Magnificat

Psalm Reading for April 28, 2024

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 22:25-31
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

These verses of exultation and praise are a little misleading when taken out of context. Psalm 22, which is usually read in relation to the Passion of Christ, begins with the famous line which Jesus uttered from the cross:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Clearly this Psalm begins as a cry of dereliction and lamentation, but there is a complete reversal in tone as the Psalmist considers the glorious future of God’s people.

The positive reversal of fortune for the poor, which is a frequent theme in Scripture, reminds us of the social justice issues lifted up by the prophets and in Mary’s Magnificat in the Gospel of Luke.

The Lord, who has dominion over all the earth, is also recognized not only as the Lord of Israel but of all nations:

All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

The rich also will feast. But the real kicker of this passage is that the Psalmist addresses the specter of death that was raised by the first verses of the Psalm:

All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
even he who can’t keep his soul alive.

Death is answered with life, and those who die shall kneel before the living God!

And the one who was near death is also promised a glorious future:

Posterity shall serve him.
Future generations shall be told about the Lord.
They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born,
for he has done it.

APPLY:

If the first half of Psalm 22 from verse 1 to 24 is appropriate for Lent and the Passion of the Christ, these verses from 25 to 31 are perfect for the Easter season!

We see here the great eschatological themes that run through the most hopeful passages of Scripture:

The poor are lifted up.
All nations come to worship the Lord of all creation.
The dead are raised.
Generations to come will continue to glorify God.

This is the cycle of redemptive suffering and glorious renewal that is so consummately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. There is never a crucifixion without a resurrection because of him!

RESPOND:

While the Scriptures are always realistic about the sorrows of suffering, they are also unfailingly hopeful about the promise of God’s renewal and future promises.

Therefore whatever I may go through that seems a setback, a sorrow, a suffering can always be turned into celebration by a Resurrection God!

Lord, turn all our sorrows into joy, all our tears into laughter, all our hungers into true fulfillment in you. Amen.


PHOTOS:
“...Hope...” by Darren Tunnicliff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalter Reading for December 24, 2023

“Visitation” by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:46b-55
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is an excerpt from the famous passage known traditionally as The Magnificat.

Here is the context — Mary, upon being told by the Angel Gabriel that she will be the virgin mother of Jesus, is also told that her relative Elizabeth is expecting a child as well. So, like many expecting mothers who welcome fellowship with other moms-to-be, she travels from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea where Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah live (Luke 1:26-45).

The occasion for this poem of superlative beauty is the instant recognition by Elizabeth that the child within Mary is divine. Elizabeth says to Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45).

Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s inspired greeting is her song of praise to Almighty God. The song seems to come from somewhere deep within her soul as she praises God for what he has done for her and for all people through her.

Mary is aware that she has been tremendously honored by this unique visitation — that God has exalted her despite her humble origins. And she also is keenly aware that this experience will transcend her own humble existence:

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

She recognizes that what is happening to her is of great historical significance.

At the same time, she is very careful to ascribe all honor and glory to God:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

This is a very theocentric, i.e., God-centered hymn of praise.

Then, in verses 50-55, the song’s scope expands to include all generations, and sounds a theme of social justice that resonates with the same concerns lifted up by the Hebrew prophets of the Old Testament.

She focuses on God’s mercy that is offered to all who fear him down through the ages; but she also lifts up the same concern for the poor and the oppressed and the hungry that was voiced by Isaiah and Amos and Micah and other prophets. Mary’s song proves to be quite counter cultural — the proud are scattered, rulers are deposed from their thrones, the rich lose all that they have!

In contrast, the humble are lifted up, the hungry are satisfied with food, and Israel is helped by the mercies of God.

All of this is in keeping with the promises of those same prophets cited earlier — that God has kept faith with the descendants of Abraham.

It is clear that this song of praise is consistent with the Old Testament and the prophetic tradition of social justice and deliverance, and that the promises to Abraham and to Israel are kept inviolable.

APPLY:

It has been said that the Magnificat is one of the most powerful revolutionary documents in all of Scripture, if not all literature. Even a shallow reading leads to the conclusion that God is definitely going to turn the tables on the rich and the powerful, and the poor and humble will be lifted up. There will be a reversal of status and position.

It has even been said that a British bishop in a third world country cautioned his priests against reading this passage aloud in church to the oppressed citizens of their colony, because it might lead to social upheaval and revolution!

But it begins in the life and literally in the womb of a young woman. Her consent to the news that she was to become the mother of the Messiah is a pivotal act in history. By saying, as she does, let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38), she sets a revolution in motion.

