BCP Daily Office Lectionary for Nov. 10, 2004
Source: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm
Morning Psalm(s): AM Psalm 119:97-120 [Presbyterian: 15:1-15]
Evening Psalm(s) PM Psalm 81, 82 [Presbyterian: 48:1-14]
Old Testament: Joel 2:12-19 [Presbyterian: The same]
Epistle: Rev. 19:11-21
Gospel Luke 15:1-10
Presbyterian Readings for the current day:
http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
Joel issues a call to repentance. As other prophets have done, he began with prophecies of judgment. "Truly the day of the LORD is great;/terrible indeed–who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11). But even now, if they repent, they may avoid total calamity. "Yet even now, says the LORD,/return to me with all your heart,/with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;/rend your hearts and not your clothing./Return to the LORD, your God,/for he is gracious and merciful,/slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,/and relents from punishing" (vv. 12-13). These pleas "express the preaching of the classical prophets, placed here in a cultic context" ®.. Lansing Hicks and Walter Brueggemann, NOAB). "Between the vestibule and the altar/let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep" (v. 17a), refers to "the inner court of the priests" (Hicks and Brueggemann). Today's reading concludes with the beginning of God's response, when he "had pity on his people" (v. 18). "In response to his people the LORD said:/I am sending you/grain, wine, and oil,/and you will be satisfied;/and I will no more make you/a mockery among the nations" (v. 19).
John describes "the victory of Christ and his heavenly armies over the beast and his cohorts" (Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB). "Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war" (Rev. 19:11). The description of Christ includes "many diadems" (v. 12), "a robe dipped in blood" and the title "The Word of God" (v. 13). "On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of lords" (v. 16). Echoes of the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah? The scene seems set for battle: "Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army" (v. 19; cf. 16:13-16). But no drawn out battle or struggle is reported. The following verse reports the capture of "the beast" and "the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image" (v. 20). These two were throne into "the lake of fire" which "is Gehenna" (Metzger), and the birds that had been summoned (vv. 17-18) "were gorged" with "the flesh" of the beast's army (v. 21).
Luke presents the first two of three parables about lost things: the lost sheep and the lost coin. As he often does, Luke sets the scene. Pharisees and scribes "were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow [Jesus] welcomes sinners and eats with them'" (Lk. 15:1-2). The three parables which follow, including the Prodigal Son (tomorrow's lesson), respond to this complaint, and well illustrate the words which conclude the account of Jesus' rescue of another lost soul, Zaccheus, "For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost" (Lk. 19:10). The shepherd goes after the lost sheep "until he finds it" (Lk. 15:4), which, at a minimum shows the Lord's persistence (cf. 2 Peter 3:9), whereas Matthew's version suggests some uncertainty, "if he finds it" (Mt. 18:13). But "it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost" (Mt. 18:14).
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.