Prepare to Listen. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return.
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 35:8-10 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Prayerfully Wonder “A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way.” The imagery of highway is a common biblical image, reminding God’s people to focus on the journey rather than the destination, live in the now and travel well. The problem, as the prophet recognized, is that journeys are often fraught with challenges and uncertainties that instill fear instead of trust. Potential difficulties include losing our way, facing attack from an enemy, encountering false ideologies of cunning preachers and politicians, meeting lions or ravenous beasts, symbols of oppressive rulers who prey on the vulnerable and marginalized. As a result, fear becomes the default reaction on the highway making us suspicious of others. But on God’s highway we walk with the redeemed, the ransomed, that is, with the people who belong, body and soul, to the Redeemer, our Messiah. Fear and violence are unnecessary because the destination is secured and Messiah is present with us. We’re on God’s holy highway where “no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.” We can trust that “the ransomed of the LORD shall return.” This is the gospel, the good news. There is no need to be anxious about the way or to work for our safety because it’s guaranteed. Joy and gladness replace fear and sorrow on God’s highway. Prayerfully Reflect What surprised you in these verses? Prayerfully Respond Sometimes, Lord, I get lost in fear and anxiety and take matters into my own hands. Help me trust you that the highway is safe and secure all the way home. Amen. Live obediently. Trust the secure highway God built.
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Prepare to Listen. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened.
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 35:3-7 and Luke 7:18-23 Isaiah 35:3-7 3Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’ 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. Luke 7:18-23 18The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples 19and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ 20When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”’ 21Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 22And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ Prayerfully Wonder Is Jesus the Messiah? Many of us today don’t hesitate to answer, “Yes.” But what may be obvious to us, isn’t obvious to others. It wasn’t obvious to the imprisoned John the Baptizer. He sent his disciples to ask: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus didn’t rebuke John for his doubts, nor did he respond with a simple yes or no, nor offer doctrinal propositions to believe. He wasn’t, as one preacher suggested, being coy and reluctant to own up. He chose a more helpful approach, giving his answer in specific and concrete acts that John’s disciples observed him doing. At the end of the day, he sent John’s disciples back with this message, quoting Isaiah: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.” By referring to these concrete acts, Jesus conveyed that he was fulfilling the role of the Messiah as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. He made the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the mute sing. These are the poor, the powerless, the least and most vulnerable in any society. Jesus came to save them and commanded us to welcome them into our homes and churches (see Lk 14:13f). Where that happens, we’ll be able to proclaim, Here is your God! Prayerfully Reflect What caught your attention as you read the poetry of Isaiah and Jesus’ words in Luke? Prayerfully Respond Help me live today in a way that offers hope and compassion to the least, the marginalized, the criticized and judged so that others will know, Here is my God, the Messiah who saves. Amen. Live obediently. Live today to make God’s presence known and felt by others. Prepare to Listen. See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation.
Prayerfully Read Zechariah 9:9-10 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle-bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Prayerfully Wonder Rejoice greatly, shout aloud; your king comes to you. We usually read these words on Palm Sunday. However, Handel put them early in his Messiah, relating them to Jesus’ first Advent. It’s good to reflect repeatedly on Messiah’s character, described here in three words: triumphant, victorious, and humble. The Hebrew terms for “triumphant and victorious” more accurately mean “righteous and having salvation” (i.e., saved or delivered).