OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 62: 1 - 5 Isai 62:1 (NRSV) For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but 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. 5 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. PSALM 89: 3 - 4, 15 - 16, 26, 28 (Roman Catholic) Psal 89:1 (NRSV) 3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: 4 "I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.' " [Selah] 15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance; 16 they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness. 26 He shall cry to me, "You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!' 28 Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm. Note: Verse numbering is one higher in Roman Catholic bibles. NEW TESTAMENT: Acts 13: 16 - 17, 22 - 25 Acts 13:16 (NRSV) So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: "You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 22 When he had removed him, he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, "I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.' 23 Of this man's posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; 24 before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his work, he said, "What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.' GOSPEL: Matthew 1: (1 - 17) 18 - 25 Matt 1:1 (NRSV) An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Per'ez and Ze'rah by Ta'mar, and Per'ez the father of Hez'ron, and Hez'ron the father of Ar'am, 4 and Ar'am the father of Amin'adab, and Amin'adab the father of Nah'shon, and Nah'shon the father of Sal'mon, 5 and Sal'mon the father of Bo'az by Ra'hab, and Bo'az the father of O'bed by Ruth, and O'bed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri'ah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehobo'am, and Rehobo'am the father of Abi'jah, and Abi'jah the father of A'saph, 8 and A'saph the father of Jehosh'aphat, and Jehosh'aphat the father of Jo'ram, and Jo'ram the father of Uzzi'ah, 9 and Uzzi'ah the father of Jo'tham, and Jo'tham the father of A'haz, and A'haz the father of Hezeki'ah, 10 and Hezeki'ah the father of Manas'seh, and Manas'seh the father of A'mos, and A'mos the father of Josi'ah, 11 and Josi'ah the father of Jechoni'ah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoni'ah was the father of Sala'thiel, and Sala'thiel the father of Zerub'babel, 13 and Zerub'babel the father of Abi'ud, and Abi'ud the father of Eli'akim, and Eli'akim the father of A'zor, 14 and A'zor the father of Za'dok, and Za'dok the father of A'chim, and A'chim the father of Eli'ud, 15 and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar, and Elea'zar the father of Mat'than, and Mat'than the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. 18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emman'uel," which means, "God is with us." 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- READINGS for PROPER I OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 9: 2 - 7 (RCL, Roman Catholic) Isai 9:2 (NRSV) {Ch 9.1 in Heb} The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Mid'ian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Note: the verse numbering used by the Roman Catholic lectionary & Bible is different - verses are numbered 1 less than in the NRSV. PSAM 96 (RCL) Psalm 96: 1 - 3, 11 - 13 (Roman Catholic) Psal 96:1 (NRSV) O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, "The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity." 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. 96 Cantate Domino (ECUSA BCP) 1 Sing to the Lord a new song; * sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. 2 Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; * proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations * and his wonders among all peoples. 4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; * he is more to be feared than all gods. 5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; * but it is the Lord who made the heavens. 6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! * Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary! 7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; * ascribe to the Lord honor and power. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; * bring offerings and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; * let the whole earth tremble before him. 10 Tell it out among the nations: "The Lord is King! * he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity." 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea thunder and all that is in it; * let the field be joyful and all that is therein. 12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy before the Lord when he comes, * when he comes to judge the earth. 13 He will judge the world with righteousness * and the peoples with his truth. NEW TESTAMENT: Titus 2: 11 - 14 (all) Titu 2:11 (NRSV) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. h/t Montreal Anglican Merry Christmas! In v. 1, the author has admonished his readers to “teach what is consistent with sound doctrine.” They are to teach and practice good ethical behaviour, proper living in their life setting, the household, “so that the word of God may not be discredited” (v. 5). How are they (and we) to do this? “The grace of God” (v. 11), personified in Christ, has come to bring salvation to all people, to enable us to renounce what is immoral, and to live virtuous lives. (God achieves for the faithful “training” (v. 12), true education – something of great value in Greco-Roman society.) We are to live virtuously while we await the second coming of Christ, who is God and Saviour (v. 13). Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was so that we might be cleansed from sin, be redeemed from slavery to sin to forgiveness of sins, be made godly, and be people who live ethically (“zealous for good deeds”, v. 14). 2:1-3:8 is a section stating what the true teacher is to teach. [NJBC] Verse 2: Qualities listed here that are expected of others in 1 and 2 Timothy: “temperate” 1 Timothy 3:2 of bishops 1 Timothy 3:11 of women “serious” 1 Timothy 3:8 of deacons “prudent” 1 Timothy 3:2 of bishops “sound in faith, in love, and in endurance” 1 Timothy 6:11 of a “man of God” 2 Timothy 3:10 of Paul [CAB] Verse 2: “sound in faith, in love, and in endurance”: “Endurance” replaces “hope” of the traditional triad: in 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul writes: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love”. [NJBC] Verse 3: 1 Timothy 2:8-10 advises that men should pray “without anger or argument” and women “ should dress themselves ... with good works”. See also 1 Timothy 3:8, 11. [CAB] Verse 3: “teach what is good”: The author of the Pastoral Epistles did not, however, want women teaching men or teaching in the context of worship. 1 Timothy 2:11-12 says “Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.” [NJBC] The author was a creature of his culture. Verses 4-5: See 1 Timothy 2:9-15; 5:11-14. See also Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:21-23; 1 Peter 3:1. [CAB] Verses 4-5: The stress on domestic virtues is not unrelated to the fact that younger women had apparently become involved in spreading false teaching. 1 Timothy 5:13 says that younger widows “learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say”. [NJBC] Verse 5: “submissive to their husbands”: Ephesians 5:21 says “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ”. The general principle is that of mutual subjection (Paul says, in Philippians 2:3, “... in humility regard others as better than yourselves”). The culture is reflected in the subordination of slaves. [NOAB] It was a given of ancient social morality that wives were submissive to their husbands. [NJBC] Verse 5: “so that the word of God may not be discredited”: A frequent theme in the Pastoral Epistles is good conduct for the sake of non-believers. See also 1:6; 2:8, 10, 11, 14; 3:2, 8, 14; 1 Timothy 2:1-2. See also 1 Peter 2:11-17. [CAB] Verse 7: Like Timothy (in 1 Timothy 4:12; 5:1; 2 Timothy 2:22), Titus is depicted as a young man, probably in order to make him a type of the next generation of church leaders after Paul. [NJBC] Verse 9: “Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters ...”: See also 1 Corinthians 7:21-23; Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 6:1-2. [NOAB] Verse 9: “slaves”: Although 1 Timothy 6:1-2 implies that many slave masters were not Christian, the community of the Pastoral Epistles had wealthier members (see 1 Timothy 2:9; 6:17-19) who presumably owned slaves. [JBC] Verse 10: The author mentions a stereotypical slave vice, pilfering, but fails to list the duties of masters. So he seems to have a lurking