• 30 Saint Andrew the Apostle

December

• 1 Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637 was an English scholar, courtier, businessman and man of religion. Ordained as a deacon in the Church of England and having lost much of the family fortune in the Virginia Company, he retreated with his extended family in 1626 to the manor of Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire.
• 2 Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910
• 3 Francis Xavier, Missionary to the Far East, 1552 was a Navarrese Basque Roman Catholic missionary, born in Xavier, Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain), and a co-founder of the Society of Jesus.
• 4 John of Damascus, Priest, c. 760 was a Syrian monk and priest. Born and raised in Damascus, he died at his monastery, Mar Saba, near Jerusalem
• 5 Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210
• 6 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342

OLD TESTAMENT  Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16   (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Jere 33:14 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called "The LORD is our righteousness."

PSALM  25: 1 - 10   (RCL)

Psalm 25: 1 - 4, 8 - 10, 14   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 25:1 (NRSV) To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, in you I trust;

do not let me be put to shame;

do not let my enemies exult over me.

3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;

let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;

teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long.

6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,

for they have been from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to your steadfast love remember me,

for your goodness' sake, O LORD!

8 Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble his way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,

and he makes his covenant known to them.

Note: Verse numbering may differ in your Psalter.

25   Ad te, Domine, levavi    (ECUSA BCP)

1          To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

my God, I put my trust in you; *

     let me not be humiliated,

     nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2          Let none who look to you be put to shame; *

     let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3          Show me your ways, O Lord, *

     and teach me your paths.

4          Lead me in your truth and teach me, *

     for you are the God of my salvation;

            in you have I trusted all the day long.

5          Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *

     for they are from everlasting.

6          Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *

     remember me according to your love

     and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

7          Gracious and upright is the Lord; *

     therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8          He guides the humble in doing right *

     and teaches his way to the lowly.

9          All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *

     to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

NEW TESTAMENT   1 Thessalonians 3: 9 - 13   (RCL)

1The 3:9 (NRSV) How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And 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.

1 Thessalonians 3: 12 - 4: 2   (Roman Catholic)

1The 3:12 (NRSV) And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And 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. 4:1 Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Paul predicted, when he was in Thessalonika, that some Christians there would be persecuted. This has now happened; he has sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so no one would be shaken by these persecutions” (vv. 2-3). Timothy has now returned to Paul in Athens, and has conveyed to him “the good news of your faith and love” (v. 6). Indeed, their faith has encouraged Paul in facing persecution himself.
Now he considers their prayer for him to be a debt to be repaid (“in return”, v. 9). Even though he lives continually in gratitude to, and dependence on, God (“before our God”; “Night and day”, v. 10), “all the joy” (v. 9) their faith brings to him is hard to repay, but he does give thanks. He also prays that he may visit them (“see you face to face”, v. 10) to “restore” (or make good) lacks in their knowledge of the faith, to give them further instruction in specific areas (likely what will happen when Jesus comes again: see v. 13). In vv. 11-13, he prays, intercedes with God, on their behalf:

·  that he may visit them again (“direct ...”, v. 11);

·  that they may have a superabundance of love for their fellow Christians and for others (“all”, v. 12), as Paul, Timothy and Silvanus (“we”) have for them; and

·  that their very beings (“hearts”, v. 13) may become so God-like (“holiness”) that they may be totally free of sin (“blameless”) when Christ comes again with all those who belong to God (“his saints”) at the end of time.

At that time, says 4:13-17, Christ will bring the faithful dead with him; they will rise to be with God first; then those who are still alive will join them in heaven forever.

