28 Kamehameha and Emma, King and Queen of Hawaii, 1864, 1885

30 Saint Andrew the Apostle

December[edit]

1 Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637

2 Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910

3 Francis Xavier, Missionary to the Far East, 1552

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 to distinguish him from the earlier Clement of Rome, was a Christian theologian who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. A convert to Christianity, he was an educated man who was familiar with classical Greek philosophy and literature.

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 2: 1 - 5 (all)

Isai 2:1 (NRSV) The word that Isai'ah son of A'moz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come

the mountain of the LORD's house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

3 Many peoples shall come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths."

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob,

come, let us walk

in the light of the LORD!

PSALM 122 (all)

Psal 122:1 (NRSV) I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the LORD!"

2 Our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem--built as a city

that is bound firmly together.

4 To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

as was decreed for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up,

the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

"May they prosper who love you.

7 Peace be within your walls,

and security within your towers."

8 For the sake of my relatives and friends

I will say, "Peace be within you."

9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,

I will seek your good.

122   Laetatus sum   (ECUSA BCP)

1  I was glad when they said to me, *

     "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

2  Now our feet are standing *

     within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3  Jerusalem is built as a city *

     that is at unity with itself;

4  To which the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord, *

     the assembly of Israel,

     to praise the Name of the Lord.

5  For there are the thrones of judgment, *

     the thrones of the house of David.

6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *

     "May they prosper who love you.

7  Peace be within your walls *

     and quietness within your towers.

8  For my brethren and companions' sake, *

     I pray for your prosperity.

9  Because of the house of the Lord our God, *

     I will seek to do you good."

NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 13: 11 - 14 (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Roma 13:8 (NRSV) 11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

h/t Montreal Anglican

In vv. 1-8, Paul has written about the obligations we Christians have to civil authorities; he has continued his instructions on ethics for Christians. The only thing we Christians “owe” others – Christians and non-Christians – is love: this sums up the obligations of the Christian in life, of Christian ethics. But as Christians, love is part of the deal rather than an obligation, and can never be completely discharged. Love among Christians is something special: it is mutual.

Then vv. 9-10: if we love our neighbours, we will treat them as the Ten Commandments (“the law”) requires: this flows naturally out of our love for them, e.g. we will not offend them by adulterous behaviour, etc. This is why “one who loves another ... [fully satisfies] the law” (v. 8).

Now Paul tells us another reason why ethical behaviour is important for Christians. We know that we are living both in the present and in the age which is after the first coming of the Messiah and before the second: “salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers” (v. 11). Paul expresses it in terms of night and day: we should awake, pass from darkness to light, from evil to good. The image of armour is also found in contemporary Jewish writings about the end of the age; in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells us that the “armour of light” (v. 12) is faith, hope, love for each other, fidelity, uprightness, etc. “Let us live” (v. 13), he says, as if the Day of the Lord is already here, “honourably”, not in ways that harm ourselves and our neighbours. Rather, let Christ be our armour, and let us not give in to the temptations of the flesh. (In baptism, we have already “put on”, v. 12, Christ, but life in Christ is something that grows with experience. As we grow in the faith, we are more and more able to resist sinful opportunities.)

Verses 1-7: In the previous chapter, Paul has said that Christians have no right to punish; here he says that the state does, and all people must respect this right. He holds that the Roman state (even under Nero!) is, on the whole, just and beneficent. His view reflects Jewish teaching (see Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-3) and is also found in 1 Peter 2:13-17; 3:13. He has insisted that salvation is entirely a loving and undeserved gift from God, so some may have claimed that he was encouraging unethical conduct. In 6:1-14, he vigorously rejects this view. [ NOAB]

Up to the time when Paul wrote Romans, there had been no official persecution of Christians living in Rome, but internal strife in the Jewish community (which included Christians), probably between Christians and non-Christians, was settled by the emperor Claudius’ expulsion of Jews from Rome. Paul probably knew of this, but he still insists on the general principles Christians must have towards civil authorities, especially when these authorities are pagans. His basis for resolving the issue is the principle enunciated in Proverbs 8:15 (“By me [God] kings reign, and rulers decree what is just”) and Matthew 22:16-21 (“... ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God’s’”). [ NJBC]

Verse 1: “authorities”: This may include not only the state itself, but also the angelic authorities standing behind the state. The same Greek word is found in Colossians 1:16; there it clearly means angelic authorities; however Luke 12:11 uses it of civil authorities. [ BlkRom]

Verse 1: “instituted by God”: As part of God’s bringing order to the world.

Verse 2: “appointed”: Another translation is ordained .

Verse 3: “rulers”: This may be a reference to an order of angels. [ BlkRom]

Verse 3: “its”: i.e. the authority’s [ BlkRom]

Verse 4: “God’s servant”: i.e. the state, as one who does Christ’s mission. [ BlkRom]

Verse 4: “it”: i.e. authority, civil power. 1 Peter 2:13-14 says “For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right”. [ CAB]

Verse 4: “sword”: A symbol of authority to punish.

