BCP Daily Office Lectionary for Friday, Dec. 10, 2004
Source: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm
Morning Psalm(s): AM Psalm 31 [PCUSA: 102]
Evening Psalm(s): PM Psalm 35 [PCUSA: 130]
Old Testament: Isa. 7:10-25
Epistle: 2 Thess. 2:13-3:5
Gospel: Luke 22:14-30
Presbyterian Readings with Biblical Text for the Current Day:
http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
Isaiah 7:10-25 may be understood at two levels. On the one hand, Isaiah’s message for King Ahaz continues. Ahaz refuses the sign that Isaiah offers (vv. 11-12), but Isaiah responds, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign” (v. 13). Before the young woman’s child, Immanuel (v. 14) knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good (vv. 15-16), the “two smoldering stumps of firebrands” (v. 4; cf notes on yesterday’s reading) will find their land “deserted” (v. 16). The real threat to King Ahaz and his kingdom, Judah, is the growing menace of the super power beyond Israel and Syria, that is, Assyria (vv. 18, 20), the “bee” with a powerful sting (v. 18), the razor of God’s judgment (v. 20). On the other hand, Matthew, catching God’s fuller sense, reads verse 14 as an important Christmas text. He takes his cue from the Septuagint (Greek) translation of “young woman” (`almah) as “virgin” (parthenos), and reads the verse as a prophecy of Jesus’ virgin birth (Mt. 1:22-23). Some have seen this as the sensus plenior (“fuller sense”) of scripture.
The 2 Thessalonians passage (2:13-3:5) shows Paul's profound thankfulness for the continuing operations of God's grace within the church of that city. He instructs them to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter” (2:15), to pray for him (3:1) . He assures them that God “will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (3:3), expresses his confidence in them (v. 4), and prays that the Lord may “direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (v. 5).
The passage from Luke's Gospel (22:14-30) describes Jesus' last Passover (Seder) supper with his disciples, which becomes the inauguration of a New Covenant (New Testament). It includes a reminder of the high cost of our salvation, "my body, which is given for you," and "the new covenant in my blood" (vv. 19, 20). In other accounts of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus blesses and brakes the bread before taking the cup (Mt. 26:26; Mk. 14:22; 1 Cor. 11:23). Elwyn E. Tilden and Bruce M. Metzger explain the difference here, in comment on Lk. 22:17: “Some Jewish meals included prayers over the cup of wine and several such prayers might be offered during the meal (see v. 20). Luke’s order of events may be related to this fact, or to variations among early Christians in the way they observed the Lord’s supper. Jesus transformed a Jewish devotional meal into a continuing expression of association with himself in death and victory” (NOAB). The passage also contains both references to future positions of authority for these disciples, who will "sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (v. 30) tempered by the clarification that Christian leaders do not "lord it over" their people as Gentile kings do (v. 25), but rather, they are called to service (vv. 26-27). I pray that, as Christian leaders, we may find a proper balance between the necessary exercise of authority and the spirit of the servant-leader, with God's help and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.