On this day when we celebrate Christ as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” we are reminded that it was the cross that was and is his throne.
1st Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Our passage today begins with an indictment
of Israel’s kings (“shepherds”). The sheep have been scattered (into exile)
because the shepherds have failed to lead and protect them. Then two promises
follow. The first is that God will intervene to gather the sheep (end the
exile) and raise up new shepherds. The second promise is that this new shepherd
will be like David, whom God has never abandoned. Unlike the shepherds under
whom Judah failed, this Davidic king will rule in righteousness. Christians experience
this new rule in Jesus.
23:1
Woe to the
shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2 Therefore
thus says the Lord, the God of
Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and
have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to
you for your evil doings, says the Lord.
3 Then I myself will gather the
remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will
bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will
shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall
any be missing, says the Lord. 5 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a
righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute
justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In
his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the
name by which he will be called: "The Lord
is our righteousness."
Canticle: Song of
Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
The psalm is replaced
today by a canticle from The Book of Common Prayer (#16, p.
92). Luke 1:68-79 is the song which
Zechariah sings at the naming of his son John (the Baptist). The song
articulates the tradition of Israel, the promises upon which the faith of
Israel is founded. It then proclaims that these promises of old will find their
fulfillment in the testimony of this child. In Luke’s Gospel, John is very much
the symbol of the old covenant looking forward to the new.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he
has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born
of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from
the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and
to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to
set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy
and righteous in his sight
all
the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the
Most High, *
for
you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by
the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the
dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow
of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Or this
Psalm 46
Psalm 46 is a song
extolling God as king over Jerusalem, the bringer of peace and the source of
the people’s strength.
1 God is our refuge and strength, *
a very present help in
trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be
moved, *
and though the mountains
be toppled into the
depths of the sea;
3 Though its waters rage and foam, *
and though the mountains
tremble at its tumult.
4 The Lord
of hosts is with us; *
the
God of Jacob is our stronghold.
5 There is a river whose streams make glad the city
of God
the holy habitation of the
Most High.
6 God is in the midst of her;
she shall
not be overthrown; *
God shall help her at the
break of day.
7 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are
shaken; *
God has spoken, and the
earth shall melt away.
8 The Lord
of hosts is with us; *
the
God of Jacob is our stronghold.
9 Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, *
what awesome things he has
done on earth.
10 It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;
*
he breaks the bow, and
shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with
fire.
11 “Be still, then, and know that I am God; *
I will be exalted among
the nations;
I will be exalted in the
earth.”
12 The Lord
of hosts is with us; *
the
God of Jacob is our stronghold.
2nd Reading: Colossians 1:11-20
The Letter to
the Colossians was written to counter “false teaching” (2:8-23) which seems to
have been the insistence on a kind of “super piety.” Paul begins his letter,
after the initial greeting (1:1-10), with a prayer for the community (vv.
11-14) in which he emphasizes the simplicity of the gospel and our response to
it, centering on thanksgiving. He then quotes from what was most likely an
early Christian hymn (vv. 15-20). The hymn has roots in the Hebrew Wisdom
tradition (see Wisdom 7:22, 26 and Proverbs 8:22-30). It is a presentation of
the “cosmic Christ,” whose death has reconciled all things to God.
1:11
May you be
made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may
you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has
enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of
darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins. 15 He is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all
things have been created through him and for him. 17
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. 18 He is the head of the
body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he
might come to have first place in everything. 19
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to
reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace
through the blood of his cross.
Gospel Reading: Luke 23:33-43
On this day when we
celebrate Christ as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” we are reminded that it
was the cross that was and is his throne. This is a very different king than
humankind generally experiences or imagines. As Luke recounts Jesus’ death, he
emphasizes the power he exercises from the cross—forgiveness, forgiveness for
those who have betrayed and conspired against him, and forgiveness for the
common thief who reaches out to him.
Traditionally, the “good thief’s” name was Didymus. Many prison chapels
are dedicated to him.
23:33
When they
came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the
criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders
scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the
Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The
soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the
Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was
also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there
kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you
not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly,
for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing
wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43
He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
Paradise.”
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 Psalm and the
translation of the Canticle are 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.
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