Verse 1: “Athens”: For Paul’s visit to Athens, see Acts 17:16-34. [ CAB]
Verse 5: “the tempter”: As Satan has prevented Paul from visiting the Christian community at Thessalonika (see 2:18), he fears that the devil may have caused members of it to fall away from the faith. For Satan as the adversary of God’s kingly rule, see Matthew 4:1 (Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness); Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Timothy 1:20. “The tempter” and Satan are names for evil conceived as a personal will actively hostile to God. [ NOAB] See also 2 Corinthians 2:11. [ CAB]
Verse 5: “labour”: The Greek word, kopos, is almost a technical term to describe apostolic activity (also found in 1:3; 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 6:5) – which ought not be to without fruit, not in vain (see 2:1 and Philippians 2:16) . [ NJBC]
Verse 7: “our distress and persecution”: See Acts 18:6, 12 (Paul in Corinth). [ NOAB] See also Acts 16:11-17:15 (at Philippi). 1 Thessalonians 2:14 indicates that the Christians at Thessalonika suffered at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles. [ CAB] But is Paul talking about earthly distress and persecution? To NJBC, the accumulation of terms is typical of apocalyptic language.
Verse 8: “stand firm”: Paul frequently writes about standing firm in the faith: see also 1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1; Philippians 1:27. [ NJBC]
Verses 9-10: “before our God ... Night and day”: For the continual nature of Paul’s relationship with God, see also 1:2; 2:13; 5:17. See also 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 11; 2:13; Luke 18:1 (“Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart”). [NJBC]
Verse 10: “pray”: This prayer was answered some years later: Acts 20:1-2 tells us: “Paul sent for the disciples; and after ... saying farewell, he left for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions ... he came to Greece, where he stayed for three months”. Thessalonika was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. [ NOAB]
Verse 10: “whatever is lacking in your faith”: Chapters 4 and 5 make up for this in writing, perhaps partly. [ NJBC]
Verses 11-13: The ancient style of writing did not permit including a prayer in a letter, so Paul couches his prayer in the form of a blessing. [ NJBC]
Verse 11: This petition is addressed to “our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus”. The verb is in the singular, as if the Father and Jesus are to act as one. [ NJBC]
Verse 12: This petition is addressed to Christ, the risen and eschatological “Lord”. For Paul and his co-workers (“co-worker for God”, v. 2) see also 1:5-6 (“... you became imitators of us and of the Lord ...”). [ NJBC]
Verse 13: “coming”: The Greek word is parousia, literally meaning presence. It is a technical term used by Paul (in 2:19 and 4:15) and in some later New Testament writings (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16). [ NJBC]
Verse 13: “hearts”: In Paul’s day the heart was considered to be the controlling centre of personality, not the organ of feeling and emotion as it is today. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: “holiness ... blameless”: Both are qualities of fully realized eschatological existence. [ NJBC]
Verse 13: “saints”: or holy ones, those who belong to God. See also 4:17 and the Septuagint translation of Zechariah 14:5. [ NJBC]
Timothy was a co-worker on whom Paul relied heavily at times: see also 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10; Philippians 2:19-22. Per Acts 16:1, Timothy was the son of a Jewish Christian woman and a Gentile father from Lystra, and evidently became a Christian under Paul’s influence (1 Corinthians 4:17). He is joint sender of 1 Thessalonians, Philippians, 2 Corinthians, Philemon, Colossians and 2 Thessalonians. Church tradition says that he became Bishop of Ephesus.

GOSPEL   Luke 21: 25 - 36   (RCL)

                   Luke 21: 25 - 28, 34 - 36   (Roman Catholic)

Luke 21:25 (NRSV) "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 "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, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 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."

Jesus has foretold the destruction of the Temple (v. 6). Some have asked him when this will occur and what will indicate that it is about to happen (v. 7). Given that “all the people were spellbound by what they heard” ( 19:48) and that the religious authorities “kept looking for a way to kill him” ( 19:47), the destruction must have spiritual meaning. Jesus tells of events commonly expected at the end of the era, and adds some which are specifically Christian. First, Christians will be persecuted by religious and civil authorities (v. 12). Then there will be “wars and insurrections” (v. 9), but “the end will not follow immediately” (as people expected). Disastrous natural phenomena, cause for great distress, will occur (v. 11), and when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies (v. 20), the city will soon fall: either physically or spiritually. Again the end will be delayed: the killing and deportation of citizens will continue “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (v. 24), i.e. until non-Jews have had the opportunity to come to Christ.
Now Jesus foretells unnatural events (“signs ...”, v. 25) and the resulting confusion among nations and people, not knowing what will happen next. But the “Son of Man” (v. 27), the ideal human, Christ, will come from heaven (“in a cloud”, a symbol of divine presence, as at the Transfiguration) with power to control events. Then “redemption” (v. 28), God’s acts of freeing his chosen people, will be near. Just as the leafing of trees shows that “summer is ... near” (v. 30), so the occurrence of all these events will show that “the kingdom of God is near” (v. 31): this time will be evident to the faithful. The signs will be as striking as is seen in fig trees: in winter, they look dead but in spring they sprout. In spite of the delay, the era will end before all those alive now have died (v. 32). Jesus’ “words” (v. 33) are even more eternal than creation (“heaven and earth”). Finally, he advises vigilance: do not be so “weighed down” (v. 34) with day-to-day earthy matters that you are unprepared for the final call (“that day”). It will be for all those who survive all disasters (v. 35). Pray that God may give you the strength to resist all evils, so that you may “stand before” (v. 36) Christ, be deemed worthy by him.