It is not to be a violent revolution, except for those who resist the coming of the Messiah. It is to be a revolution of mercy, lifting the humble from their oppressed social status, and feeding those who are hungry.

The violence that occurs because of the coming of the Messiah is from reactionaries — from those who are aware that they will lose their power and prestige, and who see this woman’s son as a threat to the status quo. They react to his teaching and his healing and his “hunger relief program” by crucifying him, and then by persecuting his followers.

But all of that is to come later — as will the mighty deeds that God will accomplish with his arm. The birth, life, ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus have indeed:

scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And it all begins with the blessed Virgin Mary and this great thing that God has done for her and through her.

RESPOND:

I sometimes forget that the Scriptures we so glibly read in worship services during this season of Advent are RADICAL!

True, all generations are blessed by that child that has been conceived in Mary. But if I take the words of Scripture seriously, they call me to examine which group I’m a part of — am I arrogant or humble, ruler or ruled, full or hungry?

But more importantly, what am I to do about it? Fear God, humble myself before him, and identify with the poor and the oppressed? I think so.

Our Lord, I cannot improve on Mary’s words. But I am aware that as with Mary you have honored me with your favor simply by offering me your grace and mercy. Forgive me when I crow with the proud and seek to be imperious like the rulers. Give me an identification with the humble and poor so that I might be in ministry to them — because that’s where you are. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Magnificat" uses this image: "Visitation" by Franz Anton Maulbertsch is in the Public Domain.

Psalter Reading for December 11, 2022

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

Scripture passage (World English Bible)
Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

Order Getting Ready for Christmas today to prepare your family for this year’s Christmas season!
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Kindle book of Getting Ready for Christmas.
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Paperback of Getting Ready for Christmas.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent.

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

“Visitation” by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:46b-55
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is an excerpt from the famous passage known traditionally as The Magnificat.

The occasion for this poem of superlative beauty is the instant recognition by Elizabeth that the child within Mary is divine. Elizabeth says to Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45).

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

She recognizes that what is happening to her is of great historical significance.

At the same time, she is very careful to ascribe all honor and glory to God:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

This is a very theocentric, i.e., God-centered hymn of praise.

In contrast, the humble are lifted up, the hungry are satisfied with food, and Israel is helped by the mercies of God.

All of this is in keeping with the promises of those same prophets cited earlier — that God has kept faith with the descendants of Abraham.

APPLY:

But all of that is to come later — as will the mighty deeds that God will accomplish with his arm. The birth, life, ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus have indeed:

scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And it all begins with the blessed Virgin Mary and this great thing that God has done for her and through her.

RESPOND:

I sometimes forget that the Scriptures we so glibly read in worship services during this season of Advent are RADICAL!

But more importantly, what am I to do about it? Fear God, humble myself before him, and identify with the poor and the oppressed? I think so.

PHOTOS:
"Visitation" by Franz Anton Maulbertsch is in the Public Domain.

Psalter Reading for December 19, 2021

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

Scripture passage (World English Bible)
Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent.

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

“Visitation” by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:46b-55
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is an excerpt from the famous passage known traditionally as The Magnificat.

The occasion for this poem of superlative beauty is the instant recognition by Elizabeth that the child within Mary is divine. Elizabeth says to Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45).

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

She recognizes that what is happening to her is of great historical significance.

At the same time, she is very careful to ascribe all honor and glory to God:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

This is a very theocentric, i.e., God-centered hymn of praise.

In contrast, the humble are lifted up, the hungry are satisfied with food, and Israel is helped by the mercies of God.

All of this is in keeping with the promises of those same prophets cited earlier — that God has kept faith with the descendants of Abraham.

APPLY:

But all of that is to come later — as will the mighty deeds that God will accomplish with his arm. The birth, life, ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus have indeed:

scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And it all begins with the blessed Virgin Mary and this great thing that God has done for her and through her.

RESPOND:

I sometimes forget that the Scriptures we so glibly read in worship services during this season of Advent are RADICAL!

But more importantly, what am I to do about it? Fear God, humble myself before him, and identify with the poor and the oppressed? I think so.

PHOTOS:

"Visitation" by Franz Anton Maulbertsch is in the Public Domain.

Old Testament for December 12, 2021

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

Scripture passage (World English Bible)
Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent.

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Zephaniah 3:14-20
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Zephaniah, one of the twelve so-called “minor prophets,” was likely writing during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) and was a contemporary of the more prolific prophet Jeremiah.

What is interesting about this passage is its tone. It differs significantly from most of the rest of the book. This excerpt appears near the end of the book, but it has been preceded by stark warnings of doom for Judah and the other nations. Zephaniah is pleading for Judah to repent before the great day of the Lord, which the prophet says will be a day of judgment:

That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements (Zephaniah 1:15-16).

