January 1

Gospel for January 1, 2023 Epiphany Sunday

“Les rois mages en voyage” (The Magi Journeying) by James Tissot is in the Brooklyn Museum.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 2:1-12
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

What a strange story! Non-Jewish Magi who come from the exotic east, shrouded in mystery. Almost no detail is given about their background, their motivation, or their beliefs. The reader is left to speculate about their brief appearance on the stage of this salvation history.

We only really know about the Magi from sources outside of Scripture — the Greek historian Herodotus, for example, tells us that the Magi were once a separate ethnic group in what is now modern-day Iraq and Iran, whose resistance to the more powerful Babylonians and Medo-Persians proved futile. That they were relegated to a kind of caste-like status as priests. That they were likely followers of the teaching of Zoraster, who believed in the cosmic struggle of good and evil, light and darkness represented by the gods Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, but that eventually the good deity Ahura Mazda will prevail. At the end of time a “savior figure” would arise who would renew the world and revive the dead.

So much for their identity. Another question we ask is how did they know that this star presaged the birth of the one who has been born king of the Jews? And why would they come to worship him? Was it because they had rubbed shoulders with Jewish scholars who had been exiled to Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.? And because they shared with the Jews a hope for a coming savior at the end of time? Our answers are only pure speculation.

But none of this is explored or interpreted in the Gospel. The arrival of these ancient astronomers is simply declared as a fact, without explanation.

However, their instincts, though logical, are wrong! They travel between 500 and 1000 miles, only to arrive five miles away from the real destination (the city of David, Bethlehem Ephrata). They go instead to Jerusalem, the capital of Judea!

Herod is depicted here much the way he is depicted in the literature of the time — wily, cunning, deceptive — and ruthless. He is troubled for obvious reasons. He is not the rightful heir to the throne of David, and he knows it. He is an Idumean. If the presumptive Jewish heir of David has been born, and the Jewish people find in him a champion, it could mean serious trouble for Herod’s uneasy reign. Remember that he is a client king under the sponsorship of the Roman empire. He serves at their pleasure alone.

And when Herod is troubled, everybody in Jerusalem is troubled!

Curiously enough, Herod has enough sense to consult the Jewish priests of the temple that he is trying to reconstruct and renovate. And they turn to their own ancient scriptures, specifically to Micah 5:2 and 4. The Scriptures all point to the City of David, and the rightful heir of the throne.

Herod’s request of the Magi is worthy of every Hollywood villain we have ever met:

“Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

As we come to discover, his motives are diabolical — in Matthew 2:16 he gives orders for his soldiers to slaughter all the male children in Bethlehem under the age of two. He will not tolerate the possibility of a royal rival.

But it is not the priests, or King Herod, who go to worship the newborn King. The Gentile Magi, strangers from a strange land, come to worship him and spread their gifts before him.

Again, much may be made of the three gifts that they bring. Incidentally, it may go without saying that we are not told how many Magi there are, just that there are three gifts. The gifts are quite expensive, worthy of a king. Gold, the currency of that age and every age; frankincense, used in temples and presumably by the Magi themselves to be burned on occasions of worship; and myrrh, an expensive perfumed ointment often used for healing and for anointing the wealthy dead.

It is interesting to note that in Matthew’s Gospel there is no description of stable or manger. The Magi come to a house where they find Mary and Jesus. Time may well have elapsed between the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi — which may also explain why Herod commands the murder of two-year-olds and younger.

Matthew’s Gospel, in these early chapters especially, features the importance of dreams as a means of divine communication — the Magi are warned, just as Joseph is, by means of a dream that Herod means to kill the child. And they slip away, escaping detection by Herod’s spies.

APPLY:

There are many rich levels that we might explore as we seek to apply this passage to our own lives.

First, that the Magi are Gentile foreigners who, despite their exotic culture and ancient religion, are nevertheless drawn to this Jewish Messiah. This is a reminder to us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ transcends our parochial, ethnocentric, or nationalistic boundaries. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for people of every tribe, nation, language and culture.

Second, we find it irresistible not to think of the Magi as modern-day scientists. Their search for truth is like ours — they follow the “signs” that are presented. And they come so close! But not close enough. A miss is as good as a mile when it comes to finding Jesus.

So it is through the guidance of Scripture — God’s own self-revelation — that they are directed to Bethlehem. The Bible is a sufficient rule both of faith and practice, we believe.