[1] Righteous, in biblical usage, implies fulfilling relationship demands, administering justice (as in equity and equal rights), living rightly, trafficking in truth telling. The second word, saved/delivered, relates to being vindicated, declared right. For instance, Jesus was falsely judged and crucified but vindicated by God in the resurrection. The third term is humble, a challenging virtue and not one that characterizes most rulers. However, Jesus, the supreme Ruler, is characterized by humility, which meant knowing that everything he accomplished was the result of God’s great work and not his own. [2] This is the Messiah we follow, and we’re called to be like him. We’re called to live righteously by fulfilling relationship demands, seeking justice and promoting truth. We live humbly when we acknowledge we’ve been declared right, vindicated by God, not due to our own efforts, but through the work of Jesus. Therefore, we rejoice and shout aloud because our King continually comes to us. Prayerfully Reflect How can you practice righteousness, justice and truth telling today? Prayerfully Respond There is so much in our world, Lord that seeks to dampen our rejoicing. Help me look beyond the mess so that I can see you coming in your compassionate and peaceful way today and rejoice. Amen. Live obediently. See your king comes to you. [1] As in Today’s New International Version and Achtemeier, Elizabeth. Nahum-Malachi. Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1986, p. 151. [2] See John 5:19 where Jesus claims to do “nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing.” Prepare to Listen. ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’
Prayerfully Read. Ephesians 5:14b-20 14bTherefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ 15Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayerfully Wonder “Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” This saying echoes Isaiah’s admonition: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you” (60:1). Paul used the saying to introduce plain words on how to obey the commands to rise and shine in the light of Christ. First, be careful how you live. This highlights the importance of living thoughtfully, considering how our behavior aligns with the goal of letting Christ’s light shine in and through us. Take your in Christ life seriously. Second, Paul uses three pairs of contrasts, beginning with to live not as unwise but as wise. The wisdom of Christ in us gives us the ability to discern between the worthless, that which wastes time, energy, and resources, and the worthy, that which gives life and glorifies God. His 2nd contrast, explains the unwise/wise contrast; don’t be foolish but understand the Lord’s will. Discernment of and understanding God’s will requires thoughtful reflection and evaluation of what is good, bad, and the best choice. Think about what consumes your time and resources. Do they align with the way of Jesus our Messiah? Finally, don’t get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Paul connects the contrast between wisdom and foolishness with the need for the Holy Spirit, suggesting that true wisdom and wise living are only possible through the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit helps us discern how to live carefully so that Christ’s light shines through us and is visible to the world. Prayerfully Reflect What steps can you take to be careful how you live today? Prayerfully Respond Lord Jesus fill me with your Spirit so that I live carefully, choosing wisdom over foolishness. Amen. Live obediently. Think about how you live. Prepare to Listen. Arise, shine; for your light has come.
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 60:1-5 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. Prayerfully Wonder Two commands: Arise. Shine. The reason for them: “for your light has come.” And that light is the glory of the LORD. It has come, risen upon us in Jesus who is the light and who gives light. It has nothing to do with our works or beliefs. Not surprisingly Jesus said to his disciples, as a statement of fact, not a command: “You are the light of the world.”[1] When the angels appeared to the shepherds after the birth of Jesus, the glory of the Lord shone around them.[2] The LORD has risen upon us, his glory has appeared over us. Arise and shine so that the world sees God’s glory. Despite the thick darkness around us today, a darkness of negativity, fear, violence, a darkness that makes seeing and experiencing God’s presence almost impossible, despite all that God breaks through in glory, a glory that is light. It’s what we hope for in these times of negativity, fear and violence. The glory is God’s power and majesty shining on us. This light will be like a magnet drawing all nations out of their darkness to the Lord’s glory. Two additional commands are given: Lift up your eyes and look around. Imagine looking and seeing all nations coming to the Lord brought into the light of God’s glory. Rejoice because God’s blessing extends to all nations. As Motyer notes, “the world is saved in the salvation of Zion,”[3] that is, in God’s people. Prayerfully Reflect What does it mean to you to arise and shine today? Prayerfully Respond Help me live today as your light in the world, as a magnet that draws many to you because they see your glory and not me. Amen. Live obediently. Arise and shine. [1] Matthew 5:14. [2] Luke 2:9. [3] Motyer, J. Alec. The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, p. 494. Prepare to Listen. (If using, light the first and second purple Advent candles.) If you do not stand in faith, you will not stand at all.