bias towards slaveholders. [NJBC] Verse 11: See also 1 Timothy 2:3-6; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:15-23. [CAB] Verse 11: “the grace of God”: Personified, as it is in the writings of Philo of Alexandria. Elsewhere in the Pastoral Epistles, it is always Christ who appears: see 2:13; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 4:1, 8. [NJBC] Verse 12: In Romans 1:18, Paul writes: “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth”. See also Galatians 5:16, 24. [CAB] Verse 12: “training”: Can also be translated educating. True education counters impiety (the vice opposed to piety/loyalty/devotedness, NRSV: “godly”) and worldly passions and promotes the leading of a fully virtuous life. [NJBC] Verse 12: “self-controlled, upright, and godly”: Can be rendered with moderation, justice and piety. These virtues stand for virtues in general. [NJBC] Verse 13: Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:7: “so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ”. [CAB] Verse 13: “blessed hope ... glory”: The manifestation of God himself (“glory”) that took place in the incarnation and in our participation in it (see also John 1:14-18; 2 Corinthians 4:4, 6; Colossians 1:27). [JBC] Verse 13: “manifestation”: This word also appears in 1 Timothy 6:14: “to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The word epiphaneia occurs here, in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 and five times in the Pastoral Epistles, not always with the same meaning. Here it means the parousia of Christ. [JBC] Verse 13: “our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ”: The Pastorals see Christ as subordinate to God yet accord him, as a past and yet-to-come manifestation of God, the same titles as God. Here he receives the very name of God. [NJBC] Verse 14: Revelation 1:5 says “... Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”. [CAB] Verse 14: “who gave himself”: In Matthew 20:28, Jesus says “just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many”. See also Mark 10:45 and Galatians 1:4. [NOAB] Verse 14: “he might ... own”: Biblical promises made by God (see Ezekiel 37:23; Psalm 130:8; Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2) are accomplished through Christ’s self-giving. [NJBC] The author of Ephesians asserts that Christians are people of the New Covenant whom Christ purified: see Ephesians 5:25-27. See also Hebrews 9:14 and 1 Peter 2:9-10. [JBC] Verse 15: In the Pastoral Epistles, the function of ministry is to safeguard the traditions handed down about Jesus and the apostles. In 1 Timothy 6:20, the author advises: “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you”. See also 2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:2, 14-15, 24-25; 3:14; 4:2. [CAB] GOSPEL: Luke 2: 1 - 14 (15 - 20) (RCL) Luke 2: 1 - 14 (Roman Catholic) Luke 2:1 (NRSV) In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirin'ius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke is concerned to place Jesus in the time-line of history, as a real human being. We know of Augustus’ attempt to clean up the taxation system: as well as requiring more reasonable practices of tax collectors, he introduced a truly equitable tax: a poll-tax. Every 14 years, a census was held: people were required to present themselves in their ancestral towns, to register for the tax. Records are fragmentary but we do know that a census was held by “Quirinius” (v. 2) of Syria in 6-7 AD. Perhaps Judea was included in a census of 8-7 BC, “the first registration”. From Matthew 2:16, we know that Herod the Great sought to kill Jesus by slaughtering all children aged two or less. Because Herod died in 4 BC, Jesus was born no later than 6 BC. The dates agree. Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem, the city of David, to “to be registered” (v. 5). Jesus is born in Bethlehem in fulfilment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2-5: a shepherd-king is to be born there. In v. 7, Jesus is treated like any other newborn of the time: he is wrapped in cloths, but there may be a message in his being born in “a manger”: animals normally fed from it; Jesus is sustenance for the world. In vv. 8-14, we learn the meaning of Jesus’ birth. Those who hear the pronouncement by the angel are “shepherds” (v. 8), lowly people. David too was a shepherd; in Luke, Jesus comes to the poor, the lowly. The message of Christ’s birth is indeed a joyful one – for all. V. 11 mentions our great claims as to who Jesus is: “Saviour”, “Messiah” and “Lord”. As “Saviour”, he restores us to wholeness, rescues us from sin and alienation from God. In Jesus, God is present with sinners and saves us from destructive self-isolation to union with him, in a nurturing community. As “Messiah”, he inaugurates the era of heavenly peace: the end-time has begun. As “Lord”, he is God come in human form. The kingdom is for all those whom God has chosen (v. 14b). In vv. 15-20 the shepherds visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph. They tell them and many others the good news the angels have told them The parallel is Matthew 1:18-2:23. [NOAB] Verse 1: “all the world”: The Roman Empire. [NOAB] Verse 2: “Quirinius”: He was a special legate or commissioner from Augustus, sent to carry on a war against a rebellious tribe, the Homonadenses. As such, he was military governor of Syria. There was also a civil governor. [NOAB] Verse 4: “descended from ... David”: See also 1:27 (the announcement to Mary), 32-33, 69-71 (Zechariah prophesies). [NJBC] Verse 7: “firstborn”: NJBC wonders whether the meaning here is firstborn of God. Verse 7: “bands of cloth”: Wisdom of Solomon 7:4 says “I [Solomon] was nursed with care in swaddling cloths”. Like Solomon, his predecessor on the throne of David, Jesus wears the trappings of humility. [NJBC] Verse 7: The imperial cult celebrated Augustus as the bringer of peace. While Augustus brought some peace through military might, in the powerlessness of his babyhood, Jesus is Saviour and bringer of peace to all. [NJBC] Verse 7: “inn”: A two-story building, typically 13 metres by 20 metres (40 feet by 65 feet). Animals stayed in the lower courtyard. Kitchens and other facilities were on the lower floor, and bedrooms on the upper floor. The Greek word katalyma used here also appears in 22:11 as the site of the Last Supper. [NJBC] Verse 8: “shepherds”: An echo of David’s origins as a shepherd: see 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Shepherds were ritually unclean. [NJBC] Verse 9: “terrified”: While some scholars tell us that this means held God in awe, I suggest that they were literally terrified. What they saw was beyond their experience; indeed it was beyond the limits of human understanding. See also 1:65; 7:16; Acts 2:43; 5:5, 11; 19:17. [NOAB] Verse 10: 1:26 says “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth”. [JBC] Verses 11-14: These verses are the key to the meaning of the passage. [JBC] Verse 11: “this day”: i.e. today: not in the distant future (as Jews expected), but being inaugurated now! For today as a theme in Luke, see 4:21; 5:36; 12:28; 13:32-33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43. [NJBC] Verse 11: “Saviour”: In Jesus, God is present with sinners (see 19:5, 10; 23:43). Jesus saves from destructive self-isolation to union with the nurturing community. Verse 11: “Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord”: See also Matthew 1:21; 16:16; John 4:42; Acts 2:36; 5:31; Philippians 2:11. [NOAB] Verse 14: See also 3:22 (“‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’”, at Jesus’ baptism) and 19:38 (“‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’”, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem). [NOAB] Verse 14: In Jesus, God has effected God’s gift of peace expected at the end of the time. [NJBC] Verse 14: “peace among those whom he favours”: Lack of a single letter in later Greek manuscripts accounts for the alternative rendering: peace, goodwill among people. [NOAB] Verse 14: “those whom he favours”: Those whom God has chosen in accord with his good pleasure. [NOAB] Verse 16: “the child lying in the manger”: As foretold by the angel (see v. 12), but this “sign” also bears out and exemplifies the message that Jesus is Saviour (see v. 11). [NJBC] Verse 17: “what had been told them about this child”: This is complementary to: • The announcement to Mary (see 1:31-33) that Jesus is Saviour (see v. 11) • Mary’s statement in the Magnificat (see 1:46-55) • Zechariah’s statement, the Benedictus (see 1:68-79) [NJBC] Verse 19: Mary tries to find the meaning of these events. She models for believers the necessity of reflecting on, and embodying, peace. 1:45 says “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord”. [NJBC]