But ultimately, they must take the journey of faith for themselves. Reason and Scripture may direct us toward God, but we must experience him for ourselves through worship and by giving our best offering possible — ourselves, our souls and bodies.

RESPOND:

I find in nature many compelling reasons to believe in God’s existence. I find in Scripture confirmation that this God loves me and wants to have fellowship with me. But I find in coming to God and worshiping him the direct evidence of my relationship with him.

Our Lord, you have given us various hints and signs of your presence in our midst. But ultimately we must respond to reason and Scripture by faith. Then we may truly worship you. Amen.

PHOTO:
“Les rois mages en voyage” (The Magi Journeying) by James Tissot is in the public domain.

Epistle for January 1, 2023 Epiphany Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 3:1-12
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Paul reveals the “mystery” that has been concealed throughout the history of Israel, and is now fully disclosed — that even the Gentiles have the opportunity to be included as heirs of salvation along with Israel.

There are some assumptions that are foundational for Paul. He himself is a Jew, as he makes very clear all through the Epistles. This means that he believes that the Hebrew Scriptures (which we know as the Old Testament) are very definitely the word of God. He believes that Israel is God’s covenant people.

This is what he makes clear in Romans 9:4-5:

Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

However, the mystery that he reveals in this passage is that the Gentiles, i.e., the “Nations” as they are called in the Old Testament, are also included in the plan of salvation. Jesus Christ is the Messiah for the Jews, but he is also the Messiah for the Gentiles. Gentiles are to be included for the sake of Christ, through faith. And it is this faith that he has insisted all along is the means of entry into the promises of God.

The mystery has been:

revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

We can presume that this is a two-fold revelation — the apostles are those who bear witness to Christ’s life, death and resurrection in Paul’s own time. But the prophets likely refers to the Hebrew prophets whose texts have become the Scripture also for the church.

Ultimately it is through the church that:

the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And it is in the church that Jews and Gentiles are:

members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

APPLY:

We can easily overlook just how radical this claim is by Paul. The self-consciousness of the Jews in his time is that they were the chosen people, they were the people of the covenant. Gentiles had no part in the relationship with God.

But to Paul, a Jew, a Pharisee, deeply devoted to the Law and the Prophets, has been disclosed the hidden truth — that God intended faithful Gentiles to be included in the covenant.

The clues were there all along in the Old Testament, but now they have been unveiled — God loves all the people of the world and wishes to save all who are willing.

For most of us this is good news indeed. Most of us are Gentiles, with roots in pagan, polytheistic Europe; or animist Africa; or in the ancient ancestor worship of Asia. Our ancestors were far from God.

But salvation is from the One God who has made heaven and earth, who has revealed himself to the nation of Israel for one purpose — that they might be a:

kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).

What is the purpose of such a kingdom of priests? Isaiah 60:3 (that we read earlier in this week’s lectionary selections), provides an answer:

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

God’s election of the Patriarchs, his revelation of the Law, his promises revealed through the prophets, and even the discipline imposed on Israel in exile, led inevitably through their collective priesthood to the One High Priest who is also our King — Jesus Christ. In him we all find our hope.

This is a reminder to us that God’s grace is available to all who will turn to him in faith, regardless of race or nationality or political differences.

RESPOND:

This mystery that has been revealed is still not completely fulfilled. Blacks and whites seldom worship together in the American church. Although some Jews have come to faith in Christ, there is still hostility between Jews and Gentiles because of centuries of persecution and anti-Semitism. My response must be to proclaim that the mystery has been revealed — all are welcome in the church of Jesus Christ. I may approach God with freedom and confidence because of what Christ has done, and I am also called like Paul to proclaim this unveiled truth to all that will listen.

Lord, your mystery has been revealed. Your desire is to reach all people with your love and grace through Jesus Christ. Help me to make Christ known, and to welcome all who will come in faith to follow him. Amen.

PHOTO:
“MLK Sunday Morning Quote” — background photo: “Steeple” by Chris is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for January 1, 2023 Epiphany Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is one of the so-called “Royal Psalms” that either honors the king or is, as in this case, an intercession for the king.

The intercession is for the Lord to endow the king with those qualities that will help him rule with justice and righteousness. The social concern here, as elsewhere in Psalms and in the Prophets, is not merely for the king’s wisdom, but that he will have a particular concern for the poor and the afflicted.