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 7:9b-14 and Matthew 1:23 9bIf you do not stand in faith, you will not stand at all. 10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. 13Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ Prayerfully Wonder Faith, not what you believe, but how you live, matters. But King Ahaz failed to accept this truth. He lacked faith in God’s loyalty to the ancient covenant made with Judah. Thus, when two small nations, Israel (Northern Kingdom) and Aram (Syria) attacked, Ahaz’s heart filled with fear and “shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.”[1] His fear led him to the foolish decision to ask an enemy, Assyria for help. God sent Isaiah to give the king assurance and a warning: “If you do not stand in faith, you will not stand at all.” Then God made a generous offer—ask me for a sign, no matter how easy or impossible. Ahaz remained unshaken in his fear. He piously refused to put God to the test, thinking he was obeying the Law.[2] But if God makes the offer, we should listen and obey. Fear ruled Ahaz. He lacked trust in God, and refused God’s generous offer. God gave him a sign anyway. We know it well because Matthew applied it to Jesus, who was conceived of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. There is no longer legitimate room for fear. We too live in a culture of fear that has led many to arm themselves, divide from those who believe and live differently, ban books with which they take offence, and more. We must keep in mind God’s sign, Immanuel. Trust his presence and power to keep us from our fears and foolish decisions. Remember: No faith, no future! Prayerfully Reflect Name your fears and rely, trust (the meaning of faith) God’s presence with and in you to lead you in right paths. Live this today. Prayerfully Respond Lord, don’t let my fears lead me to foolishness that turns me away from you. Deepen my trust in you to guard your people today. Amen. Live obediently. Stand in faith or you will not stand at all. [1] Isaiah 7:2. [2] “Do not put the LORD you God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16). Prepare to Listen. Thus says the LORD, the LORD of hosts.
Prayerfully Read Haggai 2:6-9 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the LORD of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts. Prosperity has to do with shalom Prayerfully Wonder Israel’s homecoming, after decades of exile in Babylon, wasn’t easy. Everything, including the Temple (symbol of God’s presence) remained in the ruins left by Babylon. They presumed their initial priority was to strengthen the defenses of Jerusalem against potential attacks and rebuild houses for the safety of their families. But, and here’s the surprising thing, the prophet Haggai denounced both tasks, demanding they begin instead with rebuilding the Temple. Safety lay, not in the ability to defend themselves from enemies, but in the presence of the LORD, trusting, “here is our God.” Thus it’s not surprising that the promises in these verses relate to the temple and not to protection from an enemy. The LORD of hosts promised, “I will fill this house with splendor.” Five times Haggai calls Yahweh, the LORD of hosts. In essence it means, as Joyce Baldwin states, “the source of all power, the controller of armies, on earth and in heaven.”[1] And God will shake the heavens, the earth, all nations, so that the best from all nations pours into God’s Temple. Brueggemann suggests that shake “refers to an immense upheaval” one that will benefit Jerusalem and the Temple[2] because the Temple was treasured by God. We live today with very different vulnerabilities, and, like Israel, we’re tempted to protect our cities, our homes, our families, make our country safe again. Haggai’s surprising message encourages us to prioritize creating space for God’s presence, allowing God’s splendor to shine through us. Prayerfully Reflect What surprised you as you read these words from Haggai? Notice and reflect on the frequency of the phrase: the LORD of Hosts. Prayerfully Respond Lord of Hosts, give me the courage to focus on the splendor of your presence that I may experience it, trusting you to protect me from all change and uncertainty in the world today. Amen. Live obediently. Trust the power and splendor of the LORD of Hosts. [1] Baldwin, Joyce. Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi: An introduction and commentary. IL: Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press 1972, p. 32. [2] Brueggemann, W. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003, p. 249. Prepare to Listen. Messiah will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Prayerfully Read Mark 1:4-8 4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ Prayerfully Wonder John had one purpose in life: to identify and announce the promised Messiah. The people he preached to anticipated that Messiah would rescue them from Roman oppression and restore the nation to peace and prosperity. Perhaps they expected a call to arms, or an invitation to participate in the overthrow of their oppressor. But John didn’t have a political agenda. There was no call to arms. Instead, he proclaimed “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Imagine a well-equipped army invading your country today. Then imagine God sending a messenger who, instead of