Nehemiah was not the cup bearer for the king of Babylon.  That was a mistake.  He served the king who conquered the Babylonians.  He served King Artaxerxes I, the king of Persia.

NEHEMIAH 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

THE BACKGROUND

Our first reading is from the book of Nehemiah.  The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are considered by biblical scholars as one book.  Both books are the memoirs of each person, and each book includes the other in their account.  They both lived during the same time period and the same place.  Both were Jews in exile in Babylon.  Ezra was a scribe & priest, Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the Babylonian king.  Cupbearers were charged with tasting the king’s wine first to ensure that a) it was good wine, and b) not laced with poison.  They lived in Babylon at the time that the Jews were allowed to return to the Promised Land.    Ezra went with the first wave, Nehemiah with the second.  Ezra was responsible for the spiritual guidance of the returning Jews.  The king assigned Nehemiah to the job of leading the work crews in repairing Jerusalem’s city walls and gates.

The fortifications were just completed when our passage begins. 

THE DETAIL

• A meeting has been called.  Attendance is not optional, everybody must attend. (v. 1)
• Ezra brought the scrolls containing the law of Moses.  He read the law to the people, and it took all morning.  Everybody was very attentive.  (vv. 2-3)
• Ezra opened with prayer, and the people said Amen.  (vv. 5-6)
• The book of the law was read with interpretation.  You see, the scrolls were in Hebrew.  By this time in Judah’s history people were speaking Aramaic.  It was like the difference between modern English and the English of the 10th century.  I’ve put a piece of literature at the bottom, written in ancient English.  This is why they needed it translated and explained. (v. 8)
• The next paragraph consists of words of comfort from Ezra and Nehemiah.  They tell the people not to weep, because the law is good and just. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Why might they be weeping?  It does not say, specifically.  For sure, reading the law is like standing before a magnifying mirror; you see all your wrinkles, stray hairs, warts, etc.  Those assembled in Jerusalem had not heard the law in a very long time, if ever.  They had a lot of “warts”.  (vv. 9-10)

THE TAKEAWAY

Self-examination is not easy, but it is necessary.  We all need to take an honest look at ourselves, from time to time. It is good to remember that “The joy of the Lord is our strength”.  The way of the Lord is good.  But sometimes we stray off the path.  It is good to read Holy Scripture, and periodically reflect on our actions.  Lent is coming soon.  We’ll have plenty of time for self-examination.

WHY A TRANSLATION AND AN EXPLANATION?

To understand the situation in Jerusalem, let’s look at the difference in the English language between today and what it looked like centuries earlier.  Here is a short clip from the epic poem Beowulf, written in England around 900 A.D. The original Old English version is on the left, a modern English translation on the right.

I don’t know about you, but I’m even having a hard time understanding the modern translation!   To understand this poem, I’m going to need somebody to explain the meaning to me.  I think that something similar to this was going on in Jerusalem that day.  Maybe you can see why the people of Nehemiah’s day needed both a translation and  an explanation!

1 CORINTHIANS 12: 12-31a

THE BACKGROUND

This week’s second reading is a continuation of last week’s.  In verses 1-11, Paul addressed an issue they were having in the church in Corinth.  Those who had received the gift of speaking in tongues from the Holy Spirit claimed a spiritual superiority over the other members of the congregation.  Paul has already made his point.  But, since he is a caring father to this congregation, he follows it up with a metaphor, to drive the point home.

THE DETAIL

• Paul likens the church to a human body.  Our bodies have many parts, but we are still only one body.  He reminds the people of their diversity (Jews and Greeks, slaves and free), even so, they are all one body together.  (vv. 12-13)
• In verses 15-21, Paul goes into great detail.  It would be absurd for any one part of the body to exist without the other.
• I love verse 22, where it says “even the weaker parts are indispensable.”  I think Paul is using a little sarcasm here, aimed at the so-called “stronger” members who speak in tongues.  We all know that we need to honor and respect our bodies, even the lesser body parts.  There was little honor or respect for the “lesser” members of that congregation. (vv. 22-25)
• Paul concludes this metaphor by saying something like “When you hurt in one place, your body hurts all over.”  They need to fix this. (v. 26)
• Starting in verse 27, Paul presents a short list of gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The gift of tongues in last in this list.  Nobody has all of these gifts.  We are all given one or another.  It takes all of these to make a full body in Christ.  (vv. 27-30)
• He concludes the discussion by urging us to strive for the greater gifts, which he will tell us about next.  We’ll look at that next week. (v. 31)

THE TAKEAWAY

The important thing to take away from this lesson is that every single baptized Christian has been blessed with at least one spiritual gift.  Not only is it important for us to identify and use ours to build up the body of Christ, we must also need to realize that everybody has a gift.  There are some members at my church whose gifts are obvious, and it is a beautiful thing to see these gifts in action.  But there are other members whose gifts are not as obvious.  Like some body parts, they are more hidden.  But God gives us all whichever spiritual gift He chooses.  Let us learn to love and respect each other, knowing that together, we are one body. 

