Epiphany of Our Lord, Cycle A

by Mark Ellingsen

THEME OF THE DAY
The light of grace shows the way. The stress on light is an appropriate theme for this celebration of the wise men guided by the star that led them to the newborn Christ. The light of God reminds us that he seeks us (Justification), but in shining his light we have opportunities to follow (Sanctification and Social Ethics).

This is only a festival for Protestant and Catholic churches, as the rest of the Christian church celebrates Christmas today, the original date associated with Christ’s birth.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Culminating Book II of Psalms, this is an Elohistic Psalm of David (Psalms traditionally attributed to King David and employing Elohim as God’s name); it is attributed to Solomon. Probably occasioned by the coronation of a king (vv. 17-18), the Psalm is a prayer for God’s blessing of the king. It is prayed that the king be given judgment [mishpat] and his son righteousness or justice [tsedaqah] (v. 1). These terms do not just connote legal and judgmental actions, but when applied to God they concern loyalty in one’s relationships (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 373, 376ff). Such loyalty to relationships is evident in the prayer that the new king judge the poor with justice, defending their cause and crushing oppressors (vv. 2, 4, 12-14). Typical of the aura of surrounding ancient near-Eastern royalty a supernatural character to the king is noted (vv. 5-6). Not just righteousness but peace [shalom] is to accompany the reign of this king (v. 7). As we have noted previously, “peace” in Hebraic thinking is not just a state of nonviolence, but a state of well-being and thriving. The suggestion of a supernatural aura to the king (and so the legitimacy of a messianic reading of the text) is further legitimated by the Psalm’s prayer that the king’s empire might be universal (vv. 8-11). (Tarshish mentioned in v. 10 may refer to Spain or Carthage in North Africa, while Sheba and Sheba noted in that verse are regions in Ethiopia or South Arabia. These kings from three regions rendering the supernatural-like king may be construed as foreshadowing the three wise men who came to the Christ Child.) It is his concern for the poor that seems to account for his universal rule. And so we might conclude that the Messiah’s universal rule is related to his concern for and ministry to the poor.

Application: The Psalm affords an opportunity to link Epiphany to Christmas, reading the text messianically as focused on Christ and what he does with his life and ministry (Christology). This is especially evident in the reference to the king’s reign ushering in peace (reminding us of the heavenly hosts’ song at Christ’s birth regarding peace on earth [Luke 2:14]). A sermon on this text could explore the Hebraic concept of peace and its implications for American life (see the exegesis above) (Social Ethics). The implications of the king’s reign and Jesus’ mission regarding care for the poor also logically follows from a consideration of this set of issues.

Isaiah 60:1-6
This text is part of a prophetic book that is an editorial compilation of two or three distinct literary strands. Our lesson is probably part of the book’s final and newest section, not written by the historical prophet Isaiah of the eighth century BC, but after the Babylonian exiles had returned to Judah in 539 BC, quite disappointed with how the return home was going. Reference made to the darkness [choshek] among the people (v. 2) seems to portray the disappointment of those who had returned home in this period. It is a term in ancient Hebrew connoting distress, oppression, or chaos. Reference is made to light [or] that is come (v. 1). Light in biblical Hebrew refers to that which overcomes darkness (distress and chaos). This chapter also associates light with Yahweh (v. 2). It is promised that the Lord is coming to Jerusalem (v. 2). This comment along with the reference to the light is most suggestive of the Epiphany star leading to or accompanying the coming of Jesus to earth in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:2, 9-10).

It is promised to the downtrodden people that nations will see Jerusalem’s revival (v. 3). Exiles are said to return or be returning (v. 4). Rejoicing will follow (v. 5a). These comments could again be interpreted messianically in terms of the impact Christ’s coming might have on the world. The prophetic character of the text is even pointed out more clearly in verses 5b-6 with reference to the wealth of nations that would be brought to the light and how riches of Arabia (Midian, Ephah, and Sheba) would arrive by camel caravan, bringing gold and frankincense is most suggestive of the wise men’s journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 2:1-2).

Application: The text affords an opportunity to reflect on how Christ’s presence lights up our aimlessness and the chaos of life (Justification by Grace and Sin), inviting us to follow and be illuminated by him (Sanctification). These themes could also be related to the Epiphany story of the wise men’s quest.

Ephesians 3:1-12
This chapter is part of a prayer for wisdom in this circular letter written by Paul from prison late in his career or by one of his followers who had a hand in assembling a collection of his epistles. The latter prospect is made likely by the fact that the letter includes vocabulary and stylistic characteristics different from the indisputably Pauline writings. It may have been written to and for a later generation of Christians, as the writer claims to have heard of the recipients’ faith and love toward all faithful (1:15).