The Psalmist prays for distributive justice, but also for retributive justice.

He prays for prosperity and protection for the oppressed — that is distributive justice.
But he also prays that the king might have the power to crush the oppressor — that is retributive justice.

The metaphors in verses 5-7 implore the Lord to give the king long life and reign:

as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations. . .
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

In other words, may the king endure for as long as human imagination can possibly conceive!

Then, when we pick up with verses 10-11, the language sounds very much like Isaiah 60. Gifts from far distant kings will flow as tribute to the king in Jerusalem. Tarshish is as far west in the then known world the Psalmist can imagine — most likely Spain. And Sheba and Seba are in the lower peninsula of Arabia. Perhaps there is a nodding reference to the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon’s court at the height of his powers?

And the Psalmist closes once again with a strong sense of social justice for the weak and needy whom:

He will rescue . . . from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.

Again, as with Isaiah 60, the Christian reader can see some foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah — the references to justice and righteousness; the everlasting reign which will never end; and the tribute that comes from distant Gentile kings.

APPLY:

We live in a largely “democratic” era, when kings no longer rule with absolute power in most lands. But we still may pray for justice and righteousness, and relief for the poor and oppressed.

Obviously, the only “King” who will absolutely fulfill these longings is the true Anointed One, the Messiah Jesus.

Whatever tribute or gifts might be brought to him, or were brought to him in Bethlehem, his gifts to us far exceed what we can bring to him — justice, mercy, righteousness, true prosperity.

So we ultimately pray for his reign to come in our lives and in our world.

RESPOND:

What gift can I possibly bring to honor Christ? I have received far more than I can ever repay.

Our Lord, reign in my life and in our world! Bring your justice, righteousness and prosperity for all people. Amen!

PHOTOS:
“Psalm 72-5” by Baptist Union of Great Britain is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for January 1, 2023 Epiphany Sunday

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 60:1-6
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage, like so many in Isaiah, assumes a kind of “dual-citizenship.”

Obviously there is the meaning intended for Isaiah’s time; but then, there is the interpretation that Christian readers cannot help but make.

Many scholars believe that Isaiah 60 was written in the post-exilic period, after the Jews had been permitted to return to Jerusalem. Some even attribute this passage to the author they call “Third Isaiah.” This Isaiah would have been inspired by Isaiah, but not identical with the original Isaiah of the time of Uzziah, Ahaz and Hezekiah.

Whether we accept this view of historical criticism or not is not really the point. This passage is celebrating the triumph of God’s light over darkness, and the glory that will bring “all nations” to the brightness of God’s light.

Those who see this passage as a celebration of the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon/Persia in 538 B.C. have a good case when Isaiah describes how:

…our sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried in arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant,
and your heart will thrill and be enlarged. . .

And then there is the promised tribute that will come from the many nations as Jerusalem and its temple are rebuilt, long after their destruction in 587 B.C. by the Babylonians.

But what catches the Christian eye is the reference to:

A multitude of camels will cover you,
    the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah.
All from Sheba will come.
    They will bring gold and frankincense,
    and will proclaim the praises of Yahweh.

It’s hard for us not to see a parallel with Matthew 2, and the coming of the Magi, who are Gentiles (from the nations) bringing their gold, frankincense and myrrh. From the Christian point of view, the light and the glory that has dawned is the light and glory that is fulfilled in Christ!

APPLY:

Whether we are Jewish or Christian, this is a passage of hope and promise. Whatever darkness we may experience — and there is more than enough darkness in the world and in our lives — God’s light and glory will dawn with radiant beams.

Then our children will be brought into the presence of God, and there will be the sense of abundance that comes when God is in our midst.

RESPOND:

There has been, in my experience, no substitute for the “light” of God’s presence in the midst of my own darkness. Then my heart does thrill and rejoice. As I have felt exiled from God by my own faults and failures, so I have felt that I was able to return home to God illumined by his light.

Lord, may your light dawn again and again on your benighted people of all the world. We dwell in darkness without you. But when your glory radiates in our lives, we rejoice and experience a sense of abundance in you. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“respond-to-gods-light” is in the public domain.
The background photo: “Light on door at the end of tunnel” by Dusan Bicanski is in the Public Domain.

Old Testament for January 12, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 42:1-9
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Our Old Testament passage is one of four Servant Songs that have been identified in Isaiah. The four Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6 ( our current passage); Isaiah 50:4-9; and Isaiah 52:13 – 53:13.