LUKE 4:14-21

THE BACKGROUND

This year, we will be working our way through the gospel of Luke.  Today, we are only in the fourth chapter.  So far in Luke, We’ve read about the birth of Jesus, the work of John the Baptist, and Jesus’ baptism.  Last week, we read (in John) that three days after his baptism, he performed his first miracle (or sign).  What happens next in Luke is the temptation of Jesus, but we’re saving that for Ash Wednesday (March 5th).

THE DETAIL

• After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  He traveled about in Galilee, teaching in his homeland. (v. 14)
• At that time, worship in the synagogue consisted of two scripture readings followed by an explanation.  The first scripture reading was from the law of Moses, from one of the first five books of our bible.  The second was a reading from “the prophets”.  Oftentimes, visiting teachers would be invited to explain the readings. As Jesus traveled around Galilee, his reputation grew.  He was asked to read in synagogues, and give an explanation of the text.  People liked what they heard, and spread the news. (v. 15)
• He came back to his home town of Nazareth, and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath.  The attendant gave him the scroll containing “the prophets”.  Standing, Jesus searches the scroll, and finds the text he’s looking for:  Isaiah 61:1-2a.  He reads it and sits down.  (vv. 16-20a)
• All eyes were on Jesus, waiting for the explanation.  (v. 20b)
• His explanation is simple:  “Now is the time Isaiah was talking about. This scripture is fulfilled now!”

THE TAKEAWAY

You might remember how the crowd reacted to his explanation.  We’ll get to study that next week.  This week, we’re going to focus on why Jesus chose that passage, and what it meant.  Verses 18-19 are from Isaiah.  Jesus said:

• “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
• because he has appointed me to bring good news to the poor.
• he has sent me to proclaim release of the captives 
• and recovery of sight to the blind, 
• to let the oppressed go free, 
• to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In modern business, it is expected that companies have what is called a Mission Statement.  It is a statement that captures who they are and what they do.  Churches even have them.  I believe that when Jesus stood up, chose this passage, and read it, he was stating his mission statement.  In other words, Jesus was saying “God sent me here to fulfill this prophecy, and I’m going to do just that.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus’ mission is also our mission here in this time and in this place.  Reread his mission statement above.  How do you and I continue his work here and now?

ISAIAH 42:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

These words of Isaiah were written during exile.  They present an unnamed servant of God.  The attributes are given to this servant are unusual for a prophet or king.  Over the centuries, Christians have felt that this passage points to God’s #1 servant, Jesus.  While this certainly is a valid argument, it does not explain what it meant to people for the 500 years between the writing of these words and Jesus.  Let’s look at what the passage says.

THE DETAIL

• Right off the bat, the first verse sounds a lot like verse 17 in today’s gospel lesson. God is delighted with this servant of His.  God’s Spirit will rest on him, and he will serve the nations.  More on “the nations” in The Takeaway.  (v. 1)
• The servant is not your ordinary leader.  This servant is soft-spoken; he is gentle.  Yet, his influence reverberates far and wide.  People will listen to him, even way out there on the coast.  (vv. 2-4)
• Now, God gives His servant his marching orders.  He is to be a covenant or promise to the people.  He is to free people from their chains, and open their eyes. (vv. 5-8)
• God says all this will happen exclusively to His chosen servant.   (v. 9)

THE TAKEAWAY

God presents us with a role model; with the type of behavior that He would value in someone who is His servant.  Jesus, being God’s son, came to earth to give us an example of this behavior.  But we, too, are God’s servants in this time and place. As such, we should also strive to emulate these traits.  We should act with gentle authority.  We should work to free the unfortunate from their burdens, and open their eyes to the love of God through our actions. 