Verses 5-38: This section opens up two windows:

• Through one, the reader may look back on 19:47-21:4 and see the consequences of the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus and his teaching in the Temple.
• Through the other window, the reader looks beyond the events of Luke 22-23 and sees God’s vindication of the rejected Son of Man and Jesus’ strengthening of his disciples, who will be rejected because of their allegiance to him. [ NJBC]

Verses 5-36: The parallels are Mark 13:1-37 and Matthew 24:1-36. [ NOAB]
Many of the events to occur at the end of the age are to be found in 2 Esdras, but 2 Esdras is probably partly Jewish and partly Christian, and parts may have been written after Jesus spoke these words.
Verse 5: “adorned with beautiful stones”: The second Temple was begun after the return from exile (c. 520 BC), and was modest. Herod began construction of the third Temple in 20 BC; it was finished in 63 AD, and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD at the end of the Jewish revolt. It was still under construction in Jesus’ day. The stones were some 11 m (35 feet) long x 5.5 m (18 feet) wide x 3.6 m (12 feet) high. The Temple was begun by Herod the Great. [ NOAB] [ CAB]
Jesus’ prediction of its destruction is also found in Mark 14:57-58; 15:29; Matthew 26:61; Luke 19:43-44; John 2:19; Acts 6:14. [ NOAB] Jesus stands in the tradition of Old Testament prophets who had predicted this event: see Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:18. However, in that other events mentioned in this passage seem to be meant symbolically, so may this event. [ NJBC]
Micah 3:12 says: “... Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height”. Jeremiah 26:18 quotes Micah with one variant. Early Christians saw the destruction of the Temple as fulfilling Jesus’ prediction. [ NJBC] Note that Jerusalem was completely flattened in the 130s AD.
Verse 7: See also 17:20 (where the Pharisees ask this question) and Acts 1:6 (“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”). [ NOAB]
Verse 8: In 17:23, Jesus warns: “They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit”. See also John 8:24. [ NOAB]
Verse 8: “I am he!”: This alludes to the Old Testament revelation formula: see Exodus 3:14 (to Moses); Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10. See Mark 13:21-23 and 1 John 2:18 for prediction of false christs/messiahs.
Verse 9: “the end will not follow immediately”: For descriptions of the end time, see Daniel 8:17; 9:25; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9, 13. [ JBC]
Verse 10: “kingdom against kingdom”: See also Isaiah 19:2; Ezra 5:12; 1QM (Qumran War Scroll) 1:2. Similar language is found in 2 Chronicles 15:6. [ NOAB]
1QM 1:2 says: “The sons of Levi, the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin, the exiled of the desert, will wage war against them.” [ Martinez]
Verse 11: “great earthquakes”: Joel 2:10 says that on the day of Yahweh there will be earthquakes and other signs. See also Revelation 6:12.
Verses 12-19: See also 10:17-22 (the return of the Seventy). [ NOAB]
Verse 12: “hand you over”: The Greek verb is paradidomi , a term used later of Jesus’ betrayal. The mention of the sufferings of Jesus’ disciples looks forward to Jesus’ own sufferings. [ NJBC] In John 16:2, Jesus foretells: “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God”. [ NOAB]
Verse 12: “kings and governors”: Pilate and Herod Antipas would be good examples. [ NJBC] See also Acts 25:24 (Festus consults Agrippa about Paul). [ NOAB]
Verse 13: In Philippians 1:12-13, Paul says “I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ”. [ NOAB]
Verse 15: “words and a wisdom”: 12:11-12 ascribes this inspiration to the Holy Spirit; [ NOAB] John 16:13-15 enlarges on the same thought.