In contrast, the tone of today’s passage is very positive and optimistic about God’s ultimate triumph:

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.

When Zephaniah speaks of the Lord who is in your midst, this is a reminder of the language of the prophet Isaiah quoted by Matthew’s Gospel:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel”
which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23).

The prophet promises that Jerusalem will not need to fear because:

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory . . .

In the cosmic struggle of good and evil, the Lord will win the war. Furthermore:

he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.

The language Zephaniah uses is reminiscent of celebratory wedding imagery, as in Isaiah 62:4-5:

…you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

In other words, this passage seems to be a kind of “epithamalion,” which is a wedding hymn or poem. The imagery of a wedding is often used to describe the joy and celebration of the ‘end of days’ when God’s kingdom comes.

And Zephaniah also describes the positive changes that God will bring. Disaster is removed. Oppressors will be punished. And those who are considered marginal will be blessed:

I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.

This is reminiscent of the Magnificat of Mary in the Gospel of Luke, when she speaks of God turning the world upside down:

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:52-53).

And finally, Zephaniah seems to forecast the exile of Judah, which wouldn’t happen until 587 B.C., and the ultimate return of the Jews to Jerusalem, which wouldn’t occur until 538 B.C.

Zephaniah likely wrote this passage prior to Josiah’s reforms in 622 B.C., at least 84 years before the return:

At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.

Clearly, from Zephaniah’s perspective, the ultimate advent of the day of the Lord will be a day of restoration and renewal, healing and wholeness for the people of God.

APPLY:

It is easy to understand why many of us would be somewhat ambivalent about the day of the Lord. We’ve certainly heard the fulminations of some celebrated preachers, warning us of the impending disasters of the end of time. And we’ve likely seen some movies that have scared us witless.

But there is another side to the day of the Lord. That this day, although a day of judgment, is also a day of rejoicing. It will be like a wedding, the completion and consummation of our hopes and dreams.

For the people of God and for those who are often marginalized in many societies — the disabled, the outcasts — the day of the Lord is something to be hoped for and welcomed.

RESPOND:

My wife is a very gifted musician, and her primary instruments are the piano and the organ.

When she was in college she had an organ lesson early in the morning with an organ teacher who was very hard on her, and very demanding. She found this to be a very stressful, tense experience.

As a devout Christian, she of course would pray that she would do well, as any of us might. But what makes me smile is her honesty. She said she can remember praying, “Lord, you have promised that you are going to return one day. If you’re going to return soon anyway, could you come before I have to endure this organ lesson today?”

She definitely saw the coming of the Lord as a positive thing! Seriously, the day of the Lord will provide resolution to the ancient conflict between good and evil, and will turn sorrow into joy. Stress and fear will be no more.

Our Lord, I do not fear the coming of the end, no matter how dismal or dangerous the interim time may be in my life or in the world around me. I do not fear because you are with us, and you will be victorious! Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Zephaniah 3:17" by Charlotte Tai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalter Reading for November 14, 2021

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Samuel 2:1-10
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

These words on the lips of Hannah are poignant when we know of her aching desire for a child, and the answer that was given to her prayers when Samuel was born.

These words are eerily familiar to us when we compare them to the famous Magnificat of Mary in Luke 1:46-55. Many of the same themes are addressed:

Each proclaim the greatness of the Lord.
Arrogance is criticized.
Humility is praised.
The mighty are brought low.
The poor are lifted up.

Each is the song of a woman who celebrates a child. Hannah celebrates that her barrenness has been healed:

The barren has borne seven.

Mary celebrates that this miraculous conception in the womb of a virgin is the Lord’s doing:

the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name (Luke 1:49).

There is a key difference, however, between the songs of these two women. With Hannah’s Psalm there is an edginess that suggests her sense of vindication and even a sense of bitterness toward her “sister-wife” Peninnah.

We will remember that they shared their husband, Elkanah, but Peninnah had been fertile while Hannah was not. And Peninnah didn’t let Hannah forget it. Hannah’s rival:

used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb (1 Samuel 1:6).

We can see Hannah’s tone of triumphant vindication over her rival in several places:

My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.

Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth

The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.

This is a reminder to us that Hannah and the other people of the Bible are real people, with the same feelings of victimization and bitterness that we have. This makes it possible for us to identify more closely with the Biblical story, because we can identify with these folks.

But still, after Hannah has “gotten her licks in” (as we say in the American South), she returns to a more foundational sense of praise. The reversal of roles between the rich and the poor, the proud and the humble, the strong and the weak happens because of what God has done:

He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.