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 61: 1 - 4, 8 - 11 (RCL) Isaiah 61: 1 - 2a, 10 - 11 (Roman Catholic) Isai 61:1 (NRSV) The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 8 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. PSALM 126 (RCL) Psal 126:1 (NRSV) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." 3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. 4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Neg'eb. 5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. 126 In convertendo (ECUSA BCP) 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, * then were we like those who dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, * and our tongue with shouts of joy. 3 Then they said among the nations, * "The Lord has done great things for them." 4 The Lord has done great things for us, * and we are glad indeed. 5 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, * like the watercourses of the Negev. 6 Those who sowed with tears * will reap with songs of joy. 7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, * will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves. Luke 1: 47 - 55 (alt. for RCL) Luke 1: 46 - 50, 53 - 54 (Roman Catholic) Luke 1:46 (NRSV) And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." Note: The ECUSA lectionary actually calls for Canticles 3 or 15, which are the above passage, from the King James or a contemporary translation, respectively. Common Worship and the Canadian BAS also call for the Canticle Magnificat, as printed therein. 15 The Song of Mary Magnificat (ECUSA BCP) Luke 1:46-55 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 24 (RCL, Roman Catholic) 1The 5:16 (NRSV) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. h/t Montreal Anglican Paul is drawing toward the conclusion of his letter. He has just exhorted the Thessalonian Christians regarding their personal conduct and their relations within the community. Now he turns to spiritual matters. God’s plan for them, realized in Christ, is to “rejoice always”, to make their lives a continual prayer, a working in unison with God, and to be thankful to God for his freely-given gifts, whatever may happen to them (vv. 16-18). Do not, he says in v. 19, suppress manifestations of the Holy Spirit as he works through members of the community; do not despise “the words of prophets” (v. 20), i.e. preaching inspired by God, words of consolation and warning spoken by members who receive messages from God, and predictions of future events, but be aware that there are true and false prophets; there are those who authentically speak God’s word, but others who do not, who are false, “evil” (v. 22). Take care to discern, in the context of the community, all supposed manifestations of the Spirit (“test everything”, v. 21). Finally, in vv. 23-24, Paul prays that God, who brings peace (shalom) in the community now and promises eternal peace in his kingdom, may bring them into union with him (“sanctify”). Also, may every aspect of each one of them – their relationship to God (“spirit”), their personal vitality (“soul”), and their physical bodies – be found godly, worthy of the kingdom, when Christ comes again. God, who calls them to the Christian way, in his fidelity will sanctify them and make them worthy of the kingdom. Verses 12-13: See also Romans 12:8; 16:2; Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 3:8, 14; 1 Timothy 5:17. [CAB] Verse 13: “love”: The Greek word is philadelphia, love of fellow Christians. Paul has spoken of it in 4:9-11. [NJBC] Verse 14: “idlers”: i.e. undisciplined and disorderly people who neglect their daily duties. See also 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12. [CAB] Verse 14: “patient”: Patience is a fruit of the Spirit: Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ...”. [NJBC] Verse 15: Jesus gives a similar exhortation in Matthew 5:44-48 (also in the parallel, Luke 6:27-36). See also Romans 12:17. [CAB] Put philadelphia into practice! [NJBC] Verses 16-18: General exhortations on the Christian way of life. [NJBC] Verse 16: See also Philippians 4:4 and Romans 14:17. Joy, too, is a fruit of the Spirit. [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 17: Luke 18:1 says “Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always ...” [CAB] Prayer proceeds from the Spirit: see Romans 8:15-16. See also Ephesians 6:18. [NJBC] Verse 18: See also Philippians 4:6 and Colossians 2:7; 3:15-17. [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 19: See also Jeremiah 20:9; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3; Romans 12:11; 2 Timothy 1:6. [NOAB] [CAB] Verse 20: “words of prophets”: See also 1 Corinthians 14:1. Prophets were numerous in the early church: see Acts 11:27; 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28-29. Their utterances, while including the foretelling of events, were mainly exhortations to godliness. They were next in authority to the apostles: see Ephesians 2:20; 4:11. [NOAB] Verses 21-22: “good ... evil”: While some scholars see these words as referring to true and false prophecy, others see them as referring to moral discernment, as in Isaiah 1:16-17. [NJBC] Verse 21: “test everything”: See also 1 John 4:1-3: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world ...”. [NOAB] Verse 23: “the God of peace”: See also Romans 15:33; 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20. [CAB] To NJBC, this is a traditional epithet taken over by Paul: see Judges 6:24; Romans 15:33; 1 Corinthians 14:33. Verse 23: “spirit and soul and body”: Paul does not think of a person as having three parts, but as a unity – consistent with typical Jewish anthropology. [NOAB] However, some scholars suggest that Paul expresses a tripartite form of anthropology. [NJBC] Verse 24: “this”: i.e. v. 23. [NOAB] Verse 25: “pray for us”: Earlier (1:2; 3:11-13; 5:23), Paul as prayed for the Christians at Thessalonica. Now he seeks their prayers. See also Romans 15:30-32; Philippians 1:19; Philemon 22. [NJBC] Verse 26: “holy kiss”: Such a kiss became a symbol of communal love among Christians. It became a regular part of worship in the Church. See also Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. [NOAB] [CAB] Verse 27: It seems that reading of a Christian text was a new practice in the Christian assembly. [NJBC] See also Colossians 4:16 and Revelation 1:3. [CAB] Verse 28: A solemn greeting concludes all of the authentic Pauline letters. [NJBC] GOSPEL: John 1: 6 - 8, 19 - 28 (all) John 1:6 (NRSV) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Le'vites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Eli'jah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isai'ah said. 24 Now they had been sent from the Phar'isees. 25 They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Eli'jah, nor the prophet?" 26 John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." 28 This took place in Beth'any across the Jordan where John was baptizing. In the opening verses of the book, the evangelist has told us, that the Word, the logos, (i.e. what God says, God in action, creating, revealing and redeeming) existed before all time. He is the force behind all that exists; he causes physical and spiritual life to be; life, goodness, light, overcomes all evil. Jesus, the “light” (v. 7), took on being human through God, and is a force for goodness, light, godliness, for all people. Now he tells of John the baptizer, who is sent, commissioned by God, to point to Jesus, to “testify to the light” (v. 7). He is the lamp that illuminates the way, but Christ is the light (v. 8). When the religious authorities (“Jews”, v. 19) send emissaries (“priests and Levites”) to assess the authenticity of this religious figure, John tells them that he is neither of those whom they are expecting to come to earth: neither “the Messiah” (v. 20) nor the returned “Elijah” (v. 21). (Jews believed that one or both would establish a kingdom on earth free from Roman domination.) Neither is he “the prophet” who was expected (by some) to be instrumental in establishing the Messiah’s kingdom. John says simply that he is the one who prepares “the way of the Lord” (v. 23), who announces the Messiah’s coming, fulfilling Isaiah 40:3. Representatives of the Pharisees (who enforced traditional Jewish law and practice) ask in v. 25: why are you performing an official rite without official status? (Jews baptized proselytes at the time.) John tells them that the one to whom he points is already on earth (v. 27); he is so great that I am not even worthy to be his slave. Surprisingly, per v. 28, this occurred outside Israel. Verses 1-2: The “Word” (Greek: logos) of God is speech, but also God in action, creating (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:6), revealing (Amos 3:7-8), redeeming (Psalm 107:19-20). Jesus is this “Word” (v. 14). He was eternal (“in the beginning” – see Genesis 1:1); personal (“with God”); divine (“was God”). Note “the Word was God”: then v. 14: “the Word became flesh”. [NOAB] Verse 1: “In the beginning”: An echo of Genesis 1:1 in the Septuagint version. [CAB] Verse 1: “In the beginning ... was with God”: Also recalls the traditions of Wisdom being with God at creation (Proverbs 8:30; Wisdom of Solomon 7:25), but John goes beyond the stance of wisdom literature, which carefully avoids showing Wisdom as equal with God. [NJBC] Verse 3: He was the sole agent of creation (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:27-30; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2). [NOAB] Verse 4: Apart from him, both physical and spiritual life would recede into nothingness (5:39-40; 8:12). [NOAB] Verse 5: “The light shines in the darkness”: Wisdom of Solomon 7:29-30 speaks of a beauty that surpasses the sun and stars; sin cannot prevail over Wisdom. [NJBC] Verse 5: “darkness”: Total evil in conflict with God – it cannot overcome God. [NOAB] Verses 6-8: John the Baptist was commissioned by God (Malachi 3:1) to point to Jesus (vv. 9-34). [NOAB] John the Baptist is a witness. [NJBC] Verse 9: “The true light”: The real (authentic, divinely given reality), underived light contrasted not with false light but with those such as John the Baptist: he was a lamp (5:35). [NOAB] Verse 19: “the Jews”: i.e. the religious authorities. [NOAB] Later, John (the evangelist) uses this expression for those who instigate opposition to Jesus, especially Pharisees and high priests: see 5:10, 15-16, 18; 7:1; 8:48, 52, 57; 9:18, 22; 10:24, 31, 33; 11:8; 18:12, 14, 31, 33; 19:7, 12, 14, 31, 38; 20:19. [NJBC] Verse 20: “Messiah”: This term first appears for a future anointed agent of God in Daniel 9:25 (NRSV: “anointed”). The Qumran Literature further developed this idea. See 1QS (Rule of the Community) 9:11; 1QSa (Rule of the Community, Appendix A) 2:14, 20; CD (Damascus Document) 20:1; 4QFlor (Florilegium) 1:11-13. [NJBC] Verse 21: “Elijah”: 2 Kings 2:11 says that “Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven”. In Malachi 3:1, Yahweh says: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.”. In Malachi 4:5, Yahweh identifies the messenger as Elijah: “I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”, i.e. before the end of the era. John is unaware of this role, but later Jesus ascribes it to him: see Matthew 11:14 and Mark 9:13. [NOAB] [NJBC] Verse 21: “the prophet”: In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses says: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people” so the prophet like Moses was expected as a forerunner of the Messiah. See also 6:14 and 7:40. [NOAB] Verse 23: “the voice”: As a “voice” John fulfills a prophetic role announcing the Messiah’s coming. [NOAB] The form of the quotation here is different from the one in the Synoptic gospels and from the Septuagint translation. [NJBC]