The first logical question to ask is, ‘just who is the Servant?’ Like other questions pertaining to interpretation, the answer depends on who you ask. The Jewish scholar would likely answer that the Servant is the nation of Israel itself, or at the very least a prophet of Israel. The apostles and the early church fathers, however, saw unmistakable cues that indicated the Servant to be Jesus the Messiah.

This passage in particular bears a Messianic tone. The servant is the servant of Yahweh, his chosen. Certainly this does describe the unique relationship between Yahweh and Israel, as we see from the beginning when he revealed himself to Moses:

For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Again, we may have to take a both/and approach as we interpret this passage. From a Christian perspective, there is a particularity to the personal references about the servant. For example, Yahweh says here that the servant is:

my chosen, in whom my soul delights—
I have put my Spirit on him.

This language is echoed when Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan River, and a voice from heaven declares:

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).

From a Christian perspective, this declaration is not only about the servanthood of Jesus, but also his unique relationship to God the Father as the beloved Son.

And in the baptism account, we also have the confirmation of the coming of the Spirit on this servant/Son:

He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him (Matthew 3:16).

However, this Servant Song from Isaiah is not merely a coronation. Isaiah describes both the message and the method of this Messiah:

He will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout,
nor raise his voice,
nor cause it to be heard in the street.
He won’t break a bruised reed.
He won’t quench a dimly burning wick.
He will faithfully bring justice.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
until he has set justice in the earth,
and the islands will wait for his law.

The ultimate goal of this Servant is justice — which in Hebrew is more than a legal concept. Justice (Hebrew mishpat) describes the impact of God’s uniquely righteous judgment, and also the righteous order or custom of life that results from God’s reign.

However, the Servant¸ as the mediator of this new reign, will not do so with spectacular fanfare and violence, but with quiet gentleness:

He won’t break a bruised reed.
He won’t quench a dimly burning wick.

These metaphors suggest gentle mercy toward those who are weak and nearly extinguished.

But the Servant will also be tenacious in accomplishing Yahweh’s purposes:

He will not fail nor be discouraged,
until he has set justice in the earth

And we must also note that the Servant’s justice and judgement and reign will not be restricted to Israel, but inclusive of the nations (the Gentiles) and the far-flung world — the earth, and the islands.

In the latter half of this oracle from Isaiah, there is a shift in perspective. Yahweh is no longer speaking of the Servant; now he speaks to the Servant.

Yahweh declares his sovereignty over all the earth and the heavens as Creator and Sustainer of all things:

Thus says God Yahweh,
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it,
he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it.

It is this God who now instructs the Servant as to his job description on earth:

“I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness,
and will hold your hand,
and will keep you,
and make you a covenant for the people,
as a light for the nations;
to open the blind eyes,
to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon,
and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.

The Servant’s character is grounded in God’s righteousness. This righteousness is defined by some Biblical commentators as God’s “steadfast and consistent purpose” (cf. Interpreter’s Bible, p. 468). And God’s “purpose” is further clarified by the remainder of this verse —

The Servant himself is to be a covenant for the people, establishing a corporate relationship between God and his people in himself!
The Servant is a light for the nations. This metaphor connects directly with the language used to describe Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus himself says:

I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

And Jesus also fulfills, both literally and metaphorically, the promises of this Messianic Servant to bring sight to the blind, and to release prisoners from the darkness of the dungeon of sin and death.

Yahweh asserts his authority to fulfill all of these promises, grounded in his name and his glory:

I am Yahweh.
That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another,
nor my praise to engraved images.

These claims can be traced all the way back to Exodus 3, when Yahweh reveals his holy name to Moses in the famous Tetragrammaton (the four letters of YHWH), as I Am That I Am. We also see a connection to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:

You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:4).

You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).

Finally, based on Yahweh’s sovereign authority and reign, he understands completely both past and future events:

Behold, the former things have happened,
and I declare new things.
I tell you about them before they come up.

APPLY:

First of all, this oracle from Isaiah doesn’t apply to us. It is not centered on us or on our well-being. However, it is focused on the one who has been called “The Man for others” by none other than Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The focus is on the Servant/Son of God, who comes to us in humility and gentle strength, who takes care not to break the bruised reed or extinguish the sputtering wick.