Verse 16: “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers ...”: The idea of the end-times as a time of personal divisions was commonplace in Jewish apocalyptic writings: see 2 Esdras 5:9; 6:24; Jubilees 23:19; 2 Baruch 70:3. [ NJBC] See 12:52-53: there Jesus gives a similar prediction. [ NOAB]
Verse 17: In John 15:18-21, Jesus says: “... they will do all these things to you [i.e. hate you and persecute you] on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. [ NOAB]
Verse 18: Jesus says, in 12:7: “even the hairs of your head are all counted”. [ NOAB]
Verse 19: “gain your souls”: In Matthew 10:22, Jesus says “the one who endures to the end will be saved”. See also Revelation 2:7. [ NOAB]
Verses 20-22: See also 19:41-44; 23:28-31; 17:31. [ NOAB]
Verses 20-21: The destruction of the city is predicted in Daniel 9:27; 12:11; 1 Maccabees 1:57. [ JBC]
Verses 20,25: “surrounded by armies ... signs in the sun, ...”: See also Zephaniah 1:15. The “armies” are Roman legions. [ NOAB]
Verse 22: “vengeance”: This is God’s vengeance. It is the same vengeance that produces the vindication of God’s faithfulness at the expense of an unfaithful people. It also produces the vindication of the people called in God’s name in the presence of the Gentiles. For an example of the theological pattern involved here, see Deuteronomy 32:20, 35, 36, 39. [ NJBC]
Verse 23: See also John 15:18-21. [ NOAB]
Verse 24: See also Isaiah 63:18; Daniel 8:13; Revelation 11:2. [ NOAB]
Verse 24: “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”: In Matthew 20:16, Jesus says: “‘the last will be first, and the first will be last’”. See also Romans 11:25. [ NOAB] We can only guess at what is meant here. One possibility is: the spiritual opportunity God had previously given to Jews is now extended to non-Jews. See also Mark 13:10.
Verses 25-26: Images of cosmic signs, and of the Son of Man are found in the Old Testament, but here they are brought together, with the second coming of Jesus, “the Son of Man”, as the key event. His glorious arrival will be the final proof of God’s victory over the forces of evil. The Old Testament texts echoed are Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Jeremiah 4:23-26; Ezekiel 32:7; Amos 8:9; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Haggai 2:6, 21, but in no instance does such an image precede the coming of the Son of Man. The list of portents is a way of saying that all creation will signal his coming. [ NJBC] See also 2 Esdras 7:39 and Revelation 6:12-13. [ NOAB]
Verse 25: Darkness day and night was considered a sign of the coming of divine judgement: see Isaiah 13:10. [ JBC]
Verse 25: “roaring of the sea”: See the Septuagint translation of Psalm 64:8. [ BlkLk]
Verse 26: “faint from fear”: See also Deuteronomy 28:28 and 2 Baruch 72:2. [ BlkLk]
Verses 26,29: “the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ... the fig tree”: See also Revelation 6:13. The fig tree is a symbol of life out of death.
Verse 27: “they will see ‘the Son of Man coming ...’”: Daniel 7:13 says “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.” An NRSV footnote says that “human being” is son of man in the Aramaic original. See also Mark 8:38; Matthew 10:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. [ NOAB] Whether Jesus spoke of himself as “the Son of Man” is debated, but see Mark 14:61-62. [ NJBC] See also Micah 1:3ff.
Verse 28: “redemption”: The Greek word is apolytrosis . It is also used in 2:38; Ephesians 1:7, 14; 4:30; Romans 3:24; 8:23; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 1:14. Apolytrosis literally means buying back, but it is rooted in the Old Testament idea of redemption, God’s powerful act of freeing his chosen people in need. [ JBC]
Verse 29: “fig tree”: Joel 2:22 uses the image of fig tree’s blossoming to signify divine blessing. No tree looks as dead as a fig tree in the Palestinian winter. [ JBC]
Verse 32: The delay of Christ’s second coming troubled early Christians, because::