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 40: 1 - 11 (RCL) Isaiah 40: 1 - 5, 9 - 11 (Roman Catholic) Isai 40:1 (NRSV) Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6 A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. PSALM 85: 1 - 2, 8 - 13 (RCL) Psalm 85: 8 - 13 (Roman Catholic) Psal 85:1 (NRSV) LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. 8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps. Note: verse numbering is one higher in Roman Catholic bibles 85 Benedixisti, Domine (ECUSA BCP) 1 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, * you have restored the good fortune of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people * and blotted out all their sins. 8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, * for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to him. 9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, * that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; * righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, * and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, * and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him, * and peace shall be a pathway for his feet. NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Peter 3: 8 - 15a (RCL) 2 Peter 3: 8 - 14 (Roman Catholic) 2Pet 3:8 (NRSV) But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. 14 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. h/t Montreal Anglican Aware that he will soon die, the author leaves his fellow Christians with a testimony of what being Christian demands: how to live up to The Way, so that they may be among the godly when Christ comes again. It was tempting to deny that Christ would come again because early Christians expected the world to end within their lifetimes. The delay, he argues in v. 8, is only in human terms, for God does not measure time as we do. God wishes all people to be found worthy at the Last Day; he does not want any to “perish” (v. 9) for ungodliness; so he is waiting patiently for all to repent of their waywardness. The End will come “like a thief” (v. 10), i.e. suddenly, unexpectedly. The images of the end-times in v. 10b are drawn from popular Jewish and Greek (Stoic) philosophy of the day. (Annihilation of all things by fire was a Stoic belief.) A “loud noise” heralds the Day; the conduct of all people will be made known then. So, he asks rhetorically in vv. 11-12, given that the End will come, what should our conduct be as we wait for the End and hasten it (through bringing people to Christ)? But, says v. 13, for us Christians annihilation is not the End, for (per Isaiah 66:22), we look forward to “new heavens and a new earth”, inhabited by the godly. In v. 14, he answers: we should work at being “at peace”, at being ethically and spiritually perfect, prepared for Christ’s (“him”) coming at the End. We should see the apparent delay in his coming as an opportunity for repentance, for attainment of salvation. For the author’s purpose in writing this letter, see 1:13-16. Here too he seeks to focus his readers on correct interpretation (“sincere intention”, Greek: eilikrene dianoia, v. 1) of the eschatological tradition. It is in accord with the Old Testament prophets and what Jesus said. [NJBC] Verse 1: “the second letter”: This author knows that 1 Peter has been circulated in the church. [CAB] Verse 2: “holy prophets”: As in 1:19, Old Testament prophets are probably meant. Amos 9:10 warns that those who think that their evil ways will not overtake them will “die by the sword”. See also the warning in Malachi 2:17 and Zephaniah 1:12. [CAB] Verse 2: “the commandment ... spoken through your apostles”: Jude 17 says “But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ”. [CAB] Verse 2: “your apostles”: “Your” suggests that Peter did not write this letter, for he puts space between himself and the apostles who witnessed the earthly ministry of Jesus. [NJBC] Verses 3-4: It appears that the “scoffers” claimed that the universe is immutable, so it would never end. Verse 3: “scoffers”: These are the “false prophets” mentioned in 2:1; they scoff at the group’s traditions (1:16). This word is also used in Jude 18. It was commonly accepted that the Day of Judgement will be preceded by the appearance of false prophets. See also Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22; Acts 20:29-30; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:3-4; John 2:8; 4:1-3. [CAB] Verse 4: “Where is the promise of his coming?”: The author has been defending the promise of the second coming: see 1:4 and 3:9. This is a typical query calling into question the power and intention of either a pagan god (see Deuteronomy 32:37 and 2 Kings 18:34) or of Israel’s God (see Judges 6:13; Psalm 42:4, 11). [NJBC] Verse 4: “our ancestors”: Perhaps a reference to the first generation of Christians. [CAB] Verses 5-7: They fail to see that the world began, that it was brought into existence by God’s “word”. See Genesis 1:6-10 (the first creation story). In fact, the world has been destroyed once already – in the Flood. See 2:5 and Genesis 7:11 (the Flood). So it will be destroyed again, the second time by “fire”, which will destroy the “godless” on the Day of Judgement. God’s ability to destroy by fire has already been proved by his action against Sodom and Gomorrah: see Genesis 19:24. [NJBC] Verse 5: “They deliberately ignore this fact ...”: The “scoffers” are guilty of culpable ignorance, unlike the author, who remembers (1:13) and reminds (v. 1). [NJBC] Contemporary Jewish speculative religious thinking was that the flood was a type for the coming destruction of the world by fire. [CAB] Verse 7: As God by a word created heaven and earth, so by a word he will exercise executive power on the scoffers. [NJBC] Verse 7: “reserved”: While Deuteronomy 28:12 speaks of God’s stores of rain and fertility, Philo speaks of God’s treasury of judgement. [NJBC] Verse 8: “one day is like a thousand years”: God’s measure of time is indicated in Psalm 90:4: “For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night”. [NOAB] In Genesis 2:17, Adam is told by God “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” but Adam lives for nearly a thousand years see Genesis 5:5. His long life was explained by the rabbis as God’s gift of time to repent: see Midrash Rabba Genesis 22:1. See also Jubilees 4:29-30. [NJBC] Verse 9: In Joel 2:12-13, Yahweh says through the prophet: “Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing”. In Romans 2:4, Paul asks: “... do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”. See also Ezra 3:30; 7:14, 33; 9:21. [CAB] Verse 10: “the day of the Lord”: In the Old Testament, the day when God will vindicate his cause and execute judgement: see Amos 5:18-20; Joel 2:28-32; Malachi 4:5; Zephaniah 1:7. [CAB] In the New Testament, see also Acts 2:20 (Peter quotes Joel on the Day of Pentecost); 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3. [NJBC] Verse 10: “like a thief”: See also Matthew 24:43 (the necessity for watchfulness) and Luke 12:39. [NOAB] Verse 10: “heavens ... earth”: When Christ comes again, all