Nevertheless, because this Servant/Son is the “Man for others,” his coming does apply to us. He comes to bring justice; a righteousness that comes from God, not from ourselves. It a gift of grace. And he brings light and sight and liberation from our prisons.

The only person who can possibly be conceived to fulfill these promises is Jesus.

RESPOND:

Jesus is not my servant. Jesus is the servant and the Son of his Father. This is confirmed by Paul in his famous passage from Philippians:

Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus, who is equal with God, nevertheless becomes human and submits to the consequences of human frailty — death. But his self-abasement leads paradoxically to his exaltation above all things, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

So, this Servant/Son identifies with us, and through his identification delivers us from death. He is superlatively worthy of our worship!

Lord, you have fulfilled your promise, that in the Servant we would be delivered. And I trust you will fulfill your promises for “justice to the nations.” Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 42:6a” by Sapphire Dream Photography is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for January 1, 2017

“Les rois mages en voyage” (The Magi Journeying) by James Tissot is in the Brooklyn Museum.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 2:1-12

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

We only really know about the Magi from sources outside of scripture: the Greek historian Herodotus, for example, tells us that the Magi were once a separate ethnic group in what is now modern day Iraq and Iran, whose resistance to the more powerful Babylonians and Medo-Persians proved futile. That they were relegated to a kind of caste-like status as priests. That they were likely followers of the teaching of Zoraster, who believed in the cosmic struggle of good and evil, light and darkness represented by the gods Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, but that eventually the good deity Ahura Mazda will prevail. At the end of time a “savior figure” would arise who would renew the world and revive the dead.

So much for their identity. Another question we ask is how did they know that this star presaged the birth of the one who has been born king of the Jews? And why would they come to worship him? Was it because they had rubbed shoulders with Jewish scholars who had been exiled to Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. ? And because they shared with the Jews a hope for a coming savior at the end of time? Our only answers are pure speculation.

But none of this is explored or interpreted in the Gospel. The arrival of these ancient astronomers is simply declared as a fact, without explanation.

However, their instincts, though logical, are wrong! They travel between 500 and 1000 miles, only to arrive five miles away from the real destination – the city of David, Bethlehem Ephrata. They go instead to Jerusalem, the capital of Judea!

Herod is depicted here much the way he is depicted in the literature of the time – wily, cunning, deceptive – and ruthless. He is troubled for obvious reasons. He is not the rightful heir to the throne of David, and he knows it. He is an Idumean. If the presumptive Jewish heir of David has been born, and the Jewish people find in him a champion, it could mean serious trouble for Herod’s uneasy reign. Remember that he is a client king under the sponsorship of the Roman empire. He serves at their pleasure alone.

And when Herod is troubled, everybody in Jerusalem is troubled!

Curiously enough, Herod has enough sense to consult the Jewish priests of the temple that he is trying to reconstruct and renovate. And they turn to their own ancient scriptures, specifically to Micah 5:2 and 4. The scriptures all point to the City of David, and the rightful heir of the throne.

Herod’s request of the Magi is worthy of every Hollywood villain we have ever met:

“Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

As we come to discover, his motives are diabolical: in Matthew 2:16 he gives orders for his soldiers to slaughter all the male children in Bethlehem under the age of two. He will not tolerate the possibility of a royal rival.

But it is not the priests, or King Herod, who go to worship the newborn King. The Gentile Magi, strangers from a strange land, come to worship him and spread their gifts before him.

It is interesting to note that in Matthew’s Gospel there is no description of stable or manger. The Magi come to a house where they find Mary and Jesus. Time may well have elapsed between the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi – which may also explain why Herod commands the murder of two-year-olds and younger.

Matthew’s Gospel, in these early chapters especially, features the importance of dreams as a means of divine communication: the Magi are warned, just as Joseph is, by means of a dream that Herod means to kill the child. And they slip away, escaping detection by Herod’s spies.

APPLY:

There are many rich levels that we might explore as we seek to apply this passage to our own lives.

Second, we find it irresistible not to think of the Magi as modern-day scientists. Their search for truth is like ours – they follow the “signs” that are presented. And they come so close! But not close enough. A miss is as good as a mile when it comes to finding Jesus.

So it is through the guidance of Scripture, God’s own self-revelation, that they are directed to Bethlehem. The Bible is a sufficient rule both of faith and practice, we believe.