• Matthew 10:23 says that the Son of Man will come before the Twelve have finished their initial preaching.
• From Mark 9:1; 13:30, we gather that at least some of Jesus’ contemporaries should have lived to see Christ’s second coming.
• John 21:20-23 (part of the appendix to the gospel) awkwardly tries to account for the fact that, contrary to expectation, the “beloved disciple” did die before Christ’s coming.

As time progressed, many Christians died and people doubted whether the resurrection of the dead would really happen: see 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Paul explained that Christ was the “first fruits” of the resurrection and at his second coming the dead would be made alive: see 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 1 Thessalonians 3:13.
2 Peter proposes several reasons for the apparent delay (see 3:3-9), but insists that the Day of the Lord may still come at any time: see 3:10. See also Ezekiel 12:21-28.
The writer of Revelation likewise believed and promised that Jesus would come “soon”: see, for example, 1:1, 3; 22:6-7, 10, 20.
No New Testament passage refers to Jesus’ second coming as such. In John 14:3, Jesus says he will come again, and the writer of Hebrews ( 9:28) says that Christ will appear a second time. Usually, however, the reference is simply to the coming of the Son of Man or Christ as Lord which, like the coming of the Kingdom of God, the Day of Judgement, and the resurrection of the dead, was expected in the not too far distant future, at the end of the present era.
Verse 32: “all things”: i.e. the whole process of salvation history.
Verse 33: See also 16:17. Jesus, to meet a violent death in Jerusalem, utters words of eternal significance.
Verses 34-36: For parallels to these exhortations, see 8:11-15 (the explanation of the Parable of the Sower); 11:5-8; 12:22-31, 45; 18:1-8 (the Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge). [ NJBC] The terminology is so akin to Paul’s that perhaps Luke is using a fragment from some lost epistle written by Paul or one of his disciples: for v. 34, see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; for v. 34a, see 1 Thessalonians 5:7; for v. 36, see 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, 18. Even the rare Greek word agrypneo appears here and in 1 Thessalonians.
Verse 34: See also Mark 4:19. [ NOAB]
Verse 36: See also Matthew 7:21-23; Mark 13:33 (“‘Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come’”); 2 Corinthians 5:10 (“... all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil”). [ NOAB]

·  22 Charlotte Digges (Lottie) Moon, Missionary in China, 1912. Henry Budd, Priest, 1875

·  25 THE NATIVITY OF JESUS CHRIST

·  26 Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr traditionally venerated as the Protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity,^[1] was according to the Acts of the Apostles a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings.

·  27 Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

·  28 The Holy Innocents

·  29 Thomas Becket, 1170was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion

OLD TESTAMENT  2 Samuel 23: 1 - 7   (RCL)

2Sam 23:1 (NRSV) Now these are the last words of David

The oracle of David, son of Jesse,

the oracle of the man whom God exalted,

the anointed of the God of Jacob,

the favorite of the Strong One of Israel

2 The spirit of the LORD speaks through me,

his word is upon my tongue.

3 The God of Israel has spoken,

the Rock of Israel has said to me

One who rules over people justly,

ruling in the fear of God,

4 is like the light of morning,

like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,

gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

5 Is not my house like this with God?

For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,

ordered in all things and secure.

Will he not cause to prosper

all my help and my desire?

6 But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;

for they cannot be picked up with the hand;

7 to touch them one uses an iron bar

or the shaft of a spear.

And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

Daniel 7: 13 - 14   (Roman Catholic)

Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14   (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched,

thrones were set in place,

and an Ancient One took his throne,

his clothing was white as snow,

and the hair of his head like pure wool;

his throne was fiery flames,

and its wheels were burning fire.

10 A stream of fire issued

and flowed out from his presence.

A thousand thousands served him,

and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.

The court sat in judgment,

and the books were opened.

13 As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being

coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One

and was presented before him.

14 To him was given dominion

and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one

that shall never be destroyed.

PSALM 132: 1 - 12 (13 - 18)   (RCL)

Psal 132:1 (NRSV) O LORD, remember in David's favor

all the hardships he endured;

2 how he swore to the LORD

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

3 "I will not enter my house

or get into my bed;

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

5 until I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

6 We heard of it in Eph'rathah;

we found it in the fields of Ja'ar.

7 "Let us go to his dwelling place;

let us worship at his footstool."

8 Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your faithful shout for joy.

10 For your servant David's sake

do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath

from which he will not turn back

"One of the sons of your body

I will set on your throne.

12 If your sons keep my covenant

and my decrees that I shall teach them,

their sons also, forevermore,

shall sit on your throne."

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his habitation

14 "This is my resting place forever;

here I will reside, for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless its provisions;

I will satisfy its poor with bread.

16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation,

and its faithful will shout for joy.

17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.

18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,

but on him, his crown will gleam."

Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ from the above.

132   Memento, Domine     (ECUSA BCP)

1          Lord, remember David, *

     and all the hardships he endured;

2          How he swore an oath to the Lord *

     and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3          “I will not come under the roof of my house, *

     nor climb up into my bed;

4          I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *

     nor let my eyelids slumber;

5          Until I find a place for the Lord, *

     a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6          “The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *

     we found it in the fields of Jearim.

7          Let us go to God's dwelling place; *

     let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.”

8          Arise, O Lord, into your resting-place, *

     you and the ark of your strength.

9          Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *

     let your faithful people sing with joy.

10         For your servant David’s sake, *

     do not turn away the face of your Anointed.

11         The Lord has sworn an oath to David; *

     in truth, he will not break it:

12         “A son, the fruit of your body *

     will I set upon your throne.

13         If your children keep my covenant

and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *

     their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”

14         For the Lord has chosen Zion; *

     he has desired her for his habitation:

15         “This shall be my resting-place for ever; *

     here will I dwell, for I delight in her.