When “the nations” appears in the bible, it is a reference to the rest of the world.  It means “out there”, those other people, not us Israelites. God is telling His people through Isaiah that His vision is for all peoples to know and love Him.

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

During Jesus’ time, the People of God were a closed society.  The Hebrew people kept to themselves, except for whatever they were forced to do by the occupying Romans.  Jesus’ ministry, with a few exceptions, was focused primarily on the Jewish community. In the early years of the church, nearly all of the believers were Jewish Christians.  This is about to change.  In the first part of chapter 10 (not included in today’s reading), God sends Peter a dream, sanctifying all food, even non-Kosher foods. 

God also sends a messenger to Peter.  The messenger is from the household of Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army. Cornelius is a “God-lover”—a Gentile who loves Yahweh, but has not fully converted to Judaism.  God prompts Cornelius to have a messenger go and fetch Peter. 

As soon as Peter finishes the dream, there’s a knock on the door.  It is Cornelius’ messenger.  Peter follows, and meets Cornelius.  It is clear to Peter that he has been called to preach the gospel to this Roman Gentile soldier!

THE DETAIL

• Peter’s first words are loaded with meaning—“I truly understand that God shows not partiality…”  It is clear to Peter that the Good News of Jesus is not just for His Chosen People, but for “…every nation…” (vv. 34-35)
• Peter goes on to explain the life and ministry of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. (vv. 36-41)
• He tells them that their mission is to “tell the people… that Jesus is the one…”, and that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins…” Everyone.  Even an officer in the Roman army.  (vv. 42-43)

THE TAKEAWAY

The season of Epiphany began on January 6th.  As we studied last week, Epiphany marks the coming of the wise men “from the East” to worship Jesus.  These men, as well as Cornelius, are not Hebrews.  They signal the coming of a new age; God sent his son for all nations, including Gentiles like you and me.  In the words of Isaiah, “… the former things have come to pass, and new things I [God] now declare..”  (Is. 42:9)

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THE BACKGROUND

After the story of the visiting of the wise men, and the aftermath of their visit, the gospel of Matthew fast-forwards to John the Baptist’s work.  We join this scene, to find that Jesus has come to seek John out.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus comes to John to be baptized.  John tells Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing him!  He’s right, you know.  (vv. 13-14)
• But Jesus wants to do this “to fulfill all righteousness”.  This is a confusing phrase.  Apparently, John got it, but I didn’t at first.  I had to think about the words.
  • To “fulfill” indicates the completion of something that was planned or foretold. 
  • “Righteousness” can mean two things.  It can mean adherence to the law, but it can also mean a right action.

“Fulfilling all righteousness” now means to me that Jesus had planned to do this. It also means that Jesus felt that baptism was a “right action”, or a good thing for people to do.  He wanted baptism to be part of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus.  (vv. 15-16a)

• So Jesus was baptized by John.  Then things got wild.  God, Father and Spirit, appeared to bless the event.  The words spoken by God are very close to the first verse in today’s passage from Isaiah.  Yes, Jesus’ baptism most certainly was part of God’s plan.  (vv. 16b-17)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus’ life was one big example of living a godly life.  I believe that he was leading by example by being baptized by John.  Did Jesus need to repent?  Of course not!  But I believe that he wanted to make it known that repentance and baptism are good and righteous actions for us all. 

ADVENT 4

“Jesus is coming soon!” We’ve all seen these signs on street corners and along the road.  But if you have been observing Advent, and pretending that the Christ Child comes on Christmas Day, it really is true.  This Sunday is the 22nd.  Christmas Day is only 3 days away.  Let’s make our final preparations for his arrival.

Again this week, our hymn of praise is not from the book of Psalms.  This Sunday’s hymn of praise comes from Mary’s lips; her Magnificat. We will study this in today’s Gospel reading.