Portraying himself as Paul and in prison (though on which occasion [2 Corinthians 6:5, 11:23; Philippians 1:13-14; Colossians 4:3, 18] is uncertain), the author first offers some comments on his ministry to the Gentiles. He speaks of a mystery made known to Paul by revelation (see 2 Corinthians 12:1, 7), which was not previously known (vv. 2, 4). (The theme of “mystery” [musterion] is very typical of Ephesians, and it may be deployed here to explain why no one previous to Paul recognized the validity of a ministry to the Gentiles.) The revealed mystery is that Gentiles are fellow members with Jesus of the same body and sharers in the promise of Christ (vv. 5-6). Paul proceeds to note that God’s grace has been given to the Gentiles, for he is the least of the saints (v. 8). He speaks of an eternal purpose of God carried out in Christ that through the church God’s wisdom might be displayed to rulers and authorities in heavenly places (i.e., angels [vv. 10-11]). In confidence and boldness we have access to God through faith (v. 12).

Application: The text affords opportunity to reflect on the universal outreach of the gospel (a word in harmony with the Epiphany message that those from Arabia and other regions far removed from Israel worship the Lord) (Evangelism) and also to proclaim that by grace we, like Paul, have a mission (Justification and Sanctification).

Matthew 2:1-12
This text returns us to the gospel, which will be the focus of the new church year. Likely written to Jewish Christians no longer in full communion with Judaism (see 24:20), it is the most Jewish of all the gospels, evidenced like in this lesson with the concern to find links in the stories told to the Hebrew scriptures. We read in this text the story of the wise men. (Magi, also translated “astrologers,” seem to have belonged to a learned class in Persia.) Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is recorded as transpiring during Herod’s reign as a Roman puppet king which ended in 4 BC (v. 1). (Our dating of Jesus’ birth at the beginning of the Christian era is obviously incorrect by four or more years.) If the wise men came from the east, it does not rule out an Arabian or an Ethiopian African home for them, if we read Isaiah 60:6 prophetically. (And if Ethiopia, but even if from Persia, it is likely that the wise men came from a region with Semitic ethnics who might have at least known something of the Hebrew faith.)

The wise men come to Jerusalem seeking the child who would be born king of the Jews, whose coming had been revealed, they claimed, by a rising star (v. 2). The Messiah is associated with stars by Numbers 24:17. And a later, well-known messianic pretender, a revolutionary name Jesus Bar Kochba (132-135 AD), has a name (Bar Kochba), which means “Son of the Star.” Herod is reported as frightened by the news, finally learning from chief priests and scribes (scholars of Hebrew scripture) that based on Micah 5:2 the baby king is likely to come from Bethlehem (vv. 3-6). Herod then sends the wise men to Bethlehem wanting to learn the child’s location (vv. 7-8). The star leads the wise men to the babe where they bring their gifts and worship, but do not inform Herod, as per instructions they receive in a dream (vv. 9-12). The idea that the king wants a savior killed in infancy is reminiscent of Pharaoh’s efforts to kill Moses, and so other Hebrew children in infancy (Exodus 1:15-16). Matthew may be trying to draw parallels between Moses and Jesus at this point.

Application: The text, like the festival as a whole, invites sermons on the universal thrust of the gospel that it is for all people (since even Gentiles worship God in this story). Depending on the location from Sheba (see the discussion of Psalm and First Lesson) we can speak of the story of the wise men as illustrating either the African or Arabian presence in the Bible. This is also a story of how God uses ordinary, even natural means (like a star) to defy the most powerful authorities. This has implications for sermons on God’s providence and means of revelation (that he works through lowly and ordinary, not grand means, thus undercutting our pride) and also has Social Ethical implications (though God would have us defy the powers that be when they threaten his will).

by Mark Ellingsen

THEME OF THE DAY
Baptism and new life! This is a Sunday to explore the meaning and significance of baptism, which entails attention to Sanctification and Christian life (a core theme of the Epiphany season) as well as to Justification by Grace Alone.

Psalm 29
This is a hymn attributed to David, though it is unlikely that he is the author or even the agent in collecting this and other Psalms attributed to him (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 512). The text sings of God’s control of all nature (vv. 3, 5-6, 8-10), even of storms, and yet we are assured that Yahweh blesses us with peace in the midst of storms (v. 11). The Psalm begins with a call to worship, where there is a reference to “heavenly beings,” which is a bad translation for what should be rendered in English “sons of mighty ones.” This insight suggests that in the temple era and perhaps in earlier periods Hebrews believed that there was a heavenly court of lower gods or semi-divine beings who acknowledged Yahweh as supreme ruler (Psalm 82:1, 6; Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 32:8).

The Lord seems to rule with his word. Of course the reference to his voice [gol] (vv. 2-5, 7) could refer to his manifestation through thunder in thunderstorms (v. 7). The cedars of Lebanon noted in verse 5 refer to the principal mountains in Syria. Sirion noted in verse 6 is the Phoenicain name for Mount Hermon on the eastern border of Israel, and the wilderness of Kadesh in verse 8 is a reference to a desert in Syria. The Lord’s voice in this storm is not just powerful, but hadar in Hebrew (majestic, even beautiful) (v. 4). God’s rule over nature and over waters in particular could be interpreted as a prophetic reminder of his use of water in baptism to proclaim his word and will. The Psalm concludes with petitions that the Lord may give strength to and bless his people (v. 11).