16         I will surely bless her provisions, *

     and satisfy her poor with bread.

17         I will clothe her priests with salvation, *

     and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.

18         There will I make the horn of David flourish; *

     I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.

19         As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *

     but as for him, his crown will shine."

Psalm 93   (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Psalm 93: 1, 2, 5   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;

the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.

He has established the world; it shall never be moved;

2 your throne is established from of old;

you are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,

the floods have lifted up their voice;

the floods lift up their roaring.

4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,

more majestic than the waves of the sea,

majestic on high is the LORD!

5 Your decrees are very sure;

holiness befits your house,

O LORD, forevermore.

93  Dominus regnavit     (ECUSA BCP)

1  The Lord is King;

he has put on splendid apparel; *

 the Lord has put on his apparel

 and girded himself with strength.

2  He has made the whole world so sure *

 that it cannot be moved;

3  Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *

 you are from everlasting.

4  The waters have lifted up, O Lord,

the waters have lifted up their voice; *

 the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.

5  Mightier than the sound of many waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea, *

 mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.

6  Your testimonies are very sure, *

 and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,

 for ever and for evermore.

NEW TESTAMENT  Revelation 1: 4b - 8   (RCL, C of E)

                                    Revelation 1: 5 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Reve 1:4 (NRSV) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;

every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him;

and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.

So it is to be. Amen.

8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John begins and ends this book as a letter. Literally, it is “to the seven churches that are in Asia” (v. 4a), Asia being a Roman province in western Asia Minor, but “seven” symbolizes totality, so John may speak to all churches in the province, or to all everywhere. The salutation combines both Greek (“grace”) and Hebrew (“peace”) forms, and is from God, here described as being throughout time, meaning eternal . The salutation is also from “the seven spirits”: this may mean the Spirit of God (in Isaiah 11:2, the Spirt operates in seven ways) or the seven angels (Michael, Raphael, etc) closest to God (“before his throne”, v. 4) in contemporary Jewish thinking.
Further, it is “from Jesus Christ” (v. 5), who is:

·  “the faithful witness”: he revealed the Father perfectly in his earthly life, and crowned this by the sacrifice of his life;

·  “firstborn of the dead”: in his resurrection, he inaugurated a new era; and

·  “ruler ...”: being now exalted, he has power over all creation.

Vv. 5b-6 praise God:

·  Christ loves us continually and, by his death, he has freed us from sins; and

·  he has marked us as God’s, and has made us all “priests”, mediators between God and the rest of humanity.

“Amen”, a Hebrew word, means It is sure and trustworthy! or so be it!: it is both valid and binding. (In 3:14, Christ is called “the Amen”.) V. 7 combines two Old Testament prophetic sayings to predict the return of Christ at the end of the age. Those who put him to death and all unbelievers “will wail” for showing hostility to Christ and his Church: they will be condemned when Jesus comes us as judge. V. 8 tells us that, from A to Z, God is sovereign over all events of human history; his power is supreme (“Almighty”).