MICAH 5:2-5a

THE BACKGROUND

The prophet Micah lived during the reign of Hezekiah around 700 B.C.  The Assyrians were attacking from the north.  The outlook appeared grim for the people of Judah.  Micah presents a prophecy of hope for the hopeless inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

THE DETAIL

• In the verse preceding today’s reading, it appears that the enemy has laid siege to Jerusalem. Furthermore, the king has been humiliated by being slapped on the cheek with a rod.  The situation is dire. (v. 1)
• Next is a sweet and familiar prophecy for us Christians.  But what did it mean to those in Jerusalem at the time of the siege? Micah, speaking for God, reassures His people that there is hope.   A king will come forth from Bethlehem for His people, just like David did.  Out of that tiny village, big things will occur once again.  (v. 2)
• Bad times are indeed in store for God’s people, but after a time, they will return.  (v. 3)
• The actions of this new king are now described.  He will feed his flock, they shall live secure, and he shall be known throughout the world.  (v. 4)
• Best of all, the king shall be “one of peace”.  (v. 5a)

THE TAKEAWAY

These words from God were a comfort to the people of Micah’s time.  We Christians see the connection to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Matthew, Luke and John include references to Micah’s prophecy, so they saw it, too.  Big things did indeed come forth from that little village.  So, how does God plan to get a carpenter and his betrothed, expectant bride all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to make this prophecy come true?  I wonder…

HEBREWS 10:5-10

THE BACKGROUND

In several ways, the book of Hebrews is a strange book to me.  I must keep in mind that it was written by a Jew for the Christian-Jewish church.  It was written to explain the meaning of Jesus’ mission.  This is all done from a Jewish-Christian perspective.  Sometimes, it is difficult to follow.  Let’s work our way through today’s passage.

Today’s passage consists mainly of quotations from the bible.  To make matters confusing, they used the Septuagint.  That was an Old Testament translated into Greek, the universal language of the time. Our Old Testament is a translation from the original Hebrew.  Occasionally, like today, there are “slight” differences.

THE DETAIL

• The passage begins with them “quoting” Jesus.  The passage is actually from Psalm 40:6-8.  Jesus and David are both kings, and speak for God, so I guess they thought it was as good as Jesus saying these words, too.  The main point the writer is making is that Jesus (God) is no longer interested in the old way of burnt offerings and sacrifices as an atonement for sin.  In Psalm 40:6b, our bible reads “but you have given me an open ear”, but Hebrews 10:5b reads “a body you have prepared for me”.  This is due to the use of the Septuagint.  But the overall meaning is the same— a new way to atone for sin is replacing the old.  (vv. 5-6)
•  Let’s take verses 7 through 10 as one big chunk, broken into three bites. 
  1. Jesus says “See, God, I have come to do your will…” (v. 7a)
  2. Jesus talks again about sacrifices aren’t the new way. (vv. 7b-8)
  3. Jesus says (again) “I have come to do your will”. The writer explains that Jesus abolishes the first, to establish the second.  In other words, when Jesus did his Father’s will by dying on the cross, he abolished the need for repeated sacrifices.  He himself was the sacrifice, ONCE, for ALL!

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus has done his Father’s will, and sacrificed himself for us.  Our response as Jesus’ followers is to obey the Father’s will.  We live our lives by loving one another, and giving ourselves just as Jesus so freely gave of himself.

LUKE 1:39-55

THE BACKGROUND

You may recall from the previous weeks, that we have been following the life of John the Baptist. Last week, we saw the adult John preparing the way for the Messiah.  This week we have a flashback.  His mother Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John, when her cousin comes to visit.

THE DETAIL

• As soon as Mary greets her cousin Elizabeth, the fetus John leaps in her womb.  I’m going out on a limb here to say that this was the first time that John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.  (vv. 39-41a)
• Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and proclaims a beautiful blessing to Mary. Note that verse 42b is a portion of the Roman Catholic prayer called the Hail Mary.  (vv. 41b-44)
• Mary’s answer to Elizabeth is that beautiful hymn of praise that we have named The Magnificat. “Magnificat” is Latin for “magnifies”, the operative verb in the first line.  Verses 46-49 are Mary’s song of thanksgiving.  Verses 50-55 declare God’s intentions for the child she will bear. (vv. 45-55)

THE TAKEAWAY

Biblical scholars like to point out the similarity between Mary’s Magnificat and Hannah’s song of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  Mary was, no doubt, well-versed in the scriptures; she was most likely familiar with this song. But her praise song differs in many ways from Hannah’s.  Why not study them both to see how they are similar and different?  The takeaway for us from this story comes in verses 50-55. God is about to turn things upside-down. Are you ready?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In some churches, Mary is called the “Mother of God”.  Others find this offensive, and claim her to merely be an instrument of God’s plan. For sure, Mary must have been the one of the most righteous and worthy women on earth.  God chose her for this special task.  From her knowledge of the song of Hannah, it appears that she was familiar with scripture.  She also appears to have done a pretty good job of raising Jesus, too, wouldn’t you say? What might God have thought of Mary, to give her this important task?  What does Mary’s role in this story mean to you? 