And ultimately God is vindicated above all else:

The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed.

APPLY:

When we have been vindicated because of our faith in God, when our hopes are fulfilled against all odds, and the naysayers and critics are silenced, we may well be tempted to emulate the tone of Hannah.

We may want to say, in effect, “I won, you lost!”

Better that we should focus more positively on what God has done, rather than triumphing over our enemies.

When I watch athletes celebrate a touchdown, or a home run, or a goal, I am much more attracted to the athlete who kneels in thanksgiving than I am the one who dances tauntingly and proudly. Perhaps there’s a reason that “taunting” can draw a personal foul call in football!

RESPOND:

While I can sense some of Hannah’s edgy triumphalism in this Psalm, I can understand it. And it reminds me of one the aspects I love about the Scriptures.

We aren’t presented with flat, flannel board, one-dimensional characters, or plaster saints. From Adam and Eve all the way to the apostles, these are real people with the same personalities and desires and grudges that I experience in people that I know today.

That’s why the answers that the Bible offers to our deepest fears and hopes still speak to us today.

Lord, may I always acknowledge your power and your intervention in human affairs. Defend me from bitterness and triumphalism. The only triumph that matters is yours! Amen.

PHOTOS:

“1 Samuel 2-2 “There is none holy as the Lord : for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” by Church Iglesia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for May 2, 2021

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 22:25-31
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Clearly this Psalm begins as a cry of dereliction and lamentation, but there is a complete reversal in tone as the Psalmist considers the glorious future of God’s people.

The Lord, who has dominion over all the earth, is also recognized not only as the Lord of Israel but of all nations:

All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

The rich also will feast. But the real kicker of this passage is that the Psalmist addresses the specter of death that was raised by the first verses of the Psalm:

All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
even he who can’t keep his soul alive.

Death is answered with life, and those who die shall kneel before the living God!

And the one who was near death is also promised a glorious future:

Posterity shall serve him.
Future generations shall be told about the Lord.
They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born,
for he has done it.

APPLY:

If the first half of Psalm 22 from verse 1 to 24 is appropriate for Lent and the Passion of the Christ, these verses from 25 to 31 are perfect for the Easter season!

We see here the great eschatological themes that run through the most hopeful passages of Scripture:

The poor are lifted up.
All nations come to worship the Lord of all creation.
The dead are raised.
Generations to come will continue to glorify God.

This is the cycle of redemptive suffering and glorious renewal that is so consummately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. There is never a crucifixion without a resurrection because of him!

RESPOND:

While the Scriptures are always realistic about the sorrows of suffering, they are also unfailingly hopeful about the promise of God’s renewal and future promises.

Therefore whatever I may go through that seems a setback, a sorrow, a suffering can always be turned into celebration by a Resurrection God!

Lord, turn all our sorrows into joy, all our tears into laughter, all our hungers into true fulfillment in you. Amen.


PHOTOS:
“...Hope...” by Darren Tunnicliff is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Psalter Reading for December 20, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:47-55
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is an excerpt from the famous passage known traditionally as The Magnificat. Here is the context — Mary, upon being told by the Angel Gabriel that she will be the virgin mother of Jesus, is also told that her relative Elizabeth is expecting a child as well. So, like many expecting mothers who welcome fellowship with other moms-to-be, Mary seeks out her kinswoman. She travels from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea where Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah live (Luke 1:26-45).

The occasion for this poem of superlative beauty is the instant recognition by Elizabeth that the child within Mary is divine. Elizabeth says to Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45).

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

She recognizes that what is happening to her is of great historical significance.

At the same time, she is very careful to ascribe all honor and glory to God:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

This is a very theocentric, i.e., God-centered hymn of praise.

In contrast the humble are lifted up, the hungry are satisfied with food, and Israel is helped by the mercies of God.

All of this is in keeping with the promises of those same prophets cited earlier — that God has kept faith with the descendants of Abraham.

It is clear that this song of praise is consistent with the Old Testament and the prophetic tradition of social justice and deliverance from oppression, and that the ancient promises to Abraham and to Israel are to be kept inviolable.

APPLY:

It has even been said that a British bishop in a third world country cautioned his priests against reading this passage aloud in church to the oppressed citizens of their colony. He feared it might lead to social upheaval and revolution!

But this song of praise begins in the life and literally in the womb of a young woman. Her consent to the news that she was to become the mother of the Messiah is a pivotal act in history. By saying, as she does, let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38), she sets a revolution in motion.

But all of that is to come later — as will the mighty deeds that God will accomplish with his arm. The birth, life, ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus have indeed:

scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And it all begins with the blessed Virgin Mary and this great thing that God has done for her and through her.