Verse 1: “revelation”: Greek: apokalypsis. Hence the other name of this book, The Apocalypse. “Revelation” is used interchangeably with “prophecy” (v. 3). [ CAB]
Verse 4: “the seven churches”: JBC, who considers a late date for Revelation to be most likely, i.e. 90-96 AD, says that other churches also existed in the proconsular province of Asia at the time, among which were Colossae, Troas, Hierapolis, and Magnesia. Through “the seven churches”, John wished to reach all the churches of Asia, and perhaps the universal Church.
Verse 4: “Grace to you and peace ...”: A salutation used in all Pauline letters, and by the time this book was written, a traditional greeting among Christians, Both 1 Peter 1:2 and 2 Peter 1:2 wish readers “grace and peace”. [ NOAB]
Verse 4: “who is and who was and who is to come”: This phrase is also in v. 8. 4:8 contains a very similar phrase. In 11:17, the twenty-four elders sing: “you [Christ] have taken your great power and begun to reign”. 16:5 speaks of Christ as the one “who are and were”. The name of God, as is his person, is unchangeable. The description of God proceeds from a long tradition which goes back to Exodus 3:14 (“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’”). It tries to express the eternity of God by means of the human category of time. Such a title suits perfectly the beginning of a book revealing the meaning of the present in the light of the past and the future. [ JBC]
Verse 4: “seven spirits”: Both 3:1 and 4:5 speak of “the seven spirits of God”. [ CAB] In some modern translations, Isaiah 11:2, an oracle of an ideal king from David’s line, speaks of six modes of operation of the Spirit, but repeats fear; in the Septuagint translation, one of the occurrences of fear is replaced with piety. Tobit 12:15 says: “I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of God”; 1 Enoch 90:21 says “...the Lord [of the sheep] called those men the seven first white ones ...”. It is also possible that the seven spirits are the seven (then known) planets, which were considered to be heavenly beings.
Comments: the seven angels (Michael, Raphael, etc) closest to God : Michael is mentioned in Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Revelation 12:7. He is prominent in non-biblical works of the inter-testamental period. [ HBD] The seven archangels are named in the Greek version of 1 Enoch 20 as Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel and Remiel. [ OCB] In the Old Testament, Gabriel is mentioned in Daniel 8:15-26 and 9:21-27. In Luke 1:11-20, 26-38 it is Gabriel who announces the births of John the Baptiser and of Jesus. It is tradition that associates this angel with the archangel whose trumpet blast will announce the return of Christ: see 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Matthew 24:31. [ HBD]
Verse 4: “before his throne”: This is a Hebraism for servants of God. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “faithful witness”: In John 18:37, Jesus testifies to the truth. See also 1 Timothy 6:13. [ CAB] For Jesus as perfectly revealing the Father, see John 3:11, 32. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “firstborn of the dead”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:20 (“the first fruits of those who have died”) and Colossians 1:18. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “ruler of the kings ...”: Christ’s resurrection is equivalent to his installation as universal king: see 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. See also 11:15; 19:16; Psalm 89:27. The glorification of Jesus, the consequence of his resurrection, confers on him all powers over those created: see Matthew 28:19; Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:11; Ephesians 1:20-23. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “To him who loves us”: See also John 13:1; 15:9; Romans 3:21-26; 8:37; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:2, 25. Note the present tense: Christ’s love is perpetual and goes beyond the historical event of the redemption. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “freed us ...”: See also 6:9; 7:14; 12:11; 17:14; 19:13; Romans 5:10, 16; 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; 1 John 1:7; Galatians 2:20. Affirmed as an essential fact by the Christian creed (1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:4), this liberation is often expressed in terms of purchase (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Galatians 4:5) by the blood of Christ (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; Colossians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:18ff). [ JBC]
Verse 6: “kingdom, priests”: See also 5:10; 20:6; Isaiah 61:1-6, 1 Peter 2:9. Jesus’ work fulfills the promise of Exodus 19:6. Being a kingdom means being under God’s rule rather than Satan’s. All those who hear and obey God’s word are priests: mediators between God and the rest of humanity. [ NJBC]
Verse 7: This verse combines and adapts Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10, and interprets them as prophecies of the return of the risen Jesus as judge: see Matthew 24:30. See also Exodus 13:21; 16:10; Acts 1:9 (Jesus’ Ascension); Matthew 26:64. [ NJBC]
Daniel 7:13 says, in part, “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven”; Zechariah 12:10 says “And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”
Verse 7: “those who pierced him”: i.e. those Jews who put Jesus to death. [ JBC]
Verse 7: “all the tribes of the earth ...”: All unbelieving nations are equally guilty; for in persecuting the Church they show their hostility toward Christ. Suffering sorrow, all will wail. [ JBC]
Verse 7: “So it is to be. Amen”: The repetition, in Greek and Hebrew, underlines the solemnity of the prophecy, in which the Christian community believes. [ JBC]
Verse 8: This is one of only two passages in Revelation in which God is explicitly identified as the speaker, the other being 21:5-8. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “the Alpha and the Omega”: This expression also appears (concerning God) in 21:6. Equivalent expressions concerning Christ are found in 1:17 (“the first and the last”); 2:8 (“the first and the last”) and 22:13 (“the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”). Isaiah 44:6 has said of God that he is “the first and ... the last”. Isaiah 41:4 and 48:12 also make this point: he is the initiator and the end of everything. [ JBC]
Verse 8: “Almighty”: The Septuagint translation speaks of the Lord God Almighty in Hosea 12:5, Amos 4:13; 9:5. God’s power is supreme. God began history, and he will terminate it, for all power resides permanently with him. [ JBC]

GOSPEL   John 18: 33 - 37   (all)