creation – “heavens”, intermediate “elements”, and “earth” – will pass away with a “loud noise”, possibly the trumpet and cry of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 or the roar of the consuming fire. [NJBC] Verse 10: “elements”: In Greek philosophy, the elements were water, air, earth and fire. Verse 10: “disclosed”: or found, in a forensic sense. [NJBC] Verse 11: Paul writes of the need for moral behaviour consistent with belief in God’s final judgement: • in 1 Thessalonians 3:13: “... may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints”, and • in Philippians 2:15-16: “... It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain”. Verse 12: In apocalyptic writings, “fire” plays a prominent role in the destruction of the world. [NOAB] Verse 12: “day of God”: This phrase emphasises a different point from that in v. 10 about “the day of the Lord” (Jesus): God has power to be active in creation and to judge. The description here resembles the biblical descriptions of God’s day (see Isaiah 34:4; Mark 13:24-25; Revelation 16:8-9), where the heavens are predicted to fail and fire to come upon the world. [NJBC] Verses 13-14: These verses quote freely from Isaiah 66:22. In Isaiah and Revelation 22, the thought is not (as here) the destruction but the renewal and transformation of the universe. [NOAB] See also Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1. [NJBC] Verses 15b-16: The author knows several of Paul’s letters; he considers them to be “scriptures”. Paul also wrote of the need to live ethically and spiritually perfect lives. [NOAB] The tradition about the second coming of Christ rests on the word of two inspired witnesses, Peter and Paul. [NJBC] GOSPEL: Mark 1: 1 - 8 (all) Mark 1:1 (NRSV) The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isai'ah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark begins his telling of the “good news” with quotations from the Old Testament. God had promised the Israelites a “messenger” (v. 2) to lead them. The prophet Malachi understood this promise as pointing to the end-times, to one who would prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. To him, the “messenger” would be Elijah. While v. 3 originally spoke of return from exile, by Jesus’ time it was seen as an expression of God’s comfort and salvation. To us, John the Baptist comes to prepare for, and announce, Jesus’ coming. Tradition says that John baptised near Jericho, in an arid region. People came to him in large numbers, repenting (changing their mind sets), “confessing their sins” (v. 5), resolving to sin no more, and dipping themselves in the River. John dressed like a hermit or prophet (v. 6). (In Palestine, some species of locusts were eaten.) John is so unworthy, compared to “the one who ... is coming” (v. 7), that he cannot untie his “sandals”, a task normally performed by a slave. His baptism is a sign of purification, of turning to God, of accepting God’s forgiveness and judgement; Jesus’ baptism re-establishes a spiritual link between God and humans. The parallels are Matthew 3:1-12 and Luke 3:1-20. See also John 1:6, 15, 19-28. [NOAB] Verse 1: “beginning”: John the Baptist marks the transition from the epoch of the old covenant to that of the new, which Jesus brings. [CAB] Verse 1: “good news”: This term, or gospel, functions as the title of this book, and later (probably about 150 AD, in the writings of Justin Martyr) became the name for this genre. The term is common in Paul’s letters where it means the message itself. [CAB] [BlkMk] [NJBC] Verse 1: “Son of God”: See also v. 11 and 3:11; 5:7; 14:61; 15:39. [CAB] In the Old Testament this term is used to describe angels or divine beings (see Genesis 6:2 and Job 37:7), the Israelite nation (see Hosea 11:1) and an anointed king (see Psalm 2:7). There it usually has moral force: God loves Israel, so Israel should in turn love and obey her Father: see Deuteronomy 32:6. Two of the late apocalyptic books seem to use it of the Messiah (see 1 Enoch 105:2; 2 Esdras 7:28-29; 13:32, 27, 52), as does Mark in 14:61. The Greco-Roman world knew of gods and heroes, usually saviours and healers, who were called sons of god. So it is understandable that the centurion at the foot of the cross remarks: “Truly this man was God's Son” (in 15:39). [BlkMk] Verse 2: “the prophet Isaiah”: A reading found in some manuscripts is the prophets. This is easily explained: the quotation is actually not from Isaiah. Mark may have used a collection of Old Testament quotations and so attributed it to Isaiah. The quotation is a combination of Exodus 23:20 (in the Septuagint translation) and Malachi 3:1 (the Masoretic Text). Malachi used phrases from Exodus 23:20; there (per the Septuagint) God promises to send his messenger before Israel and guide it to the Promised Land. See also Matthew 11:10 and Luke 7:27. [NOAB] [NJBC] BlkMk considers that it is likely that this quotation was added by a later editor. It is not found in the parallel passages. An alternative view, presented by BlkMk, is that the quotation is Malachi 3:1 with my changed to your. In Greek, this change is only one letter: from mou to sou. In antiquity, unlike today, making such changes was fully acceptable. In Isaiah, “the Lord” is Yahweh; here it is Jesus. Verse 3: The quotation is Isaiah 40:3 in the Septuagint translation except that near the end he replaces our God’s with his. [NOAB] [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 4: See also Acts 13:24 (Paul speaks in the synagogue at Antioch in Persidia). [NOAB] Verse 4: “John the baptizer”: He is later called John the Baptist. He was imprisoned (v. 14) and executed (6:17-29) by Herod Antipas. For the story of his birth, see Luke 3:10-18; for his preaching, see Luke 3:10-18. John is in Israel’s prophetic tradition. [CAB] Verse 5: “people from ...”: The historian Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, also describes John as a preacher of repentance who used baptism and attracted large crowds. [NJBC] Verse 5: “baptized”: Baptism was a Jewish practice, but only for non-Jews who adopted Judaism. Verse 6: John’s clothing recalls that of Elijah: “‘A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist’” (see 2 Kings 1:8). In Matthew 11:14, Elijah is identified with John. [CAB] Whether John was making the point that he stood in the line of Israel’s prophets or was presenting himself as the new Elijah (or both) is unclear. In Malachi 3:1, Yahweh says through the prophet: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts”, and in Malachi 4:5 “Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”. [NJBC] Verse 7: “The one who is more powerful than I”: John may well have been speaking of God’s arrival in power at the end of time but in this book it undoubtedly refers to Jesus. [NJBC] Verse 8: See also Acts 2:17-21 (Peter speaks to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost) and Joel 2:28-29 (“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions”). [NOAB] The Greek means Holy Spirit not “the Holy Spirit”. Mark elsewhere always uses the definite article. Matthew and Luke append with fire

OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 34: 11 - 16, 20 - 24 (RCL)
Ezekiel 34: 11 - 12, 15 - 17 (Roman Catholic)

Ezek 34:11 (NRSV) For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
17 As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.

20 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.


PSALM 100 (RCL)

Psal 100:1 (NRSV) Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.


100 Jubilate Deo (ECUSA BCP)

1 Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; *
serve the LORD with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

2 Know this: The LORD himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

4 For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.



Psalm 95 1 - 7 (C of E, alt. for ECUSA)

Psal 95:1 (NRSV) O come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
O that today you would listen to his voice!

Note: the last part of verse 7 is omitted by ECUSA


95 Venite, exultemus (ECUSA BCP)

1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.


Psalm 23 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil:
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff -
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercyshall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.


NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 1: 15 - 23 (RCL)

Ephe 1:15 (NRSV) I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

h/t montreal Anglican

Paul has written of the Father’s wisdom and insight in making known to us his will, his plan for completion of the restoration of the faithful to oneness with him, as told by Jesus (vv. 8, 9). God’s plan embraces both Jews and Gentiles, bringing them together in one Christian community. That this is happening he sees as evidence of God’s ability to break down diverse barriers, and to bring the world to unity in Christ.
And so, in vv. 15-16, he is delighted to hear of the successful missionary activity by people he does not know at first hand. Their “faith” (commitment to Christ) and fraternal love (love of “all the saints”, Christians both Jewish and Gentile) go hand in hand: faith involves appreciating God’s great love for humanity demonstrated in the Father’s giving of the Son. That “your” (v. 15) refers to new Christians is indicated by “as you come to know him” in v. 17: Paul prays that these (relatively) new converts may receive “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” as each progressively come to understand God more and more. It is not just digested knowledge (“wisdom”) that they will receive, but also “revelation”, what God will show of himself and his ways, his manifest character, his greatness, “glory”, and the fruit of interaction of knowledge with experience. The objective (v. 18) is that, illuminated by innermost conviction (“with the eyes of your heart”), they may attain a maturer knowledge of God in three ways:
• in spiritual growth (“hope”) being those whom God has called;
• the “glorious inheritance” Gentile Christians now share with their Jewish brethren; and
• experience of the tremendous power of God as he works in their lives.
Paul’s experience speaks here: God showed him mercy when he was a persecutor of Christians. Then v. 20: this power that they now experience is what the Father used in raising Christ and having him share in the divine glory. Christ has also conquered all alien spiritual powers (“far above all rule ...”, v. 21) and pagan gods (“every name that is named”). God has made “all things” (v. 22) subject to humanity; the Father has given Christ to the church as ruler over all things spiritual. The church is one in Christ and thus is able to share in Christ’s exaltation, Christ being the complete embodiment of God, who is in the process of filling (making good) all things. It is through the church that God pervades the world with his goodness.

Verse 13: “you also”: You Gentiles, as well as we Jews. [NOAB]
Verse 15: Colossians 1:4 is very similar: “... we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints”. In Philemon 5, Paul writes: “I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus”. [CAB]
Verse 16: In Romans 1:9, Paul writes: “God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers”. Colossians 1:3 says: “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. See also Philemon 4. [CAB]
Verse 17: “Father of glory”: This phrase occurs only here in the New Testament, but in Acts 7:2 Stephen speaks of the “God of glory” and in 1 Corinthians 2:8 Paul writes of the “ Lord of glory”.
Verse 18: “saints”: This word has various meanings in Ephesians. Here it means angels with whom the earthly congregation has been joined in Christ. This thought has close parallels in the Qumran literature: see 1QSb (Rule of the Community: Blessings) 3:25-4:26; 1QH (Hymns) 11:21-23 (Vermes: 3:21-23). In vv. 1 and 15, it means the earthly congregation. [NJBC]
Verse 19: “greatness of his power”: In the Qumran literature, see 1QH (Hymns) 12:32 (Vermes: 4:32); 1QS (Rule of the Community) 11:19-20. [NJBC]
Verses 20-23: God’s might is revealed in the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and in his exaltation over angelic forces. The author uses early Christian creedal statements that formulate the Christ-event in terms of Psalm 110:1 and 8:6 to impress on readers the glorious position to which they have been called in Christ. [NJBC]
Verse 20: “in Christ”: This phrase occurs frequently throughout this letter in contexts referring to the unity of Jews and Gentiles (e.g. 1:4; 2:13; 3:11). It speaks of Paul’s sense of the Christian community, i.e. the fellowship of those whose fellowship in Christ gives them mutual benefits and sets common standards. See also 1 Corinthians 1:13 (“Has Christ been divided? ...”); 12:12 (“... just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ”); Galatians 3:16. [CAB]
Verse 20: “in the heavenly places”: Can also be translated among heavenly beings. An expression found only in this letter (1:3; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12), referring to the unseen world behind and above the material universe. [NOAB]
Verse 21: In 1 Corinthians 15:24, Pauls writes: “Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power”. Colossians 1:16 says: “... in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him”. See also Philippians 2:9-11. [CAB]
Verse 21: “rule and authority ...”: Created heavenly entities presented as angelic beings subordinate to Christ, perhaps thought of by the first readers as rivals to Christ or beings whose power supplemented that of Christ. Such a belief grew out of the complex and highly developed angelology widespread at the time. [NJBC] See also 3:10; 6:12; Colossians 2:10, 15; Romans 8:38. [CAB]
Verses 22-23: The Church, as the “fulness of Christ”, is the complement of his mystic person; he is the “head”; the Church is “his body”. [NOAB]
Verse 22: “he has put all things under his feet”: This is an allusion to Psalm 8:6: “You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet”. Psalm 8 extols the glory of Adam over creation. Christ is the new Adam, the head of the new humanity, who has brought to virtual completion Adam’s (humanity’s) assignment by God to dominate the universe (see Genesis 1:28 and Hebrews 2:6-9).
Verses 22-23: “head ... body”: This is a development of the Pauline concept of many diverse members forming the body of Christ: see 1 Corinthians 12:12-17. The church is beneficiary of God’s all-embracing plan, and, as beneficiary of his lordship over all things and over all angelic powers, the Church - Christ’s body – shares in the dominion of its head. [NJBC]
Verse 22: “the church”: i.e. the church throughout the world, the universal church, rather than a local congregation. [CAB]
Verse 23: 3:19 says: “... to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” and 4:13 “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ”. [CAB]
Verse 23: “the fullness of him who fills all”: The Greek is difficult. Perhaps Christ is the source and goal of the body’s growth, as described in 4:15-16. “Who fills all” can be translated as “who is being filled with all”. Thus several Patristic authors (Origen, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Chrysostom) read this; they interpreted it as meaning that all things created contribute to the fullness of Christ. However, Old Testament usage would favour the active sense (as in the NRSV) when speaking of God: in Jeremiah 23:24, Yahweh says through the prophet: “Do I not fill heaven and earth?”. See also Ezekiel 43:5. [JBC]



GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 31 - 46 (all)

Matt 25:31 (NRSV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."


