"Through the power of Christ, we are learning to live in simplicity, thankfulness, contentment and
generosity in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana."

(IF YOU CLICK ON A PICTURE, IT WILL GET BIGGER... AND EASIER TO VIEW.)

Monday, January 20, 2014

Lectionary Readings for January 29th

Isaiah 9:1-4: Christians have always related this prophecy to the coming of Jesus, the one whom we believe fulfilled Israel's hopes for a Messiah. However, the context is related more to a significant event promising a new era after a disastrous period of privation resulting from war or a foreign invasion.
   
It is more likely that the oracle was first intended for the coronation of new king of Israel or the anniversary of that event. The word Messiah meant "the anointed one." After being anointed the monarch became a sacred person and stood in unique relation to God. Something similar is expressed in the anointing of the British monarch as the "Defender of the Faith."


Psalm 27:1, 4-9 (UMH 758): This very personal prayer expresses trust in God in the face of hostile opponents. The psalmist seeks access to the temple where he may meet God as if face to face.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18: There appear to have been some serious divisions within the Corinthian congregation. Paul seeks to address these by calling on all who are quarrelling to remember that they belong to Christ, not to the particular apostle who may have baptized them. It is the death and resurrection of Christ, symbolized in their baptism, which brings them together and is the secret of their salvation.

 
Matthew 4:12-23: At first, Jesus preached a message quite similar to that of John the Baptist: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." The difference was that in Jesus, this good news was to be fulfilled. The calling of the first of his disciples, four ordinary fishermen of Galilee, was the beginning of this fulfillment  the creation of a community of those who would believe in and follow him. His healing ministry was also a sign that the reign of God had already begun.

No comments:

Post a Comment