Application: The text provides opportunities to preach on creation and God’s providential rule over it by his word. His control over natural elements opens the way to sermons on how God can use water in baptism to give life.

Isaiah 42:1-9
This lesson, the famed first Servant Song, is not written by the historical Isaiah, an eighth-century BC prophet to Judah, but is embedded in a literary strand of the book (one of three such strands) written soon after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 539 BC and the so-call Babylonian exile. There are four Servant Songs in Deutero-Isaiah (the other three found in 49:1-6; 50:4-11; 52:13–53:12).

There is much debate over the identity of the Servant in these songs. It seems responsible to regard them as messianic prophecies. But although many in the church have traditionally regarded the Servant as an individual, there is a growing consensus that the author intended to regard the Servant as a reference to the nation of Israel. References to the chosenness of the Servant in verse 1 remind us of God’s eternal covenant with Abraham and so with Israel (Genesis 12:1-3). The reference to God’s “soul” in verse 1 is not to be understood as teaching that God has a soul (in the sense that Greek philosophy and the New Testament teach). The Hebrew word that appears here is nephesh, which refers to the life force. And God does have life, which is delighted with his Servant. Anointed with this Spirit, the Servant will bring forth justice among the nations (vv. 1, 3), not growing faint from the task (v. 4). God is proclaimed as the Creator of all and source of all life, giving breath to all (v. 5). The Servant is said to have been called in righteousness as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, setting people free (vv. 6-7). (The light imagery is traditional imagery for a king’s establishment of justice. Becoming a light to the nations is most suggestive of the Second Servant Song and its attribution to Jesus Christ in Luke 2:32.) The lesson ends with Yahweh proclaiming his name as the only God, with no rival (v. 8; cf. Deuteronomy 4:23-24). With a clear eschatological intent it is proclaimed that former things have come to pass and new things are now declared (v. 9).

The last verse of the lesson is important for addressing the question of who the Servant described is. Old Testament scholar Brevard Childs (Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, pp. 336-337) has suggested that ambiguity about who the Servant is was also experienced by the original readers and hearers of this song. It could not be resolved in their minds except in the future; the future in which the old would come to pass and the new declared shows us who the Servant is. Living in the eschatological era ushered in by Jesus (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15) has helped us understand that the Servant prophesied here must in fact be Jesus Christ. This of course presupposes that the biblical texts only speak to their original context. But the very fact that the final editor of Isaiah weaves together different literary strands divided by nearly two centuries drives us to conclude that we misunderstand this text if we only try to interpret in light of speculations about what it originally meant. The kingdom of God revealed in Jesus Christ tells us who the Servant is and makes clear how this prophesy is fulfilled in his life and in the lives of his followers.

Application: The last point indicates how this text is legitimately proclaimed as an opportunity to describe the work of Jesus (Christology, Justification by Grace [setting people free], and Social Ethics [bringing forth justice and liberation]). But it could also be a description of what the members of the New Israel (followers of Jesus or they and the Jewish nation) are called to do under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as servants of God (Sanctification). This latter sermon direction could be related to the Theme of the Day by noting how the sacrament launches the faithful into lives of working for justice and freedom, giving light.

Acts 10:34-43
This text is the second half (Luke being the first part) of an account of the early Christian movement from the time of Jesus to the time Paul came to preach in Rome. Though attributed to Luke, a Gentile associated with Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24), references in the first person plural in telling the story (16:17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1ff) could suggest that the account is from a travel diary that Luke, as Paul’s companion, had drawn up. Others think the work was not composed until after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. It is a book stressing the universal mission of the church, and its outreach to the Gentiles (1:8).

The narrative clearly illustrates Luke’s agenda. It is the report of a speech by Peter before a gathering of Gentiles assembled by a Gentile Roman soldier Cornelius, a resident of Caesarea [north of Jerusalem on the Mediterranean coast] and the first Gentile convert to faith, which emphasizes the gospel’s outreach to all. Peter proclaimed that God shows no partiality, finding acceptable in any nation one who fears him and does what is right (vv. 34-35). He proceeded to note that God sent this message to Israel through the peace preaching of Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all (v. 36). (The phrase Lord of all may have apologetic implications as it was used in the Roman empire not just to refer to the God of Israel [Wisdom of Solomon 6:7, 8:3; implying here an affirmation of the deity of Christ], but also to the Greek god Zeus and the Egyptian god Osiris [Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, 355e].) The message spread throughout Judea, he contended, began in Galilee after the baptism John announced (v. 37). God is reported to have anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power and then Peter reminded hearers how Christ went about doing and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (v. 38). Peter next reported to being a witness to all Jesus did, including his crucifixion and resurrection. He even claims to have eaten and drunk with Christ (vv. 39-41). He also testifies that Jesus commanded those who walked with him to preach and testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead (v. 42). All the prophets are said to testify about him, so that everyone who believes in him receive forgiveness through his name (v. 43).