ADVENT 3

In liturgical churches, the colors used to decorate the worship space are chosen to match the mood or spirit of the season.  For many centuries, the color used for the season of Advent was purple.  Purple is the same color used for the season of Lent; to evoke a somber, penitent mood appropriate for the season.  But some years ago, a change was made.  The color for Advent was changed to blue, to signify hope.  I say this, because many of us use Advent wreaths during this season, and the color of most of the candles is now blue. There is also a white one for Christmas Day.  But there’s that one pink, or rose candle, and that’s what we need to talk about. The rose candle is for the third Sunday of Advent.  In Latin, it is called Gaudete Sunday, or “Joy” Sunday.  We take a short break from our preparation and inward, penitent reflection to feel a little joy.  We know that Jesus will be born on Christmas Day.  We know that he brings us salvation; our joy is an appropriate feeling.  This Sunday is reserved to feel a little joy along our Advent journey.  But it is Advent, so you know it won’t last for long.

ABOUT THE “PSALM”

I should also mention that today’s hymn of praise does not come from the book of Psalms, but from Isaiah, chapter 12.  Its theme is right in line with the mood of Gaudete (“Joy”) Sunday.  Isaiah 11:1-2 are the often quoted verses that we apply to the coming of Jesus:

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

The entire chapter speaks of this “root of Jesse”.  Jesse was king David’s father.  This is the promise of the restored kingdom.  This kingdom is restored in Jesus’ coming.
 

ZEPHANAIAH 3:14-20

THE BACKGROUND

In the verses preceding today’s passage (verses 1-13, not shown), the prophet Zephaniah comes down hard on the political and religious leaders of the day.  God wants his people to care for the poor, the widows, orphans, and foreigners; pretty much everyone who is disadvantaged in their society.  Instead, those in political and religious power were more concerned with lining their own pockets than having pity on those in need. Verses 1-13 are addressed to those in power.  Verses 14-20 are for everybody else.  They are a song of joyful victory that God will deliver over their oppression.  This is the message of hope that Zephaniah received from the Lord. 

THE DETAIL

• We are to sing, and shout, and rejoice, and exult with all our hearts.  This sure does sound joyful.  But why?  (v. 14)
• We get two good reasons: 1) God has decided not to judge us for our wrongdoings, and 2) we have a new and righteous king in our midst!  (v. 15)
• Verse 16 starts out “on that day”, so I guess we are still waiting.  God will be in their midst.  (Sounds like Jesus to me!)  The verses following give greater detail as to how we will rejoice.  (vv. 16-17)
• Next, we learn why we will rejoice. 
  • Disaster will be no more
  • God will deal with our oppressors
  • He will save the lame and outcast
  • Shame will change to praise
  • We will be renowned and praised by others
  • Our fortunes will be restored

These really are great things to be joyful about!  (vv. 18-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

Since we know that the Messiah is coming, these words ring with a new meaning.  Jesus is this righteous king.  He is our warrior who gives us victory—the victory over death. 

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

THE BACKGROUND

This is Paul’s “love letter” to the church in Philippi.  Since the bible is God’s word for us, it is also God’s love letter to us. 

THE DETAIL

• The opening phrase in this passage is right in line with the theme for this Sunday—“rejoice”. Rejoicing is the active form of feeling joy.  By rejoicing, we show that we have joy in our hearts.  Why do we feel this joy?  It is because our Lord is near.  He is coming soon!  (v. 4)
• We are to “let our ‘gentleness’ be known to everyone”.  I don’t think they mean the sort of gentleness that is soft and wishy-washy.  It’s all about how we show God’s love to others.  They are talking about the kind of gentleness that comes from having kind compassion for those around us.  We can show God’s love by being a judgmental “bull in the china shop”, or we can lovingly care for our brothers and sisters in Christ in kind gentleness.  Which do you think would be more effective?  (v. 5) 
• Next, we are told how to manage our worrying.  (If we worry about things, it’s hard to be joyful.)  To eliminate this road block, we should pray “in supplication and thanksgiving”.  We all know that thanksgiving is being thankful for God’s blessings. Supplication is a big word which means to ask God for things.  See, the word “supply” is hidden in that word.  We are asking God to supply is with the things we need to eliminate our worry. (v. 6)

THE TAKEAWAY

In school, I learned that if a teacher repeats himself, the point he’s trying to make is an important one.  Paul starts off this passage by repeating himself, saying “rejoice” twice.  Also, he is writing this from a dark, dank Roman prison cell.  If he can feel the joy of Jesus there, we most certainly can feel that joy in our lives. 