calling you to take up arms and fight, calls you to repent; instead of offering victory over the invading army, offers forgiveness of sins. If you can imagine that you can enter the story of John the Baptizer. The Messiah can’t be squeezed into a mold of the people’s making, not then, not now. To receive Jesus as Messiah, all our concepts of him must be abandoned. Repentance literally means to change your mind about your beliefs and behavior. It means giving up all expectations of Messiah, and being open to a Messiah (Jesus), who is often nothing like what we imagine. Be prepared to be challenged and encounter Jesus as he truly is, not as we wish him to be. He doesn’t fit into our molds, will not conform to our expectations. He calls us, not to violent overthrow of our enemy, but to repentance for the forgiveness of our sins. Prayerfully Reflect What surprised you in this familiar story from Mark? Prayerfully Respond Your way, Lord Jesus, is a radical one demanding that we practice changing our minds and thus our ways. Give me courage and integrity to this liberal way of living that sets people free. Amen. Live obediently. Practice repentance, a willingness to change your mind. Prepare to Listen. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Prayerfully Read Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Prayerfully Wonder “We are parched for a word from God,” wrote Todd Billings.[1] In our thirst we search for a word in all sorts of places, perhaps looking for brief inspiring slogans that are memorable rather than challenging. It’s ironic that we continue to search for a word when we already have the Word, in written form, but too few of us read the Bible today, and our thirst remains. Mark’s contemporaries had no written Word and “despaired that the prophetic voice of Israel had fallen silent forever.”[2] They longed for a Word because there’d been no prophets proclaiming, Thus says the Lord. With his reference to the prophet Isaiah, Mark “boldly implies that the Word of Yahweh is now again being spoke.”[2] God sent John to break the silence and proclaim God’s Word. He went, not to the places where crowds gathered, but to the sparsely populated wilderness across the Jordan River. They made a treacherous journey to hear the good news, which wasn’t given in comforting slogans or a call to arms, but in a demanding challenge to repent, change their minds. Their visions of a political Messiah rescuing them from the occupying Romans had to change. John’s message, as we’ll see tomorrow, said nothing about a political rescue. Messiah wasn’t and still isn’t one that we can domesticate and make into an image of what we want him to be. His Word will both comfort and disturb, assure, and challenge. Are we ready and willing to hear it? Prayerfully Reflect What do you need to do or give up to truly hear God’s Word today? Prayerfully Respond Lord, I thirst for your word but often fail to hear it because I fail to set aside time to listen to you in your Written Word. Give me the strength today to make the hard journey to truly hear you. Amen. Live obediently. Let your thirst lead you deeper into God’s Word. [1] Billings, Todd. The Word of God for the People of God. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010, p. 1. [2] Meyers, Ched. Binding the Strong Man. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2015, p. 125. Prepare to Listen. But who may abide the day of his coming.
Prayerfully Read Malachi 3:1-6 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. 6For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. Prayerfully Wonder Some verses in the Bible I can do without! The bass in Handel’s Messiah sings one of them: “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” As you look forward to Christmas, is this a verse you think about? I don’t. Malachi’s negative picture of Messiah isn’t one we focus on much today. We forget that Jesus came as judge. His task is to purify and cleanse his people of sin. Therefore, we should read more carefully Malachi’s warning so that we’re prepare to welcome Messiah. Verses 5-6 list the sins Messiah, as judge, will condemn. The list is surprising. Swift judgment comes, not on stuff we hear a lot about today—abortion and homosexuality—but on stuff the church remains silent about—lying, oppressing the migrant workers, the widow, and orphan, thrusting aside the alien. This list should motivate us to actively change and pursue justice. Instead, we often vote for politicians who promise to safeguard our rights, who restrict immigration, turning away the alien. Ignoring these sins is evidence, Malachi says, of a failure to fear the LORD of hosts, that is, a failure to live in ways that reflect obedience to what truly is against God, and also a failure to recognize God as the source of all power, Ruler of all creation. Will we welcome him on the day of his coming? Prayerfully Reflect What surprised you about Malachi’s list of wrongdoing to be judged by Messiah? How will this change your way of thinking about Messiah and living his Way? Prayerfully Respond Lord Jesus, I pray for the oppressed poor and the aliens who are thrust aside in my country. May I help them experience your welcome and power. Amen. Live obediently. Fear the Lord in how you treat the poor and the alien. |
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