Application: The text invites a witness to God’s care for all creatures, a reminder that the gospel is a word for all people. This affirmation of the unity of Christians (Church) might be related to the unifying character of baptism from which such a ministry of unity begins. This stress on human unity might also be developed in terms of its social ethical implications.

Matthew 3:13-17
We turn again to the most Jewish-oriented of the all the gospels, based on oral traditions about Jesus and perhaps based on the gospel of Mark. Matthean authorship is thought to be unlikely, precisely because it was written in Greek, and there is no indication that the Jewish tax collector Matthew understood the language (9:9). But the book does betray some Hebraic and Aramaic influences. This lesson is an account of Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus is reported to have come from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John (v. 13). We have previously noted that John’s practice of a baptism of repentance was not an anomaly in first-century Judaism. Practiced by the Qumran community, which wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls (Manual of Discipline), it was a practice of ritual purity with roots in Exodus 19:10 and Numbers 8:21. It functioned as a ritual of entrance for proselytes. But John would have prevented Jesus from receiving this baptism, saying that he is the one who needs baptism from Jesus (v. 14). Jesus responds that the baptism should transpire to fulfill all righteousness (God’s faithfulness to his prophecies and so his covenant promises), so John consents (v. 15). After emerging from the water, the heavens open and John sees the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove, and hears a voice from heaven proclaiming him the beloved Son of God (vv. 16-17). (The phrase Son of God had connotations of royalty from a Jewish standpoint, as it was a title bestowed on David [2 Samuel 7:14].) Matthew is more concerned than other gospel writers with sorting out the relation between Jesus’ disciples and those of John, and this is to some extent evident insofar as compared to the parallel gospel accounts of the story. Only Matthew includes a dialogue between Jesus and John regarding the prophet’s sense of unworthiness to baptize the Lord (vv. 14-15).

Application: The text is an opportunity to explore the significance of baptism, how because we share Jesus’ baptism, we receive what belongs to him (Sanctification). The Holy Spirit’s work in making this happen in baptism might also be explored. The continuity in what God does (his righteousness and faithfulness to his promises) might also be explored, pointing out how Christian baptism has continuity with past Jewish practices. God does not disown what he has done in moving us into the future (Providence).

THEME OF THE DAY
God makes it happen! These texts focus our attention on the fact that all we do depends on God doing it first and for us (Justification and Sanctification by Grace).

Psalm 40:1-11
This is a composite Psalm, attributed to David, including a thanksgiving (which we consider in vv. 1-11) and a lament (vv. 12-17). Each may originally have been independent and then combined into a liturgy. Because the final editors of the book of Psalms seem to have used references to David as a way to represent the inner life of the Hebrews whom the great king had ruled, and so of all the faithful (see Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 521), it is appropriate to conclude that this Psalm is teaching us that the experiences embodied by these two hymnic strands, lament and thanksgiving, are characteristics of living faithfully. The psalmist begins by describing his experience of God drawing him up from desolation and hearing his cry (vv. 1-2). The psalmist claims to have been vindicated and so now many will put their trust in the Lord (v. 3). Those who trust in the Lord and not turn to the proud will be happy (v. 4).

Yahweh is said to have multiplied his wondrous deeds so that none can compare with him. These deeds are infinite in number (v. 5). He does not require sacrifices (v. 6). This critique of the sacrificial cult is evident in Amos (5:21-24.) The psalmist claims it is evident in the heavenly record of deeds (“the scroll of the book”) that he delights in doing God’s will, for his law is in his heart (vv. 7-8; cf. Jeremiah 31:33). He claims to have told the glad news of deliverance, not hiding God’s saving help (vv. 9-10). Pleas are offered in closing that Yahweh not withhold his mercy, but that his steadfast love keep the faithful safe forever (v. 11).

Application: The song affords an excellent opportunity to explore the depths of despair (Original Sin), God’s saving help (Justification by Grace), and the result that those receiving such help become grateful people, delighting to do God’s will, because by grace the law has been written in their hearts (Sanctification).

Isaiah 49:1-7
This text is the Second Servant Song, written by Deutero-Isaiah (the second oldest of the three distinct literary strands an editor has woven together in order to form the book). While the historical Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC, this strand was not composed until the sixth century BC, soon after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonian empire. As with all the Servant Songs, there is a dispute among scholars whether the Servant referred to is an individual (the Messiah) or Israel.

The servant, speaking in the first person, claims to have been called by Yahweh while still in his mother’s womb (v. 1), and though hidden he has been made a sharp sword and arrow (v. 2). The servant is called Israel, in whom Yahweh will be glorified (v. 3). This reference suggests that the author himself deems the nation of Israel to be the servant.