RESPOND:

Our Lord, you have given us various hints and signs of your presence in our midst. But ultimately we must respond to reason and Scripture by faith. Then we may truly worship you. Amen.

PHOTO:
“Les rois mages en voyage” (The Magi Journeying) by James Tissot is in the public domain.

Epistle for January 1, 2017

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 3:1-12

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Paul reveals the “mystery” that has been concealed throughout the history of Israel, and is now fully disclosed: that even the Gentiles have the opportunity to be included as heirs of salvation along with Israel.

There are some assumptions that are foundational for Paul. He himself is a Jew, as he makes very clear all through the Epistles. This means that he believes that the Hebrew scriptures (which we know as the Old Testament) are very definitely the word of God. He believes that Israel is God’s covenant people.

This is what he makes clear in Romans 9:4-5

Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

The mystery has been

revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

We can presume that this is a two-fold revelation: the apostles are those who bear witness to Christ’s life, death and resurrection in Paul’s own time. But the prophets likely refers to the Hebrew prophets whose texts have become the scripture also for the church.

Ultimately it is through the church that

the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And it is in the church that Jews and Gentiles are

members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

APPLY:

But to Paul, a Jew, a Pharisee, deeply devoted to the Law and the Prophets, has been disclosed the hidden truth: that God intended faithful Gentiles to be included in the covenant.

The clues were there all along in the Old Testament, but now they have been unveiled: God loves all the people of the world and wishes to save all who are willing.

But salvation is from the One God who has made heaven and earth, who has revealed himself to the nation of Israel for one purpose: that they might be a

kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).

What is the purpose of such a kingdom of priests? Isaiah 60:3, that we read earlier in these selections, provides an answer:

And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

This is a reminder to us that God’s grace is available to all who will turn to him in faith, regardless of race or nationality or political differences.

RESPOND:

This mystery that has been revealed is still not completely fulfilled. Blacks and whites seldom worship together in the American church. Although some Jews have come to faith in Christ, there is still hostility between Jews and Gentiles because of centuries of persecution and anti-Semitism. My response must be to proclaim that the mystery has been revealed – all are welcome in the church of Jesus Christ. I may approach God with freedom and confidence because of what Christ has done, and I am also called like Paul to proclaim this unveiled truth to all that will listen.

PHOTO:
“MLK Sunday Morning Quote” — background photo: “Steeple” by Chris is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for January 1, 2017

Mosaic in the basilica of Santa Pudenziana, a 4th century church in Rome. Photographed by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is one of the so-called “Royal Psalms” that either honors the king or is, as in this case, an intercession for the king.

The Psalmist prays for distributive justice, but also for retributive justice. That is, he prays for prosperity and protection for the oppressed – that is distributive justice. But he also prays that the king might have the power to crush the oppressor – that is retributive justice.

The metaphors in verses 5-7 implore the Lord to give the king long life and reign

as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations. . .
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

In other words, may the king endure for as long as human imagination can possibly conceive!

Then, when we pick up with verse 10-11, the language sounds very much like Isaiah 60. Gifts from far distant kings will flow as tribute to the king in Jerusalem. Tarshish is as far west in the then known world the Psalmist can imagine – most likely Spain. And Sheba and Seba are in the lower peninsula of Arabia. Perhaps there is a nodding reference to the Queen of Sheba who came to Solomon’s court at the height of his powers?

And the Psalmist closes once again with a strong sense of social justice for the weak and needy whom:

He will rescue . . . from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.

Again, as with Isaiah 60, the Christian reader can see some foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah – the references to justice and righteousness; the everlasting reign which will never end; and the tribute that comes from distant Gentile kings.

APPLY:

We live in a largely “democratic” era, when kings no longer rule with absolute power in most lands. But we still may pray for justice and righteousness, and relief for the poor and oppressed.

Obviously, the only “King” who will absolutely fulfill these longings is the true Anointed One, the Messiah Jesus.

Whatever tribute or gifts might be brought to him, or were brought to him in Bethlehem, his gifts to us far exceed what we can bring to him: justice, mercy, righteousness, true prosperity.

So we ultimately pray for his reign to come in our lives and in our world.

RESPOND:

What gift can I possibly bring to honor Christ? I have received far more than I can ever repay.

Our Lord, reign in my life and in our world! Bring your justice, righteousness and prosperity for all people. Amen!

PHOTOS:
“Rex et Legifer noster” by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.