Isaiah 2:1-5: The ideal of a world at peace based on a common faith is
one of the most important gifts of Israel's prophets. Here Isaiah expressed
that vision in one of its two very similar versions in the Old Testament. It
also appears in Micah 4:1-5. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah in the late
7th century BC. Which prophet first conceived it remains
unknown.
Psalm 122 (UMH 845): Many worship services used to begin with a call to
worship from the first verse of this psalm. The whole psalm is a prayer
that Jerusalem be a city of peace for all nations - a prayer still
fervently offered, but not yet realized.
Romans 13:11-14: Paul
earnestly believed in the imminent return of Christ to complete history by
bringing in the reign of God. The present moment, he urges Christians in
Rome, is the time to prepare for that glorious event. He tells them to
prepare by adopting not just hopeful anticipation, but a Christ-like moral
character.
Matthew 24:36-44: In Year A of the lectionary cycle, we
shall be reading primarily from Matthew's account of the Gospel. The Season of Advent
presents us with the challenge of preparing for the coming of Christ now and
at the end of history.
This passage is part of Matthew's rendition of
the "Little Apocalypse" first presented in Mark 13. This vision follows
closely the style of earlier Jewish apocalyptic writings. It depicts the time
when Christ will come to establish God's reign. Note also that the emphasis
is placed on the total unexpectedness of the moment when this will happen.
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