The servant complains of having labored in vain, yet confident his cause is with the Lord (v. 4). Yahweh responds that the servant has been formed in the womb to be his Servant to bring Jacob and Israel back to him (v. 5). This comment entails that either the servant is an individual who redeems Israel or else the author is distinguishing Old and New Israel. In any case the Lord adds that it is not enough the servant should function to rise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel, but the servant is to be a light to all nations so that salvation may reach the ends of the earth (v. 6). Yahweh is identified as the redeemer of Israel, addressing those deposed and abhorred by the nations (presumably the referent here is Israel, despised since its conquest). It is prophesied that kings and princes will prostrate themselves before Yahweh, who has chosen Israel (v. 7).

The ambiguity about the whether the servant is an individual or the corporate nation, reminds us of an insight noted in last week’s notes by Old Testament scholar Brevard Childs (Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, pp. 336-337). He has suggested that ambiguity about who the Servant is could only be resolved in the minds of the writer and the initial audience in the future, when the question would be clarified in the new era by the Messiah’s coming. In this particular text, it really does not matter who the servant is, but that God will use the servant to restore Israel and reach all people.

Application: The text invites reflection on the present state of American society in light of the despair and sense of oppression experienced by the conquered people of Israel (Sin). Preachers might then interpret the Servant Christologically, proclaiming how Christ delivers us (Atonement and Justification) or noting the ambiguity of who the servant is, that it might be Israel who is used by God to deliver, note that the faithful are a new Israel (Church) (Psalm 40:7-8 [see above]; Hebrews 8:8ff) and so have been sent by God to do the servant’s work, by grace to restore Israel and all the nations to salvation (Sanctification and Evangelism). There is an eschatological dimension to this proclamation that these realities lie ahead of us and/or give us hints of the end times and God’s final aims.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
This is a salutation and thanksgiving at the outset of a letter written by Paul from Ephesus to a Greek church he had established (Acts 18:1-11). Relations had become strained with the church. The letter aims to address doctrinal and ethical problems disturbing the Corinthian church.

As a starting point, Paul introduces himself as one called to be an apostle [apostolos, literally meaning "one sent" and so commissioned by God] and sends greetings to the saints in Corinth who have been sanctified. Reference is made to the church universal planted in Corinth (vv. 1-2). Paul wishes recipients of the letter grace and peace — a standard Christian greeting of the era (v. 3). He thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthians, noting that they have been enriched in every way — in speech and knowledge as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened with them (vv. 4-5). These are gifts to which Paul frequently alludes in the letter and seems to attribute to the Corinthians. They now are said to lack no spiritual gift (presumably including ecstatic Pentecostal-like experiences [14:1ff]) as they wait for Christ to reveal himself, and he will strengthen them until then (vv. 7-8). Paul expresses confidence in the Corinthians being strengthened to the end of the day of Jesus Christ (reference to the Eschaton). Trust in God’s faithfulness is expressed (v. 9).

Application: Paul’s comments authorize sermons reminding us that all we have is a gift of God (Justification and Sanctification by Grace) and living out and reveling in these gifts both prepare us for the end time and also give us hints of the end times and God’s final aims (Eschatology).

John 1:29-42
This text emerges in the last of the four gospels to be written (probably not composed until late in the first or early in the second century). In accord with this gospel’s emphasis on the deity of Jesus Christ, this lesson is an account of John the Baptist’s testimony to Jesus and the call of Jesus’ first disciples (including Jesus). The account begins with John the Baptist seeing Jesus coming and declaring him Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the one who ranks ahead of him (vv. 29-30). (For references to the use of lambs in sacrifice and their importance in saving the Hebrews at the first Passover, see Exodus 12; Leviticus 4:32, 14:10ff; Numbers 15:5, 28:3ff.) John proceeds to proclaim that he did not know who Jesus was, but his ministry of baptism was for the purpose that he might be revealed. He claims to have seen the Spirit descend on Jesus in the form of a dove and remain on him, leading to a revelation that Jesus then was the one who baptizes with the Spirit. John reiterates that he has seen this and has testified that Jesus is Son of God (vv. 31-34). (Only in John’s gospel is the actual baptism of Jesus not reported but just this allusion to it.)

The account continues with another report that John sees Jesus and exclaims him to be Lamb of God. Two of John’s disciples hear this and begin to follow Jesus (vv. 35-37). (Only in this gospel is it claimed that the disciples were originally followers of John the Baptist.) He asks them what they seek. They refer to him as rabbi (teacher), asking him where he is staying (v. 38). He invites them to come and see and they did, staying with him that day (v. 39). One of these disciples of John was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He tells Simon that he has found the Messiah (the anointed one). He brings Jesus to Simon, whom Jesus calls Cephas (translated Peter) (vv. 40-42).