Vv. 14-30 are the Parable of the Talents. Jesus has used it to stress the importance of fidelity to him and his mission while he is away. Here Jesus tells us the kind of conduct, of morality, towards others expected of the faithful – and the consequences of not caring for others. Sheep and goats behave differently but in Palestine they were fed together. At the end of the era, when Christ comes again, he will act for the Father (“sit on ... [his] throne”, v. 31). He will separate the “sheep” (v. 32) from the “goats”, assigning the former to a place of honour (“at his right hand”, v. 33) and the latter to dishonour. He, as “king” (v. 34) will invite the godly (or faithful), those whom the Father has pre-ordained for this, to live with him (“the kingdom”), a state that existed before creation (“from the foundation of the world”). Why? Because the godly have fulfilled God’s expectation: in reaching out to the disadvantaged they have, in fact, been reaching out to him (v. 40). We are all part of his family. But the “goats”, those who have ignored the needy, will be permanently separated from God, be unhappy, and be punished, for they have failed to see Christ in people. The “righteous” (v. 46) are the faithful, the godly, those who understand that to serve humanity is to serve Christ – and do so.

In this passage, Jesus says that discipleship is identical with caring for the needy. [NJBC]
Verse 31: In 16:27, Jesus foretells: “‘... the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done’” and in 19:28 “‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel’”. [NOAB]
Verse 31: “the Son of Man”: See also Daniel 7:9, 13-14 (“a human being” translating the Aramaic son of man) and Zechariah 14:5 (“you shall flee by the valley of the Lord's mountain, ... as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him”). Here in Matthew the “Son of Man” acts in place of God. [NJBC]
Verse 32: In Ezekiel 34:17, Yahweh says through the prophet: “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats”. [NOAB]
Verse 32: “the nations”: Scholars identify them with various groups. NOAB says that they are probably those who do not know the God of Israel (see Romans 2:13-16). To NJBC, it includes Israel and not just Gentiles. See also 24:9, 14; 28:19. BlkMt says that while “nations” usually means Gentiles in Matthew, “all nations” seems to mean all humankind.
Verse 32: “will be gathered”: NJBC says that this is a theological passive, so God will gather.
Verse 33: “goats”: The Greek, eriphos, normally means kid, so perhaps they are animals of lower value. [NJBC]
Verse 34: In Luke 12:32 Jesus says: “‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom’” and in Matthew 5:3 “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’”. See also Revelation 13:8; 17:8. [NOAB]
Verse 34: “king”: The Son of Man as king executes his Father’s will. With a blessing he invites the saved to enter the Kingdom, which always exists but which they enter when he decides to bring it and admit them to it. [NJBC]
Verses 35-36: The list includes six of the seven corporal works of mercy in the catechetical tradition. [NJBC] Various of these works are also mentioned in Isaiah 58:7; James 1:27; 2:15-16; Hebrews 13:2; 2 Timothy 1:16. [NOAB]
Verse 37: Note that “the righteous” are surprised, for they were not trying to gain God’s favour.
Verse 40: In 10:42, Jesus says: “‘whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward’” and in Mark 9:41 “‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward’”. See also Hebrews 6:10 and Proverbs 19:17. [NOAB]
Verse 41: In Mark 9:48, Jesus speaks of hell as : “‘where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched’”. In Revelation 20:10, John sees as part of a vision: “the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. [NOAB]
Verses 41-43: Here there are only two ways: either one serves the disadvantaged, or one does not; there is no middle way. This, says NJBC, stems from the deuteronomic theology of a covenant conditioned by human obligation (vs. the covenant of unconditional divine commitment represented in the New Testament by Paul’s theology.) It presupposes human moral responsibility and conscience and God taking human actions seriously. [NJBC]
Verse 46: In Daniel 12:2, speaking of the end-times, says: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt”. In John 5:29, Jesus says: “‘the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation’”. [NOAB]

OLD TESTAMENT: Judges 4: 1 - 7 (RCL)

Judg 4:1 (NRSV) The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after E'hud died. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of King Ja'bin of Ca'naan, who reigned in Ha'zor; the commander of his army was Sis'era, who lived in Haro'sheth-ha-goi'im. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the
Israelites cruelly twenty years.
4 At that time Deb'orah, a prophetess, wife of Lap'pidoth, was judging Israel. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deb'orah between Ra'mah and Beth'el in the hill country of E'phraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Bar'ak son of Abin'oam from Ke'desh in Naph'tali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, "Go, take position at Mount Ta'bor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naph'tali and the tribe of Zeb'ulun. 7 I will draw out Sis'era, the general of Ja'bin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Ki'shon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'"


Zephaniah 1: 7, 12 - 18 (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Zeph 1:7 (NRSV) Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is at hand;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.

12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people
who rest complacently on their dregs,
those who say in their hearts,
"The LORD will not do good,
nor will he do harm."
13 Their wealth shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.
14 The great day of the LORD is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.
15 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,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the LORD,
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD's wrath;
in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed;
for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.


Proverbs 31: 10 - 13, 19 - 20, 30 - 31 (Roman Catholic)

Prov 31:10 (NRSV) A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.

19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor,
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the city gates.


PSALM 123 (RCL)

Psal 123:1 (NRSV) To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.


123 Ad te levavi oculos meos (U. S. Book of Common Prayer)

1 To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.

2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3 So our eyes look to the LORD our God, *
until he show us his mercy.

4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,

5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.


Psalm 90: 1 - 8 (9 - 11) 12 (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Psal 90:1 (NRSV) Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us back to dust,
and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like yesterday when it is past,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
our years come to an end like a sigh.
10 The days of our life are seventy years,
or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
12 So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.


90 Domine, refugium (U. S. Book of Common Prayer)

1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.

3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
"Go back, O child of earth."

4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday
when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.

7 For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.

8 Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; *
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and we are gone.

11 Who regards the power of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your indignation?

12 So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.


Psalm 128: 1 - 5 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.


NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 11 (RCL, C of E)
1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic)

1The 5:1 (NRSV) Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.



h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul has just told the Thessalonian Christians that, at the end of the age, both the faithful who have already died and those still alive will ascend to heaven to be with God for ever. Now, he says, concerning when Christ will come again, you are well aware that he will come suddenly and unexpectedly (“like a thief in the night”, v. 2). Others who are lulled by the “peace and security” (v. 3) will be separated from God for ever (“sudden destruction”), as suddenly as a “woman” comes into labour; God’s condemnation of them will be inescapable.
Then, in vv. 4-8a, he exhorts his readers to moral vigilance. Being “children of light”, (i.e. united with Christ, the light of the world), they will not be surprised by Christ’s second coming. So let us not become careless and sinful (“fall asleep”, v. 6) as others do, but let us be prepared. Let us have the sobriety of people who have peace of mind through trust in God. Sleep and drunkenness are attributes of children of darkness, those who ignore or oppose God’s ways.
We are, (here he uses a military image) to possess the Christian virtues of “faith” (v. 8), “love” and “hope” – the certain hope of “salvation”; these virtues protect us from evil. For God has pre-ordained (“destined us”, v. 9) that we are saved through Christ rather than being damned eternally (“wrath”). Jesus rescues us from sin, so that, whether we are alive (“awake”, v. 10) or physically dead (“asleep”) when he comes again, we will live with him in heaven. Finally, he advises his readers to “build up” (v. 11) each other, to support each other spiritually: here he sees the church as the temple of God under construction; the builder is God, and Christians can participate in the work.

