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Lectionary Notes
- 2nd Sunday after
the Epiphany
(view
sermon for this text)
Readings for 2nd
Epiphany, 1/20/08:
Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-11, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John
1:29-42
Isaiah 49:1-7:
- "The Lord called me before I was
born, while I was in my mother's womb [God] named me." Such conviction in
Isaiah's words! Do you have this conviction about your own identity and
calling? I think I'm there most of the time. I'm not perfect, but I know I'm
called - that has been one thing I've been able to trust in my life. You are
called. Named. Believe it!
- "[God] made my mouth like a
sharp sword." Isaiah also identifies here some of his skills. He's not
boastful, just direct, and not ashamed of what he can do. Why are we so
embarrassed to claim our gifts? If we believe they are gifts from God, we
should not hesitate to name our talents.
- See, though, even as Isaiah
knows that he is called, trusts in his role for God, God asks of him more,
gives him more to do. That's the trouble with God! :) We have to be prepared
for a life of service. We don't get to sign off once we've completed some
individual aspect of what God has planned for us.
Psalm 40:1-11:
- A psalm of thanksgiving for God saving a person in a
time of great need. With the phrase "miry bog" in verse 2, I can't help but
think of the tsunami victims in Southeast
Asia this week.
- "He put a new song in my mouth." Another good phrase
near the beginning of a new year. What new song do you want God to give to
you? What bog do you need to be rescued from right now?
- "Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have
given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required."
Verse like these, similar to sentiments expressed, for example, in Psalm 51,
show that even the people who still followed laws of ritual/animal sacrifice
could see that it was not the offerings themselves that God wanted - but the
hearts of the worshippers that were important to God. We all have our rituals
and religious customs that are meaningful for our worship - but let us never
let them get in the way of what is really under it: our relationship with God.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9:
- "called to be saints" - believe
it! That's you and me, called to be saints. Of course, Paul was talking about
the Corinthians, but we can take it for ourselves too. We probably all have a
short list of folks we think of as "saints" or at least "saintly". What makes
you think of them that way? How can you be more like them?
- "you have been enriched in him"
- I like this phrasing. Enriched by knowing Jesus.
- These are the opening words to
the Corinthians - you can see how much Paul is trying to build them up, affirm
their faith, get them to stay committed. I think we all need someone who can
and will do that for us. And we can do that for someone else too - build them
up.
John 1:29-42:
- This first section of our reading is John's sort of
'introduction' of Jesus - almost like his endorsement speech.
- "Here is the Lamb of God." Notice how different this
description John gives of Jesus is from his other gospel descriptions of Jesus
as one wielding the ax. Did John come to change his mind about Jesus'
character? Or is this just a different gospel writer's viewpoint?
- "And I myself have seen and testified that he is the
Son of God." Such a direct statement, when there are so many times that Jesus
and others are very cryptic and round about in naming Jesus' identity as God's
Son.
- "The two disciples heard [John] says this, and they
followed Jesus." That's it. That's all it took for Andrew to claim, "we have
found the Messiah." That's all it took for them to drop everything and follow
Jesus. I am so amazed by this, so moved by this. If we believe Jesus to be who
and what we say that he is, preach that he is, why is it so hard for us to
commit and follow? Who else would because of a few words? It seems to me that
we'd be more likely these days to stalk a celebrity than follow Christ around
town.
Pastor’s Note: (I use the Greek-English
Lexicon from Liddell and Scott, the “little Liddell”
and the Metzger et. al Greek New Testament in my translation work.)
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