Application: The account reminds us that like John the Baptist we are in need of Christ (Sin). Christ’s atoning work, becoming our sacrificial lamb might be considered. But another focus might be how we have been called like the disciples and apart from our encounter with Jesus like they had, living lives of discipleship are not possible (Sanctification). The urgency of Christ’s call and the disciples’ immediate response sets the stage for the theme of Realized Eschatology (the urgency of responding to God in Christ in the present moment).

THEME OF THE DAY
God goes before us. Again the lessons testify to the fact that all the good there is in life is a work of God (Justification and Sanctification by Grace).

Psalm 27:1, 4-9
The Psalm is an act of devotion, a triumphant song of confidence, and a prayer for deliverance traditionally attributed to David. Yahweh is said to be our light and salvation, and so there is nothing to fear (v. 1). The psalmist says he has asked the Lord to be permitted to live in his house (to worship in the temple) all the days of his life, beholding his beauty [noam, which refers to God's graciousness or favor] (v. 4; cf. 90:17). (Reference to living in the temple suggests that like many of the Psalms the writer worked in the temple as a Levite priest.) With confidence it is proclaimed that the Lord will hide the faithful in the day of trouble (v. 5). With head lifted up above his enemies the psalmist proclaims that he will offer sacrifices in the Lord’s tent (the temple) with singing (v. 6). In a cry for help he urges Yahweh to hear him and be gracious to him. Yahweh is also urged not to hide or turn away in anger, for he is the God of the psalmist’s salvation (vv. 7-9).

Application: The Psalm offers opportunities for praising God for his care and for who he is (beautiful). One might try to help the faithful recognize that God’s beauty is in the favor and love he shows (Providence and Justification by Grace). Worship understood as joyful sacrifice and singing might also be a theme to explore.

Isaiah 9:1-4
Unlike chapters of the book from 40 on, this text is likely a prophecy of the historical Isaiah, whose ministry to Judah (the Southern Kingdom) transpired in the eighth century BC. This is a prophecy about the messianic king, originally an oracle for the coronation of a Judean king, perhaps for Hezekiah (724-697 BC) in the Davidic line, who reigned during Isaiah’s ministry. The lesson begins with a promise that there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. It is noted that in the former time the Lord allowed the lands of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali as well in the north to become Assyrian provinces (v. 1). This new king (the Messiah) is described as a great light [or] for those who had been in darkness [choshek] that is in oppression. It seems that this light will make glorious the way to the Sea [of Galilee] (vv. 1-2). Light is an image for release from oppression. The new king will make the nation more abundant, increase its joy, and break the oppressor’s rod, just as the great war hero of the tribe of Manasseh, Gideon, conquered the Mideanites (vv. 3-4; Judges 7:15-25).

These observations were readily applied to the Babylonian exiles of the sixth century BC addressed in the chapters from 40 to the end of the book after this chapter pertaining to the earlier prophet was combined with the later chapters. Their exile was interpreted in accord with God’s plan to restore the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali since they were not in accord with God’s final aims.

Application: The text invites preachers to explore the sense in which we are in bondage, both socio-economically and mired in our own selfishness and narcissism (Sin), along with the freeing word that God in Christ sets us free (Justification by Grace and Social Ethics).

1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Paul continues his introduction to the troubled Corinthian church with a discussion of the division in the community and a testimony to Christ crucified. He appeals for unity (v. 10). Some members of the household of Chloe (a female disciple of the apostle) had reported to Paul that there were quarrels, some saying they belonged to Cephas [the Aramaic name for Peter], others to Apollos (an early Alexandrian Christian), and others to Paul (vv. 11-12). Paul laments that Christ cannot be divided. He notes that none was baptized in his name and that he had not been crucified for them. He also adds that only two of the Corinthians in the household of Stephanus were baptized by him (vv. 13-16).

The apostle concludes by noting that he was not sent to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and that proclamation is not to be done with eloquent wisdom (which apparently a number of Corinthian Christians felt they possessed [2:5-6; 3:18]), so that the cross of Christ is not emptied of its power (v. 17). The message of the cross, he adds, is foolishness to those who are perishing, but for those saved it is the power of God (v. 18). The theme of Christ crucified is a central theme of the letter.

Application: This is an opportunity to promote concentration on the crucified Christ (Atonement) and help parishioners to see how this gets the focus off worldly wisdom and ourselves. In so doing this nurtures unity, so when it is no longer about protecting our own territory it becomes easier to live with each other (Justification, Sanctification, and Church).

Matthew 4:12-23
We return again with this lesson to the gospel of this church year, the most Jewish of all the gospels written, evidenced such as in this lesson with the concern to find links in the stories told to the Hebrew scriptures. The account reports the beginnings of Jesus’ activity in Galilee. It begins with Jesus learning that John the Baptist had been arrested. He then went to Galilee, but left Nazareth, making his home in Capernaum (a town about thirty miles northeast of Nazareth on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee) (vv. 12-13). This relocation was to fulfill Isaiah 9:1-2 (portions of which are quoted) and its reference to a great light [liberation] to people in darkness [oppression] seen on the road to the Sea of Galilee (vv. 14-16). (See the discussion of these images in the analysis of the First Lesson.)