Washing away worry with prayer is good advice.  Ask God to give us what we need to eliminate the worry, so we can feel the joy and do some rejoicing.  Jesus is coming!

LUKE 3:7-18

THE BACKGROUND

Last week, we got an introduction to John the Baptist.  We heard his father’s hymn of praise to God, and John’s mission was made clear in the Old Testament references.  Today, we get to see John in action.

THE DETAIL

• John does not mince words.  He gets straight to the point, calling the crowds a “brood of vipers”, or a bag of snakes! (v. 7)
• He doesn’t dwell on the name-calling long.  He tells them to repent.  No. Not just to repent, but to bear fruits of repentance.  In other words, don’t just feel sorry about your sinful nature, do something about it!!!  (v. 8a)
• The second part of verse 8 needs a little explanation.  Remember that John the Baptist and the crowds were all Jews. They were “children of Abraham”. John challenges them to put their heritage aside, and consider their sinful nature head-on.  In order to understand the impact of his statement, I suggest that we substitute our denomination for “children of Abraham”. Here are two examples,
  • If you are Lutheran, like me, John’s statement would be “Do not even think of saying ‘but ‘I’ve been a Lutheran for over 50 years, how can you talk to me about sinning?’ [John says] God can change these rocks into Lutherans if he so desired!”
  • If you are a Baptist, John’s statement might be “Do not even think of saying ’But I’ve been a Baptist my whole life.  My family has been Baptists as far back as I can remember, how can you talk to me about sinning?  We love the Lord!’  [John says] God can change these rocks into Baptists if he wanted to!”

John’s point here is that regardless of who we are, what we are, or what we have done, we all need to reflect on our sinful nature.  (v. 8b)

• John’s speech includes a little fire and brimstone, as well.  He reminds us that God holds the power of life and death over us. (v. 9)
• John’s sermon had the desired effect.  People ask how they can “bear fruits of repentance”.  (v. 10)  John gives them three examples.
  1. If you have two coats, give one away. (v. 11)  Jesus also said this.  The point here is that we should share from our abundance.
  2. Tax collectors should “collect no more than the amount prescribed”. (v. 13)  Tax collectors were notorious for abusing their authority.  Their job was to collect taxes from the locals for the Roman Empire.  But in doing so, most would collect more than what was due, and pocket the difference.
  3. Roman soldiers should “not extort money… [but] be satisfied with your wages”.  (v. 14) The Roman soldier was an ominous and powerful presence.  Many would abuse this power, and force people to do things such as extort (a fancy word for robbing) money from people.

THE TAKEAWAY

Well, we started out this study in a joyful mood.  I guess with the Gospel lesson, that party is over!  We are pulled back into the hard work of Advent, preparing the way of the Lord by inward penitent reflection. 

When we have dinner guests, two things must be done.  Not only must we prepare the meal, but we must prepare our home for our guests’ arrival. We would never think of having people over to a dirty house—the house gets a thorough cleaning.  Our Advent reflection and repentance is the way we clean our spiritual “house”.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is coming on Christmas Day. Is your “house” clean?

ADVENT 2

This is the second of a four-Sunday season we call Advent.  During Advent, we prepare for the Christ Child’s arrival on Christmas Day. It is a time for us to reflect on our lives.  Are we ready for his arrival?  If he returned tomorrow, would we be ready?  Most importantly, how do we get ready?  Today’s readings reflect these types of thoughts.  Hopefully, we will reflect, discover, and make changes as necessary to prepare for his arrival this Christmas.

Here’s a joke for you. A grandmother was sitting in her rocking chair, reading her bible.  Two grandchildren were sitting at her feet.  “What’s Grandma doing?” said the one child.  The other child answered “She’s studying for her final exam.”  The season of Advent is about preparing for our “final exam”, whether it is Jesus coming here or us going there.

LUKE 1:68-79

Normally, I don’t comment on the Psalm.  But this week’s hymn of praise is not from the book of Psalms, but from Luke.  The story actually begins in Luke 1:5-20. The angel Gabriel announces to a priest named Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear a child.  When Zechariah expresses doubt, because of age, Gabriel makes him mute.  (That’ll teach him!) 

