Saturday December 14 Advent 2
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Psalm 30
Because of its references to being in the grave, followed by joy, this psalm is often used on Saturdays, the weekly mini-anniversary of Jesus’ being in the grave.
“God’s wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye”—it’s not that God is losing God’s temper, but that God made the world so that actions have predictable consequences—anything else would produce chaos. It’s inevitable that evil selfish actions on our part have consequences but the psalm proclaims that God’s goodness acts to overcome the evils that we have caused. Christians interpret Jesus’ dying and rising as the process by which God accomplishes fulfilment and joy for us despite our evil.
Psalm 32
When I acknowledged my sin, I received immense joy. When we acknowledge our participation in oppressive policies, we know God will overcome those, and we can also be in joy instead of living in denial or guilt. Then we will have the energy to act against those oppressions.
Isaiah 8: 1-15 What’s Isaiah about?
The boy referred to in yesterday’s reading as being about to be born to a “young woman” (not “a virgin” as later mistranslated into ancient Greek) is to be named “Hurry to the spoils.” Before this boy learns to speak, i.e. within a year or so, God will act to bring the inevitable consequences of the land having abandoned the God of justice and inclusion. Isaiah then uses the image of an inundating river to illustrate how utterly the land will be devastated by the Assyrians. Some respond that Isaiah does not trust God to care and rescue, but God has warned him not to trust the popular proclamation that God will automatically defend the people—even God cannot prevent the consequences of their greed and oppression of the poor.
The Assyrians did in fact conquer both the northern and southern parts of the country. Isaiah is interpreting this disaster as the consequence of the country making wealth and oppression their priority. While these interpretations sound like the proclamation of an angry God, it is intended as good news—that change is possible and that it’s not God but their own misguided policies that are bringing this disaster.
The same would be an appropriate proclamation about many of the looming disasters of our day.
Luke 22: 31-38 What’s Luke about?
This is the final conversation at the the Passover meal, what we now call the Last Supper, the first eucharist. Peter does not yet grasp the depth of his own faithlessness to Jesus which will happen later this evening. Jesus understands what Peter will do and prays that after Peter grasps what has happened, he will lead the others into understanding what God is doing through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Jesus goes on to say that when they understand and start to proclaim God’s message that self-sacrificing love is the only way to full life, they will need all the strength they can get, because most people will reject this style of life. Luke portrays the disciples as misunderstanding Jesus, taking him literally and offering to provide him with a sword so he can fight off his attackers and not have to die. Jesus rejects their desire to rely on power and violence to bring full life to the world.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
who sent your servant John the Baptist
to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah,
inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth,
to turn our disobedient hearts to you,
that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge,
we may stand with confidence before his glory;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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