Next Jesus is reported as beginning to proclaim repentance, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (v. 17). (In contrast to Mark, Matthew uses this phrase more than the “kingdom of God,” presumably because in good Jewish fashion his preferred phrase avoids mentioning the divine name.) The story of the conversion of fishermen Simon, called Peter (Matthew gives no indication that he knows of the apostle’s name change), and his brother Andrew is recounted. They are reported to follow immediately (vv. 18-20). A similar account is given regarding the calling of fishermen [lower-class occupations in the Holy Land in this era] James son of Zebedee and his brother John (vv. 21-22). The motif of “following” [akoloutheo] Jesus is characteristic of Matthew’s gospel.

Application: The text’s citation of segments of the First Lesson permits a focus on the freeing word of Christ (the light), which liberates from oppression (Justification by Grace and Social Ethics). Another witness of the text is to conversion, which is nothing more than an urgent spontaneous response to the light of Christ (the compelling character of his love [Justification by Grace and Realized Eschatology]).

THEME OF THE DAY
God calls, equips, and keeps us in our place! The lessons remind us that in living the Christian life, struggling with sin and working for justice, the faithful are always dependent on God.

Psalm 15
This is a liturgy for admission to the temple, attributed to David, though it is unlikely that he is the author or even the agent in collecting this and other Psalms attributed to him (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 512). In fact, some scholars conclude that references to David in the Psalms may be a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects, and so of all the faithful (Ibid., p. 521). In that sense this song is about the present realities of faith, what constitutes worthiness to come before the Lord.

None may abide in the temple, it is sung, except those who walk blamelessly (have the requisite moral qualifications), do no slander and evil, despise the wicked, but honor those who fear [yirah, connoting "honor" or "awe"] the Lord, stand by their oath, and do not lend money for interest or take bribes. It is interesting to note the prohibition against loaning money for interest (v. 5), which may only refer to charitable loans made for the relief of distress (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-37). But since this stipulation is not made in the Psalm, we have clear indication that the psalmist does not espouse an unbridled free market; at the very least he is insisting that interest not be charged in such a way as to be detrimental to the poor.

Application: Several sermon options emerge from this Psalm. It provides an opportunity to identify our sinfulness and unworthiness to come before God, the need for him to save us. Criticism of taking interest and fleecing the poor with such practices encourages critiques of how our present economic system takes advantage of the poor that in the name of our Lord more just ways are to be found (Social Ethics). The reference to fearing God (understood as honoring him in ancient Hebrew) as fitness for admission to God’s presence opens the door to preaching on Justification by Faith, and also to an exploration of the life of faith as honoring God (Sanctification).

Micah 6:1-8
The superscript of the book indicates that Micah was a younger contemporary of Isaiah, ministering in Judah (the Southern Kingdom after the North-South split) after the prosperity of Jeroboam II’s reign and in the midst of the rising power of the Assyrian empire, leaving Judah little more than an Assyrian vassal (730 BC–710 BC). As a rural commoner (1:14), Micah was appalled by the sins of Jerusalem. This text is part of a series of laments, threats, and denunciation of all Israel.

In the genre of a covenant lawsuit against an ungrateful people, with the prophet acting as prosecuting attorney, he calls the people to hear Yahweh. He is said to have a controversy with Israel (vv. 1-2). The Lord asks what he has done to deserve such behavior, for he delivered them from slavery and provided them with Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (see Exodus 15:20 for a reference to her) (vv. 3-4). The people are told to remember how the prophet Balaam refused to curse the Israelite armies despite King Balak of Moab’s directive that he should (Numbers 22-24), and also to remember Shittim and Gilgal (the sites of Israel’s camp under Joshua before and after the crossing of the Jordan River [Joshua 3-5]) (v. 5). The Hebrew people seem to have forgotten the saving acts of old, all that God has done for them. To the question of what sort of offerings will satisfy God, a reminder reminiscent of other prophets (Amos 5:25; Hosea 2:19-20; 6:6; Isaiah 7:9; 30:15) is provided: Animal and human sacrifices (see v. 7: still practiced in Judah as noted in 2 Kings 16:3) will not do, but only to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly [tsana, also meaning lowly or prepared] with God (vv. 6-8).

Application: This text also affords opportunity to condemn our sin (often associated with forgetting all the good God has done for us in the past) as well as the importance of doing justice and loving kindness in the Christian life (Social Ethics and Sanctification). The idea of walking humbly with God suggests that we get ourselves and selfishness out of the way when living the Christian life. An appreciation of the life of humble faith as putting others (God and our neighbors) first or being prepared for and ever aware of God can afford opportunities to explore the nature of faith (Justification) and Christian life (Sanctification).

