Friday December 2 Advent 1
Click here for simplified daily office prayers
Psalm 16
I have been loyal to the God of justice, save me from the grave and I will have joy.
Psalm 17
I am innocent, but the evil people surround me—save me and I will be fulfilled.
Both these psalms are appropriate for Fridays, the weekly mini-anniversary of the crucifixion and both conclude with hope for new life.
Isaiah 3: 8-15 What’s Isaiah about?
The reason the nation is in trouble is because the leaders have been “grinding the face of the poor.” This horrific image expresses God’s absolute rejection of such behaviour and forces us to confront what has been going on in our time.
Luke 20: 41—21: 4 What’s Luke about?
Jesus seems to be arguing against the widespread belief that the messiah would be descended from King David—the original great king—and therefore wold be born in Bethlehem (David’s city). Early Christians strongly believed Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, which is why it is so odd to find Jesus arguing that the messiah is not descended from King David.
Perhaps Jesus is saying that God can work outside normal expectations and in spite of the powerful royal families. The royal families of his time were descended from David but had abandoned loyalty to the God of justice and had become loyal to the Roman empire and its gods of violent oppression. So Jesus may be saying that to claim the messiah is descended from King David is to say that the messiah will practice injustice and oppression.
Jesus then publicly criticizes the exploitation of the poor by religious leaders (who were members of the same royal families) and commends the startling generosity of the very poor. No wonder he will be executed in a couple of days.
Just as will happen to those who think they are leaders, when the kingdom arrives, for which we are to live in expectation, many of our normal expectations will be reversed.
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ
came to us in great humility,
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Click here to share your thoughts on the web site.