These verses come close to repeating 4:13-18, albeit from a different perspective, so some scholars consider it to be a corrective added to this letter by a later author. There Paul commends the fate of the dead to God; here he reflects on the implications of the Day of the Lord for those who are alive. [NJBC]
Verse 1: “the times and the seasons”: i.e. the day(s) when the things mentioned in 4:13-17 (i.e. the fate of the faithful departed and the manner of Christ’s second coming) will occur. In Acts 1:6-7, the apostles ask Jesus “‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’” and he replies “‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority ...”. [CAB]
Verse 1: “brothers and sisters”: Some desired an eschatological timetable: see Acts 1:6-7. [NOAB]
Verse 2: Paul reiterates Jesus’ warning: in Matthew 24:43-44, Jesus says: “‘if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour’”. See also Luke 12:39-40. [NOAB]
Verse 2: “the day of the Lord”: This is, in the Old Testament, the day when God will vindicate his cause and execute judgement: see Amos 5:18-19 (“Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake”); Joel 2:31 (“The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”); Malachi 4:5 (“Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”); Zephaniah 1:7. [CAB]
In the New Testament, Acts 2:20-21 tells us: “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” and in 1 Corinthians 5:5 Paul predicts the destiny of a man who is living immorally: “you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord”. In Philippians 1:6, 10, a later letter, Paul calls it “the day of Christ”, but here in 1 Thessalonians the implication is that “the Lord” is God. Speculation about the coming of the end-times is characteristic of an apocalyptic world view. Some apocalyptic writings divide this coming into periods: see Daniel 9:2, 24-27 and 2 Esdras 14:5. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “peace and security”: See also Jeremiah 6:14. In Ezekiel 13:10-17, Yahweh speaks through the prophet of the fate of those who preach peace and security falsely. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “sudden destruction”: In Luke 21:34-36, Jesus advises: “‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man’”. [CAB]
Verse 3: “pregnant woman”: This is a common Old Testament prophetic expression for the suddenness, precariousness, and inevitability of the Day of the Lord: see Isaiah 13:8; 21:3; 37:3; Jeremiah 6:24; Hosea 13:13; Mark 13:8. [NOAB] [CAB] [NJBC]
Verses 4-8: Many scholars believe that this exhortation reflects Christian baptismal catechesis. [NJBC]
Verse 4: In Romans 13:12, Paul writes: “the night is far gone, the day is near”. [CAB]
Verse 5: “children of light and ... of darkness”: Job 22:11 speaks of darkness as evil. In Luke 16:8 Jesus contrasts the “children of this age” with the “children of light”. John 12:36 and Ephesians 5:8 advises the faithful to “live as children of light”. In 1 John 1:5-6 we read: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”. The Qumran community contrasted the children of light with the children of darkness: see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 1:9-10; 3:13; 1QM (War Scroll) 1. See also Testament of Naphtali 2:7-10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 6: “let us not fall asleep”: i.e. in carelessness and sin. In Matthew 24:42, Jesus advises: “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming”. See also Matthew 24:49; Luke 12:39, 45; Mark 13:35-36. [CAB]
Verse 8: “breastplate ... helmet”: The military analogy is also found in Isaiah 59:17; Wisdom of Solomon 5:17-23; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:7; 10:4; Ephesians 6:11-17. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 8: “faith ... love ... hope”: At least two of these notions also appear in each of 1:3; Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; Hebrews 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22. [CAB]
Verses 8,9: “salvation”: i.e. all the benefits of life in Christ, present and future. [CAB]
Verse 9: “destined”: i.e. pre-ordained but not pre-destined.
Verse 10: According to NJBC, another fragmentary credal formula. In 1:10, Paul writes: “... to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming”.
Verse 10: “awake or asleep”: Salvation accrues to all, whether they are alive or not. In 4:14, Paul says: “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died”. See also 4:16-17. [NJBC]



GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 14 - 30 (RCL, C of E)
Matthew 25: 14 - 15 (16 - 18) 19 - 21 (22 - 30) (Roman Catholic)

Matt 25:14 (NRSV) "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, "Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, "Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, "Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master replied, "You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Jesus continues to tell parables about the kingdom of heaven. In the previous parables, he has told us that we need to be prepared for the Second Coming at all times. Today’s parable is set in the realm of finance. A master, before leaving on a journey, entrusts his slaves with his money, “each according to his ability” (v. 15). (A talent was about 15 years’ wages for a labourer, a large sum of money.) Two servants invest the money and earn more (vv. 16, 17); the third simply buries it (v. 18). When the master returns (v. 19), he praises the investors; they, he says, will be made responsible for “many things” (vv. 21, 23), and will “enter into the joy of your master”. But the third slave, admitting that he was afraid of his master’s wrath (v. 24), simply returns the original sum (v. 25). The master chastises him for his wickedness and laziness. This slave loses what he has been given (v. 28) and is condemned to “outer darkness” (v. 30). This would have caused a stir in Jesus’ day, for a rabbinic maxim commends burial of money as a way of protecting it.
But this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, so what is the lesson it teaches? “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v. 30) is a stock phrase for condemnation of the wicked at the Last Day. The master stands for God and the servants for various kinds of people. Yes, God both rewards generously and is a stern judge. He expects us to be good stewards of his gifts. We will be commended and rewarded for faithfully carrying out his mission. Failure to use what he gives us will result in punishment – by separation from him, the essence of goodness. We are expected to make it grow. He is free to distribute his gifts as he sees fit (vv. 28-29).

Perhaps Mark 13:34 contains the germ of, or a vestige of, this parable: “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch”.
The first and second slaves play one role. [Blomberg]
Comments: This would have caused a stir in Jesus’ day, for a rabbinic maxim commends burial of money as a way of protecting it: On the other hand, the Jewish law which commended burial of money spoke only of safeguarding the trust of a friend or client, not of an appropriate way of dealing with finances intended for investment. (Luke 19:13, a verse in a possible parallel, says: “He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back’”.) So perhaps the third slave’s behaviour should be seen as foolish. On this reading, neither the action of the slave (nor the response of the master) is implausible, but is unusual. [Blomberg]
Verses 14,20,22: “entrusted ... handed over ... handed over”: The Greek verb is paradidomi, a technical term for tradition. So an earlier version of the story might have reproached a static (possibly Sadducean) attitude to religious tradition, which refuses to develop it. The third slave then hides his talent and guards tradition in a static way. [NJBC]
Verse 15: “to each according to his ability”: This phrase has led, in modern languages, to the use of the term talent for gift, aptitude and flair. [NJBC]
Verse 19: “After a long time”: Perhaps an indication that Christ’s second coming will not be within the lifetimes of those who knew Jesus during his earthly life.
Verse 21: “trustworthy”: Here the meaning of the Greek word includes believing and risk-taking. [NJBC]
Verses 24-25: See Job 23:13-17; Mishna ‘Abot 1:3; 2:15; 3:17. [NJBC]
Verse 27: “invested my money with the bankers”: Probably a risky proposition, as is all finance. Perhaps Jesus is saying that disciples are expected to take risks.
Verse 27: “with interest”: Perhaps moderate capitalism is in view. [NJBC]
Verses 28-29: To many scholars, these verses do not seem to fit with the parable; however in v. 29, Jesus may well have been implying the context, expecting the hearer to understand “have” as have earned and “have not” as have not earned. V. 28 makes sense in this context when one rereads v. 14: “a man ... entrusted [all] his property to them”. [Blomberg] To NOAB, Jesus speaks in two settings simultaneously: as the third slave had his original talent, yet earned nothing by it, so individuals can have their earthly existence and all that derives from it, yet lack merit in the final judgement (v. 30).
Verse 29: In Mark 4:25, Jesus says: “... to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”; in Matthew 13:12, he says “to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”; in Luke 8:18, he says “for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away”. [NJBC]
Verse 30: “worthless”: i.e. without value to his master. [NOAB]