As we come to the end of the church year, the tone of our readings takes on the themes we associate with Advent.
1st Reading
(Track 1); Isaiah 65:17-25
This reading comes near the end of Isaiah,
echoing two passages from earlier in the book, Isaiah 25:6-10 and 11:6-9. It is
a grand apocalyptic vision of a renewed creation living fully within the dream
of God. This new creation hearkens back to Israel’s creation myth with people
living extraordinarily long lives and all the curses of life accumulated over
the years reversed (except for the serpent!) In Christian terms, this is the
fully resurrected life both for humanity and the whole creation. Notice there
is here no notion of “Heaven,” but instead a “new earth,” where just relations
are practiced.
65:17
[Thus says
the Lord God], I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former
things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am
about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in
my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of
distress. 20 No more shall there be
in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live
out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and
another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my
chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23
They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for
they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—and
their descendants as well. 24 Before
they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
Canticle (Track 1): First
Song of Isaiah (12:2-6)
The psalm is replaced today
by a canticle from The
Book of Common Prayer (#9, p. 86). Isaiah 12:2-6 (referred to as “The First Song
of Isaiah”) is a song of praise that concludes the first major section of the
book of Isaiah. It is a song of awaited
redemption. This hope is one with our
first reading this morning.
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and
not be afraid.
For the Lord
is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember
that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all
the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you
is the Holy One of Israel.
2nd Reading: 2
Thessalonians 3:6-13
It is
important in reading this passage to remember the context of this letter. Some
false teachers have convinced some of the Christians in Thessalonika that the
“day of the Lord” has already come. This has meant to many that their
responsibilities are over, and they have become idle, perhaps in a kind of
“eat, drink and be merry” kind of philosophy. Paul exhorts them otherwise. How
he does this is as important as what he does:
he appeals to the teaching of the apostles (the past), his own life in
imitation (the present), and to the coming of the Lord (the future).
3:6
Now we command
you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers
who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they
received from us. 7 For you
yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with
you, 8 and we did not eat anyone’s
bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day,
so that we might not burden any of you. 9 This
was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example
to imitate. 10 For even when we
were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not
eat. 11 For we hear that some of
you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in
the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in
doing what is right.
Gospel Reading: Luke 21:5-19
As we come to the end
of the church year, the tone of our readings takes on the themes we associate
with Advent. In our Gospel passage this
morning, Jesus speaks about the transitory nature of earthly things, even of
something as grand as the Temple. Luke
is writing this passage knowing that the Temple is indeed gone (destroyed by
the Romans in 70 c.e.). In those times, Jesus says, beware of those
who claim to be or say or know too much.
Our job will not be to predict or to choose up sides behind one or another
leader. Our job will be endurance—together,
for the “you” in the last verses of this passage is plural.
21:5
When some
were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and
gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, 6 “As
for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be
left upon another; all will be thrown down.” 7 They
asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is
about to take place?” 8 And he
said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and
say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. 9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do
not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not
follow immediately.” 10 Then he
said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in
various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and
great signs from heaven. 12 “But
before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand
you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and
governors because of my name. 13 This
will give you an opportunity to testify. 14
So make up your minds not to prepare your
defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your
opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed
even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some
of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of
your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.
The Scripture
quotations are from the New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian
Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The
translation of the Canticle is from The
Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries are copyright © 2019 Epiphany Esources,
67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy
for group study. Bulletin inserts are available. Go to our website for more information.
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