Fast forward to Luke 1:57-67: Elizabeth delivers the child. People ask her what to name him, and she says “John”.  Not satisfied with her answer, they ask her husband.    Zechariah’s first words are “His name is John”.  What follows is Zechariah’s beautiful hymn of praise.  This is today’s psalm.  By the way, this child becomes the man we call John the Baptist. 
 

MALACHI 3:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

The prophet Malachi lived during the time after their return from Babylon, long before the birth of Jesus. During this time, God’s people had reverted to their old ways, not giving the Lord the honor and praise He deserved.  Sacrifices and offerings were weak, and not backed up by righteous living. 

THE DETAIL

• God warns his people that he is sending a messenger ahead of his arrival to the temple.  The temple was where God resided on earth. God tells us that he will “suddenly” come to his temple.  For sure, he is really coming!  Since they are not ready for his coming, He sends a messenger ahead to warn them.  (v. 1)
• But think about it—who can really withstand this event?  It’s not going to be all lollipops and roses.  It would take endurance and strength.  To refine metal, you must use intense heat to drive off the impurities.  A fuller was a person responsible for making clothes pure white (without Clorox).  Fuller’s soap was the strongest thing they had.  (v.2)
• Once God returns, he is going to turn up the heat to the melting point “until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.”  Our offerings will not be acceptable to the Lord until our right actions match our offering gift.  (v. 3)
• Once we offer along with righteous actions, then, our offering will be pleasing to the Lord.

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus did indeed turn up the heat.  If you’re in doubt, read he Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7, especially 5:17-37.) Our actions need to meet these expectations from God.

PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11

THE BACKGROUND

The apostle Paul was in a Roman prison, writing this letter to the church in Philippi.  Prison life in Roman times was no picnic.  In fact, they didn’t feed or care for the prisoners; that was the responsibility of friends and family.  Churches like the one in Philippi were his lifeline.  You can tell from the tone of his message that they must have reached out to support him in this time of need.  The joy and love that is in this letter is remarkable, considering the agony that Paul endured.

THE DETAIL

• Paul starts out the letter with thankfulness, joy and prayer.  In spite of the fact that he is in prison, he’s happy to hear that they are sharing the gospel!  (vv. 3-5)
• He’s confident that their work will be “brought to completion” by the time of Jesus’ return. The “one who began a good work among you” is the Holy Spirit, of course.  (v. 6)
• Verses 7 & 8 are remarkable in that there is this intense love between Paul and this church—so much so that the prison bars almost seem to melt away! 
• Paul’s prayer for this church is that their love will flow and increase even more, that they will learn what the best path is for them to follow, and that they live in righteousness.  (vv. 9-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

The Advent message for us lays in verses 5 and 6.  Our job is to bring the work started by Jesus and the apostles “to completion.”  We should be working hard with the Holy Spirit to share the gospel message with those around us, as we wait for Jesus’ return. 

LUKE 3:1-6

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s passage is our introduction to John the Baptist’s ministry.  We will study this in detail next week. 

THE DETAIL

• The passage starts with a list of political and religious leaders.  It is written this way because at the time, they did not have calendars like we do, to mark the date of an event.  By stating it this way, Luke was able to pinpoint the time of the beginning of John’s ministry.  (vv. 1-2)
• John’s work was not done in the big cities, but out in the country—“the wilderness” along the Jordan River valley north of Jerusalem.  He preached repentance for one’s sins, and offered “a baptism” as a sign of repentance and forgiveness.  (v. 3)
• Luke now quotes Isaiah 40:3-5, to show that John’s ministry was part of God’s plan to prepare the people of God for His coming Messiah.  (vv. 4-6)

THE TAKEAWAY

It is interesting that the bible doesn’t mention baptism until these verses in the New Testament. We’re not certain what it meant to those of John’s time.  Isaiah 1 does speak of the sinfulness of God’s people, and the need to repent. Verse 16 instructs the repentant ones to wash themselves clean of their sinfulness. 

John calls to each one of us today.  He calls us to examine our lives, “come clean”, and be honest with ourselves.  We should identify the many ways we have fallen short of God’s expectations.  He calls us to repent & begin again, knowing that we are loved and forgiven. This is how we prepare for Jesus’ to enter our hearts on Christmas.
 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How do we prepare for his coming?