Verse 5: “conscience”: One has a moral obligation to observe civil laws. Paul writes in 2:15: “They [Gentiles] show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness ...”. [ CAB] The state, as servant of God, must in conscience be respected by Christians, servants of God. [ BlkRom]

Verse 6: “authorities”: i.e. civil servants [ BlkRom]

Verse 7: “revenue”: i.e. indirect taxation, e.g. customs duties [ BlkRom]

Verse 7: In Mark 12:17, Jesus says “‘"Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God’s’”. See also Luke 20:25; Matthew 22:21; 1 Peter 2:17. [ CAB]

Verses 8-10: These verses expand on 12:9-13. [ CAB]

Verse 8: “law”: i.e. Mosaic law.

Verse 8: “for the one who loves another ...”: In Mark 12:31, Jesus says “‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’”. James 2:8 quotes Jesus. [ NOAB]

Verse 9: “‘You shall not ...’”: Paul quotes from the Ten Commandments, i.e. Exodus 20:13-15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19 – in the Septuagint translation. The order is different in the Masoretic Text (which the NRSV follows). Jesus quotes these commandments, and others, in Matthew 19:18-19. [ CAB]

Verse 9: “‘Love your neighbour as yourself”: Paul quotes from the Law: Leviticus 19:18 says “...you shall love your neighbour as yourself ...”. There “neighbour” means fellow Israelite; here Paul broadens the meaning. Jesus quotes this law in Matthew 5:43; 19:19; Mark 12:31; Matthew 22:39; Luke 10:27; It is also quoted in Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8. [ CAB]

Verses 11-14: In 1 Corinthians 10:11-12, Paul writes: “These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall”.

Verse 11: Eschatology and morality are often connected: see also Philippians 4:4-7 (“... Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near ...”); 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 23; Hebrews 10:24-25 (“... let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ... all the more as you see the Day approaching”); James 5:7-11; 1 Peter 4:7-11; Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 13:33-37. [ CAB]

Verse 11: “time”: The Greek word kairos might be translated (in business English) as window of opportunity. Kronos is time as on a clock or in a calendar; kairos is God’s time.

Verse 11: “wake from sleep”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:34 (“Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more ...”); 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; Ephesians 5:14. [ CAB]

Verse 12: “lay aside ...”: See also Ephesians 4:22-25 (“... put away your former way of life ... be renewed in the spirit of your minds ...”); Colossians 3:8-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:1; James 1:21. [ CAB]

Verse 12: “darkness ... light”: Light and darkness are terms used in the Qumran literature for good and evil: see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 2:7; 3:20-4:1; 1QM (War Scroll) 15:9 (“For they are a wicked congregation and all their deeds are in darkness”). [ NJBC]

Verse 14: “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”: See also 6:1-14 and Galatians 3:27. Galatians 3:27 says that through baptism, the Christian has already put on Christ. [ NJBC]

That the state was God’s servant was endorsed by many Jews and by the early Church. [ BlkRom]

GOSPEL: Matthew 24: 36 - 44 (RCL)

                   Matthew 24: 37 - 44 (Roman Catholic)

Matt 24:36 (NRSV) "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: 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. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Speaking to his followers, Jesus has foretold the destruction of the Temple; he has told them the signs of the coming of the end times (in terms used in contemporary literature.) In the suffering and trials which will precede the End, society will break down, “many will fall away” (v. 10, from the faith) but “one who endures to the end will be saved” (v. 13). After these events, the “Son of Man” (vv. 27, 30) will come “with power and great glory”. This will mark the beginning of a new era, a new way of being. Followers should discern signs of the second coming of Christ (vv. 32-35).

But (v. 36), we do not know precisely when that coming will be, and neither does Jesus. The situation will be like that before the Flood: people were preoccupied with earthly matters (v. 38). When the Flood came, a small number “entered the ark” and were saved, but many drowned. The dawn of the new era will also be like this; Jesus gives two examples: of men (v. 40) and of women (v. 41). Some will be “taken” to be with Christ (because they are prepared) but others will be “left”. V. 43 is an other example. “Keep awake” (v. 42) to the will of God: be ready for Christ’s second coming!

Verses 1-36: See also the Comments and Clippings for Luke 21:5-19, prepared for the penultimate Sunday in Year C.

Verses 36-44: The parallels are Mark 13:32-37 and Luke 17:26-30, 34-36. [ NJBC]

Verses 37-39: See also Genesis 6:5-8; 7:6-24 and Luke 17:26-27. In both Genesis and Luke, the Flood and the “coming of the Son of Man”, the process is selection of the good/godly. [ CAB]

Verses 40-41: The verbs are in the present tense; thus they express vividly the separation certain to occur in the near future. [ BlkMt] In Luke 17:34-35, Jesus says: “‘I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.”’.

Verse 42: “Keep awake”: BlkMt offers Watch, meaning be continuously on the watch, spiritually and in your lives. See also Mark 13:35; Luke 12:40; 21:34-36; Matthew 25:13. [ CAB]

Verses 43-51: Luke 12:39-46 is very similar. [ CAB]

Verse 43: The metaphor of the coming of a thief is also found in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and Revelation 3:3; 16:15. [ BlkMt]

Verses 45-51: The parable of Faithful and Unfaithful Servants also emphasizes that Christ will return suddenly. [ BlkMt]