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Dealing with a troubled church in Corinth which he had established (Acts 18:1-11), Paul continues a reflection on Christ crucified. The message of the Cross is said to be foolish to those perishing, but the power of God for those saved (v. 18). Isaiah 29:14 and its threat to destroy the wisdom [Sophia] of the wise is cited (v. 19). God is said to have made foolish the world’s wisdom. God is not known through wisdom, and so he decided to save those who believe through the foolishness of proclamation (vv. 20-21).

Paul claims that Greeks desire wisdom and Jews demand signs. But instead he proclaims Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jew and Greek, but the power and wisdom of God to those who are called (vv. 22-24). God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness stronger than human strength (v. 25). Paul then has the Corinthians consider their own call, that not many of them were wise by human standards or powerful, not of noble birth (v. 26). But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, what is weak to shame the strong (v. 27). He chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are. That way no one might boast in God’s presence (vv. 28-29). God is said to be the source of the faithful’s life in Christ Jesus, who became for them the wisdom of God, righteousness [dikaiousune], sanctification, and redemption in order that all boasting is boasting in the Lord (vv. 30-31; Jeremiah 9:23-24; cf. 2 Corinthians 10:17). Exactly what the concepts wisdom and righteousness connote is debatable. In the Corinthian context “wisdom” might be understood in the Greek philosophical or Gnostic sense of a spontaneous, rational insight or (especially in the case of Gnostics) secret knowledge, or it could refer to the Hebrew equivalent that connotes practical knowledge of the laws of life (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 418). (Of course, insofar as God’s wisdom confounds human wisdom it is not impossible to hear echoes of the Socratic challenge to human reason in what Paul writes at this point [Great Dialogues of Plato, pp. 426ff].) And likewise “righteousness” might be understood in the traditional Augustinian/Reformation mode as what it takes to be justified (the Greek terms for both words share the same root; see Romans 3:21-26) or in a more Hebraic sense of tsedeq, which connotes God’s loyalty to his covenant or his acts of saving and delivering his people (Psalm 71:2; von Rad, pp. 373, 376ff). The sermon will take a different tone depending on how one interprets these concepts. But the last verse of the lesson’s insistence that we not boast in anything that is our own (see reference to Socrates, above) is a theme that needs to reflect in all interpretations of wisdom and righteousness.

Application: Like the Second Lesson of the previous week, we are given another opportunity to promote concentration on the crucified Christ and to help parishioners see how this gets the focus off worldly wisdom and ourselves. In this case we might critique self-reliance (considering the implications of the critique for Social Ethics) and also focus on how Christian faith and the lifestyle it nurtures is paradoxical, confounding reason and what passes for worldly wisdom, and making us recognize our total dependence on God (Theological Method, Justification, and Sanctification).

Matthew 5:1-12
Given the Jewish orientation of Matthew’s gospel, this description of a segment of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (especially The Beatitudes) is not surprising. For examples of Beatitudes/Blessings in the Old Testament, see Psalm 84:5-6, 12; Deuteronomy 28:1-6. The sermon is one of five major discourses of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel. As a whole it is a kind of keynote for the new age that Jesus has come to introduce, and so The Beatitudes in this text should be understood in that light. We should also keep in mind that the Greek word for “blessed” [makarios] may be translated “happy.” Reference is made to Jesus climbing the mountain when he saw the crowds and teaching the disciples from a sitting position (typical of the position assumed by first-century Jewish rabbis) (vv. 1-2). The blessed (and so among those who are happy) include the poor in spirit, those who mourn, are meek, hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart [the heart (kardia) was considered the seat of thought and moral disposition, see 9:4; 12:34; Psalm 24:3-4, and so to be pure in heart is not to have mixed motives], the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (vv. 3-10). Those virtues listed in verses 3-4, 6, repeated in Luke (6:20-21), are likely original to Jesus, but also typical blessings of his time. Hungering for righteousness probably refers to the hope that God will bring justice to those suffering from violence (Psalm 146:7). When reviled and persecuted on Jesus’ account we are blessed (v. 11). Then we can rejoice and be glad, for our reward will be great in heaven, as such persecution is like the persecution the prophets endured (v. 12). We see here another instance of Matthew’s concern to link Jesus’ teachings with Jewish precedents. But unlike Pharisaic codes of law, The Beatitudes have an Eschatological dimension, which is both future and present oriented. They describe realities to be created by God, not virtues we have or must attain on our own. This is why when focused on Jesus we are made happy in embodying the gifts of these virtues, and that is why we are blessed.

Application: The text provides occasion for sermons on what makes us happy (living in the virtues Jesus describes [Sanctification]). But because these virtues are Eschatological realities, not ways of living that we attain on our own, they only come to us by the grace of God (Justification by Grace). Jesus’ praise for those concerned with righteousness and bringing justice to those who suffer also entails that this is a text for preaching Social Ethics and God’s role in making it happen.