• By making sure that our righteous actions match the faith we profess.  (Malachi 3:1-4)  If not, some repentance is in order. 
• By reflecting on our sinful nature, repenting, and starting anew.  (Luke 31-6)
• By sharing the Good News with others.  (Philippians 1:3-11) Looks like we all have a lot of work to do during this Advent season!

ADVENT

JEREMIAH 33:14-16

THE BACKGROUND

As you may recall, chapters 30-33 of Jeremiah are called the “consolation chapters” of his great work.  The rest of Jeremiah is full of turmoil and condemnation.  But this section of his prophecy offers a glimmer of hope; we get a little relief from all that tension and strife. 

God’s people have been behaving badly.  They now find themselves in exile in Babylon.  It seems doubtful that they will ever return to the Promised Land.  But here is a message of hope from God.

THE DETAIL

• God makes a promise that He still intends to keep—He will fulfill his earlier promise that the Davidic line would  last forever.  (vv. 12-15a)
• The new king will not be like those old, wicked kings that came after Solomon.  This new king will be fair to all and do what is right in God’s eyes.  That’s justice and righteousness.  (vv. 15b-16)

THE TAKEAWAY

Isaiah 11:1 states that “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.“  In today’s passage, Jeremiah basically gives the same message.  The seemingly dead royal line of David will sprout a new and righteous branch. 

As Christians, we know that Jesus is the fulfillment of this scripture.
 

1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13

THE BACKGROUND

Paul was in Athens, preaching the Gospel message to the Greeks there.  With him, of course were his helpers Silas and Timothy.  Paul became concerned about the wellbeing of the church in Thessalonica, and sent Timothy there.  When Timothy returned, he had some good news and some bad news.  They were rich in faith and love, but they lacked the hope in the resurrection.  Paul writes this letter to help correct the problem.

THE DETAIL

• Paul is full of joy and thanksgiving for them. He longs to see them face to face, so that he can works on the areas that are lacking in their faith.  (vv. 9-11)
• The remaining verses in today’s passage are a blessing and prayer of hope to the Thessalonians, that they might “abound in love for one another and for all”, and strengthen their hearts.  It ends with a reminder of Jesus’ return, which is intended to be the incentive for the encouragement for holiness.  He has already discussed Jesus’ return in chapter 2. In these verses, he includes a prayer that they remain strong and blameless as they wait for Jesus’ return.  (vv. 12-13)

THE TAKEAWAY

The church in Thessalonica was full of love and faith. They expected Jesus’ return to be at any moment.  When it did not happen as soon as expected, they became concerned and discouraged. Paul encourages us to grow in faith as we keep waiting and watching, not losing hope for his return. 

LUKE 21:25-36

THE BACKGROUND

Two weeks ago, we looked at a passage from Mark, in which Jesus was talking about the “end times”.  We called it “Mark’s Apocalypse”.  As you may recall, apocalyptic writing is a distinctive writing style that is found in many places in our bible.  The Roman Catholic bible contains some additional Old Testament writings.  In fact, even more writings from this time that were written in this apocalyptic style. These are not part of our bible, but they do exist.  All of these are that same writing style, which are a lot like our book of Revelation. The symbolism can be confusing at times, but the message is always the same— we should keep the faith, because God is in control.  Today’s gospel lesson, Jesus speaks in this apocalyptic style.  He’s talking about the end times; about the time when he will return.  It’s a good Advent message. 

THE DETAIL

• Jesus tells us that there will be signs in the heavens that indicate that the end is near.  There will be confusion, fear, and foreboding.  We Christians should not be afraid, but stand up and raise our hands in praise, because our redemption is about to occur.  (vv. 25-28)
• Next, he gives us a parable which is intended to give us some sort of sign that the end is near.  Throughout the generations, many theologians have interpreted this parable to fit their time, and were wrong.  Surprisingly, Jesus even states that that his current generation would not pass away before the end took place.  We all know that this did not occur.  In Mark 13:32 Jesus states that only the Father knows the timing, not even Jesus knows.  (vv. 29-32)
• One thing is certain—predictions may come and go, but Jesus’ words stand.  (v. 33)
• In conclusion, Jesus gives us some Advent advice. We should be on our toes, spiritually speaking.  We are to wait, watch, and be prepared for his return.  It will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. (vv. 34-36)

THE TAKEAWAY

So, let us cleanse and prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Christ Child on Christmas Day.