision, hence the necessity of the prophet’s mission.
In a broader sense, is not the prophet’s mission that of all who have known the love of God? Grace is free yet definitely not cheap; it requires a positive, faithful response. The wounded of heart and those who mourn are always around us. Captives and prisoners (both literal and metaphorical) are numerous also. The mission of Trito-Isaiah is mine as well as yours, O reader. Jesus claimed it as part of his mission in Luke 4:16-19. If he claimed it for himself, should not we who follow him?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 3, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE EVE OF THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI: PROPER FOR THE GOODNESS OF CREATION
THE FEAST OF THEODOR FLIEDNER, PIONEER OF THE DEACONESS MOVEMENT IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GEORGE KENNEDY ALLEN BELL, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF CHICHESTER
THE FEAST OF JOHN RALEIGH MOTT, ECUMENICAL PIONEER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/our-mission-from-god/
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Above: Saint John the Baptist
True Liberation
JANUARY 1, 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 61:1-11
Psalm 97 (Morning)
Psalms 99 and 8 (Evening)
Luke 1:57-80
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The spirit of the LORD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble,
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned;
To proclaim a year of the LORD’s favor
And a day of vindication by our God….
–Isaiah 61:1-2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
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The text from Luke 1 echoes Isaiah 61. In each case a prophet will proclaim a message from God, who “has visited his people” and liberated them (Luke 1:67, New Jerusalem Bible). This seems like an excellent time to point out the obvious: Post-Exilic Judea was part of the Persian Empire and Post-Hasmonean Judea was part of the Roman Empire. The Persians were generally more friendly that the Romans, at least.
So what kind of liberation was this? It was not political autonomy or independence. No, this was spiritual liberation–freedom (with rules) to love and follow God in daily practices and attitudes. Any lack of liberty–such as slavish legalism–was self-imposed. This spiritual liberation did not–and does not–depend on outside political or legal forces. In other words, this is an internalized liberation. Many martyrs have exhibited it under great stress. I have been writing hagiographies for my SUNDRY THOUGHTS weblog lately. Again and again I have encountered examples of this pattern. These martyrs still died, but they died as free men and women, even though they were prisoners.
Regardless of your circumstances, O reader, may you be free.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 22, 2012 COMMON ERA
ASH WEDNESDAY
THE FEAST OF ERIC LIDDELL, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY TO CHINA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PRAETEXTATUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF ROUEN
THE FEAST OF RASMUS JENSEN, LUTHERAN MISSIONARY TO CANADA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS THALASSIUS, LIMNAEUS, AND AND MARON, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/true-liberation/
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Above: The Visitation, with the Magnificat in Latin
God-Bearers
DECEMBER 17, 2023
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THE FIRST READING
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 (New Revised Standard Version):
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion–
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
…
For I the LORD love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before the nations.
THE TWO OPTIONS FOR THE RESPONSE
Psalm 126 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
4 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are glad indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
Canticle 15 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
(The Magnificat plus the Trinitarian formula)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 5 (New Revised Standard Version):
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.
May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
THE GOSPEL READING
John 1:6-8, 19-28 (New Revised Standard Version):
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
…
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him,
Who are you?
He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed,
I am not the Messiah.
And they asked him,
What then? Are you Elijah?
He said,
I am not.
[They asked,]
Are you the prophet?
He answered,
No.
Then they said to him,
Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?
He said,
I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him,
Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?
John answered them,
I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.
This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
The Collect:
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
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There is a cliche: The Lord moves in mysterious ways. Many statements become cliched because they are true, as is the case for this one. In these readings we read of the divine mandate for us to establish justice, especially that of the economic variety. We read also of the humility of John the Baptist, forerunner of our Lord, and of Mary, who became Mother of God. (Follow the logic: Jesus was God incarnate. Mary was his mother. Therefore she was the Mother of God.)
My Eastern Orthodox brethren refer to Mary of Nazareth as the Theotokos, or God-bearer. That she was, indeed. Through her God chose to become incarnate, to become one of us, and therefore to set into motion redemptive plans while affirming human dignity. It is a great mystery, one I choose to savor, not try to explain away or dismiss.
So I invite you, O reader, to echo the words of the Magnificat and to say the Hail Mary. And, I hope that, regardless of the state of your mariology (assuming that you have one) , that you will recognize yourself and all other human beings as God-bearers, then treat yourself and all others accordingly. Much justice will flow from that attitude.
KRT
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/god-bearers/
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Above: Christ the Sun Mosaic, the Vatican
The Logos of God
DECEMBER 31, 2023
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Isaiah 61:10-62:3 (New Revised Standard Version):
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation,
has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all nations.
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.
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.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Psalm 147:12-20 (New Revised Standard Version):
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
He grants peace within your borders;
he fills you with the finest of wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down hail like crumbs–
who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his ordinances.
Praise the LORD!
Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (New Revised Standard Version):
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
Abba! Father!
So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
John 1:1-18 (New Revised Standard Version):
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. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
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. (John testified to him and cried out,
This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”)
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
The Collect:
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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The prologue to the Gospel of John speaks (in Greek) of Jesus as the Logos (Word, in English) of God. Embedded within this idea is that grace and nature are not separate. Nature owes its existence to grace, and nature can be a means of grace. Furthermore, nature is a form of grace.
The Enlightenment was a wonderful corrective to abuses and excesses of the ages preceding it. So let nobody give short shrift to the Enlightenment. Yet this era, like all epochs, contained certain excesses and errors of its own. Among these was Deism, the idea that God is like a watchmaker. The watchmaker puts the watch together and winds it up, then leaves it alone. In contrast, the doctrine of the Logos indicates a God active in nature and our lives up to the present, and presumably well into the future. These dealings are for purpose of helping us find our proper equilibrium relative to God, and therefore to enjoy and glorify God. The love in this relationship should be mutual. That, at least, is the ideal. We, abusing or misusing our free will, however, make decisions which sabotage this plan.
So may we reciprocate the love God extends to us.
KRT
Written on June 5, 2010
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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