BCP Daily Office Lectionary for Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004
Source: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm
Morning Psalm(s): AM Psalm 30, 32 [PCUSA: 90]
Evening Psalm(s): PM Psalm 42, 43 [PCUSA: 80]
Old Testament: Isa. 8:1-15
Epistle: 2 Thess. 3:6-18
Gospel: Luke 22:31-38
Presbyterian Readings with Biblical Text for the Current Day:
http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
Yesterday’s reading from Isaiah included the promise of a child named Immanuel, who was to be a sign (Isa. 7:14), for king Ahaz in the first place, but in the long run, also for us, as we Christian believe. Earlier, Isaiah’s son, Shear-jashub [“a remnant shall return”] was a sign for Ahaz (Isa. 7:3). Today’s reading includes another child, who was to be born and named Maher-Shalal-hash-baz [“the spoil speeds, the prey hastens”], again as a sign, “for before the child knows how to call ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,” the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria” (Isa. 8:5). Because Ahaz has refused signs from the LORD (Isa. 7:12), the threat of God’s judgment by the assaults of Assyria will also threaten Judah (Isa. 7:17-20; 8:7-8). Judah “has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently” Isa. 8:6), “the Lord is bringing up against it the mighty flood waters of the River [i.e. the Euphrates], the king of Assyria and all his glory” (v. 7). The Assyrian army “will sweep on into Judah as a flood, and, pouring over, it will reach up to the neck; and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel” (v. 8). A flood reaching up to the neck reminds us of the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib’s army (Isa., chaps. 36-37), but that comes later, when Hezekiah was king. But in Ahaz’ day, God is ready to deliver his people:
Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught;
speak a word, but will not stand,
for God is with us [`immanu ’el]. (Isa. 8:10)
“But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (v. 13).
Paul closes the Second Letter to the Thessalonians with another warning against idleness (2 Thess. 3:6; cf. 1 Thess. 5:14). “Now we command you . . . to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). But whereas 1 Thessalonians quickly moves on to other admonitions, “See that none of you repays evil for evil . . . Rejoice always, pray without ceasing . . .” (1 Thess. 5:15-17), 2 Thess. dwells on the subject of idleness. “For you . . . ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you” (2 Thess. 3:7-8). “For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work” (v. 11). After a couple further warnings (vv. 12-14), Paul adds a wish for peace (v. 18) and a closing greeting (vv. 17-18). Perhaps some of the people, remembering Paul’s statement that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2), believed that regular work was pointless; the end would come soon. Second Thessalonians counters that view. “Now such persons [i.e. the idlers] we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (2 Thess. 3:12).
After the Lord’s Supper and “a dispute . . . as to which one of [the disciples] was to be regarded as the greatest” (Lk. 22:24), Jesus tells Simon [Peter], “I have prayed for you” (v. 32), but after Peter declares his intention, “Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” (v. 33), Jesus predicts his denial (v. 34). He then tells the group about coming changes. “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” (v. 35; cf. 9:3; 10:4). Then he adds, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one” (v. 36). According to Elwyn E. Tilden and Bruce M. Metzger (NOAB), verse 36 provides “an example of Jesus’ fondness for striking metaphors . . . but the disciples take it literally. The sword apparently meant to Jesus a preparation to live by one’s own resources against hostility. The natural meaning of v. 38 is that the disciples supposed he spoke of an actual sword, only to learn that two swords were sufficient for the whole enterprise, i.e. were not to be used at all.” Were they ready for Gethsemane (vv. 39-53)?
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.