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Lectionary Notes
-
3rd Sunday after
the Epiphany
Readings for 3rd
Sunday After Epiphany, 1/27/08:
Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18,
Matthew 4:12-23
Isaiah 9:1-4:
- "The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -
on them light has shined." Great Epiphany language, and ties in with language
of Advent as well.
- "there will be no gloom for
those who were in anguish . . . [God] will make glorious the way of the sea."
I guess it is natural to do so, but I can't seem to help reading the
tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia into every text I read lately. Indeed, I
guess that is the power of God's word, isn't it?
- "the yoke . . . you have
broken." Can you think/imagine that feeling when you are working with all your
energy and then finally get to rest - like taking a break after a long run, or
going to bed after a long, long day? This is the kind of image that pops to my
mind here - the ultimate release/respite that God will give.
Psalm 27:1, 4-9:
- "Whom shall I fear?"
Here it is again, the fear theme, only now asked as a specific: 'who'.
The Psalm suggests that we fear no one when God is our light, a theme echoed
elsewhere in the scriptures, such as in the NT where we are encouraged to
fear only those who can slay the spirit, but not the body.
- shelter/conceal/cover/tent -
this psalmist desires protection and safety. Like when a little child hides
her face in her parents shoulder or legs.
- "seek [God's] face", "you face,
Lord, I seek", "do not hide your face." Maybe today we don't think as much
about God's face - we imagine God in a less personified way - at least I do.
But seeing God - not God in a bush or God in a messenger - this was a big
thing that few experienced in the scriptures. Indeed, probably few of us can
say we have seen God's face, right? But it implies a desire for intimacy with
God - close relationship - face to face.
1 Corinthians 1:10-18:
- This is a good text to come in
the midst of the
Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity.
- We can certainly take Paul's
chastisement of the Corinthians to heart, can't we? Today, the Christian
church is perhaps more about levels than ever. I'm a United Methodist. I'm
liberal. I'm conservative. I'm Catholic. I'm evangelical. I'm progressive. I'm
ordained. I'm laity. Our identifications are very important to us, and I don't
mean to minimize them - I'm a fervent UM through and through! But let's not
let our unity get squashed under our other identifications.
- "to proclaim the gospel, not
with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its
power." Hm - we don't think of our eloquent words as diminishing, do we? But
sometimes our words get in the way of the heart of the gospel Jesus lived and
taught.
Matthew 4:12-23:
- ah, more of Matthew worrying about things being
fulfilled :) He seems to take great comfort in being able to 'prove' how
everything came true in Jesus. I guess we need proof too sometimes, our
comfort proofs. Note, the passage Matthew quotes is the lectionary selection
from Isaiah for this day.
- Jesus takes up John's message of repentance. Don't
forget, the Greek means, literally, "to have a change of mind." A whole
attitude adjustment.
- "immediately" - I love this word in the New Testament.
I don't do things immediately, usually. Our society does not do things
immediately, even little things. So imagine just packing up, picking up, and
following a strange weird man - immediately.
- Jesus went preaching and teaching and healing. Active
work. Gospel-spreading work. Action words. Doing. We need to do as
well. To act.
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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