RESPOND:

I sometimes forget that the Scriptures we so glibly read in worship services during this season of Advent are RADICAL!

But more importantly, what am I to do about it? Fear God, humble myself before him, and identify with the poor and the oppressed? I think so.

Our Lord, I cannot improve on Mary’s words. But I am aware that as with Mary you have honored me with your favor simply by offering me your grace and mercy. Forgive me when I crow with the proud, and seek to be imperious like the rulers. Give me an identification with the humble and poor so that I might be in ministry to them — because that’s where you are. Amen.

PHOTOS:
"Visitation" by Franz Anton Maulbertsch is in the Public Domain.

Psalter Reading for December 15, 2019

“Visitation” by Franz Anton Maulbertsch (1724-1796)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:46b-55
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is an excerpt from the famous passage known traditionally as The Magnificat.

The occasion for this poem of superlative beauty is the instant recognition by Elizabeth that the child within Mary is divine. Elizabeth says to Mary:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!” (Luke 1:42-45).

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

She recognizes that what is happening to her is of great historical significance.

At the same time, she is very careful to ascribe all honor and glory to God:

For he who is mighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

This is a very theocentric, i.e., God-centered hymn of praise.

In contrast, the humble are lifted up, the hungry are satisfied with food, and Israel is helped by the mercies of God.

All of this is in keeping with the promises of those same prophets cited earlier — that God has kept faith with the descendants of Abraham.

APPLY:

But all of that is to come later — as will the mighty deeds that God will accomplish with his arm. The birth, life, ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus have indeed:

scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

And it all begins with the blessed Virgin Mary and this great thing that God has done for her and through her.

RESPOND:

I sometimes forget that the Scriptures we so glibly read in worship services during this season of Advent are RADICAL!

But more importantly, what am I to do about it? Fear God, humble myself before him, and identify with the poor and the oppressed? I think so.

Our Lord, I cannot improve on Mary’s words. But I am aware that as with Mary you have honored me with your favor simply by offering me your grace and mercy. Forgive me when I crow with the proud, and seek to be imperious like the rulers. Give me an identification with the humble and poor so that I might be in ministry to them — because that’s where you are. Amen.

PHOTOS:

"Visitation" by Franz Anton Maulbertsch is in the Public Domain.

Old Testament for December 16, 2018

Author’s Note: I encourage all of my readers to prepare for the Christmas season with the Choose This Day Family Bible Study for the Advent season. It’s a fun, short (10-15 minutes) Bible study that the whole family can enjoy daily from December 1 to 25. You can visit that website by clicking this link.

And now, back to today’s lectionary reading:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Zephaniah 3:14-20
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Zephaniah, one of the twelve so-called “minor prophets,” was likely writing during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.), and was a contemporary of the more prolific prophet Jeremiah.

That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements (Zephaniah 1:15-16).

In contrast, the tone of today’s passage is very positive and optimistic about God’s ultimate triumph:

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.

When Zephaniah speaks of the Lord who is in your midst , this is a reminder of the language of the prophet Isaiah quoted by Matthew’s Gospel:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel”
which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23).

The prophet promises that Jerusalem will not need to fear because:

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory . . .

In the cosmic struggle of good and evil, the Lord will win the war. Furthermore:

he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.

The language Zephaniah uses is reminiscent of celebratory wedding imagery, as in Isaiah 62:4-5:

…you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

And Zephaniah also describes the positive changes that God will bring — disaster is removed; oppressors will be punished. And those who are considered marginal will be blessed:

I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.

This is reminiscent of the Magnificat of Mary in the Gospel of Luke, when she speaks of God turning the world upside down:

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:52-53).

And finally, Zephaniah seems to forecast the exile of Judah, which wouldn’t happen until 587 B.C., and the ultimate return of the Jews to Jerusalem, which wouldn’t occur until 538 B.C.

Zephaniah likely wrote this passage prior to Josiah’s reforms in 622 B.C., at least 84 years before the return:

At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.

Clearly, from Zephaniah’s perspective, the ultimate advent of the day of the Lord will be a day of restoration and renewal, healing and wholeness for the people of God.

APPLY:

For the people of God and for those who are often marginalized in many societies — the disabled, the outcasts — the day of the Lord is something to be hoped for and welcomed.

RESPOND:

My wife is a very gifted musician, and her primary instruments are the piano and the organ.

When she was in college she had an organ lesson early in the morning with an organ teacher who was very hard on her, and very demanding. She found this to be a very stressful, tense experience.

PHOTOS:
"Zephaniah 3:17" by Charlotte Tai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.