John 18:33 (NRSV) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

H/T Montreal Anglican

This is part of John’s account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Pilate has met with those Jews seeking his death outside his “headquarters”, the praetorium. He has asked: what charge, valid in Roman law, do you have to bring against him? (v. 29). V. 30 shows that they have none to propose. Pilate refuses to get involved by telling them to try him under Jewish law. They then make it obvious that they seek Jesus’ death.
Now Pilate goes inside the praetorium and asks Jesus: are you the leader of a revolutionary movement? In return, Jesus asks him: Is this question your idea, based on what you have heard, or did others put you up to it? Pilate shows his scorn for Jews; the religious authorities seek your death, but what grounds are there for killing you? In v. 36, Jesus begins to explain the nature of his kingship. Were he a rebel leader, his followers “would be fighting to keep me from being handed over” to the religious authorities, but he is no threat to Pilate’s authority. Pilate picks up on Jesus words “my kingdom”. Jesus is king of “truth” (v. 37); his subjects are those who belong to the truth. He was “born” and “came into the world” to establish the kingdom of God, the ultimate truth.
18:28-19:16: John’s account of the hearing before Pilate is unique, among the gospel accounts, in the following ways:

• mention of the Jewish leader’s avoidance of ritual impurity, and
• their denial that they have the right to execute Jesus. [ CAB]

18:28: “early in the morning”: Dawn would have been a common time for the Roman governor to conduct a hearing; however, the condemnation of Jesus several hours later (“about noon”, 19:14) seems out of order. Some scholars suggest a symbolic reference to the Passover lambs. [ NJBC]
18:28: “ritual defilement”: Entering a Gentile’s house would make them ritually unclean. [ NOAB] However, NJBC says that merely entering the praetorium in a legal setting would not have made them unclean. BlkJn agrees with NOAB.
18:28: “the Passover”: It began that evening – at the start of the next Jewish day. [ BlkJn]
18:29-31: The Jews tried religious cases, but could not administer the death penalty. [ NOAB]
18:29: “Pilate went out ...”: A Roman governor could conduct a trial according to his own rules, but a more formal charge than Jesus’ accusers give would be required. [ NJBC] However, Pilate’s words are the correct formal opening of a Roman trial. [ BlkJn]
18:30: Jesus’ death is to be brought about through the Romans, but on the basis of a prior understanding with Pilate rather than as the result of a direct accusation now. It is only when this attempt fails that accusations are laid. [ BlkJn]
18:31: “Take him yourselves ...”: Pilate tries to get out of his understanding with the Jews. Perhaps a subsidiary motive of the Jews was to discredit him as Messiah in view of Deuteronomy 21:23: “ anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse”. Jesus was so popular that they needed Pilate’s help if they were to dispose of Jesus. Jesus is discredited with his supporters (because he is not the sort of king they want) and is also misrepresented before Pilate, who becomes profoundly suspicious of the Jews’ motives and decides to interrogate Jesus away from his accusers. [ BlkJn]
18:32: “the kind of death he was to die”: i.e. crucifixion, rather than the Jewish method of stoning. John reminds his readers that Jesus has predicted how he would die: see 3:14 (“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up”) and 12:32 (“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth ...”). [ NOAB] Jews were permitted to execute Gentiles who violated the temple precincts. Some Roman historians think it unlikely that they would be permitted to carry out any other capital sentences, especially in Judea. Irony is at play here: in 8:34-37 Jesus has already charged “the Jews” with acting against their own law in seeking to kill him, and in 7:51 Nicodemus accuses them of condemning Jesus illegally, but now they show sudden concern for “your law” (v. 31). [ NJBC]
18:33: “Pilate”: Pilate was prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 AD.
18:33: “Are you the King of the Jews?”: Pilate cannot believe this claim could be made by, on behalf of, the man before him. (He has presumably been told of Jesus’ messianic claims before his arrest.)
18:35: Pilate’s suspicion of the high priests is already apparent. [ BlkJn]
18:36: Jesus puts into words the dilemma he has been in throughout his ministry: though conscious of an absolute authority, and of Davidic descent, he has known that to assert his authority by force would ruin the purpose for which he has come. [ BlkJn]
18:37: “‘You say that I am a king’”: Pilate and Jesus mean different things by kingship, so a direct answer is not possible. [ BlkJn]
18:37: “the truth”: For Jesus’ testimony to “the truth”, see 5:32; 8:40, 45, 46. 8:44 tells us that the Jews have rejected “the truth”. The disciples have received it from Jesus: see 14:6; 17:17, 19. [ NJBC] Here, it means reality. [ BlkJn]
18:37: “listens to my voice”: See also 10:3, 4, 16, 27 (Jesus the shepherd who gives his life). [ BlkJn]