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Monday, December 23, 2024

Isaiah 53:4-5

It was certainly our sickness that he carried, and our sufferings that he bore, but we thought him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented. ⁵ He was pierced because of our rebellions and crushed because of our crimes. He bore the punishment that made us whole; by his wounds we are healed.

Reflection: We usually think of this passage in relation to Good “Friday, not Advent. But yet, let us stop a moment and consider. Is this not what Jesus came for, to take up our infirmities and sorrows, to heal us in our transgressed state. Christmas means nothing without the cross to back it up. His birth is the prelude to his sacrificial death. In this way, we know that he is our Healer, our Savior, our Lord. He came to set us free, to take care of what we could not. To return us to His heavenly Father. And because of this, we can also look forward to when he shall come again, and take us, whom he died for, back unto himself and his Father. Let us remember that the babe of the manger is also the man of the cross and the Lord of Heaven. Prayer: O Lord, you came to die for us, so that we might have hope. Give us that hope for this Advent season and all of our lives, and help us make it known to the world. Amen.

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Luke 2:1-7 

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. ² This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. ³ Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. ⁴ Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called

Bethlehem, in Judea. ⁵ He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.

Reflection: Every year again it came about in those days that a decree etc. Everybody should hear the happy message. Thereby it starts up, as every year, with something unpleasant: politics, worse: tax. The Roman Empire needed some exact information to plan its budget. This seems to be wellknown to us especially in these days. Should we not count the goods in our own small empires and plan what we can improve next year? Do you say no?  Christmas has got to be feats of positive recollection and romance. Mary and Joseph would not have been in romantic feelings when they did the long journey just to arrive in an absolutely over-peopled town and to be accommodated in a stable. No, this is not a happy message. This is it, and we all know well, almost too much so that we hardly hear the words “And she gave born to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger.” But at Christmas we have to remember that once there was a time of darkness and then came the light, within the world as well as in our own existence. This is the greatest present at Christmas and for it we set all the candles under fire. We celebrate this sureness under the Christmas tree. And how do we do it? Of course, in the comfortableness of our families and with all the old customs as we used to do together with our parents when we were kids.

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Luke 2:8-20 

⁸ Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. ⁹ The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰ The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you— wonderful, joyous news for all people. ¹¹ Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. ¹² This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

¹⁵ When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other,

“Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” ¹⁶ They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. ¹⁸ Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. ²⁰ The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

Everything happened just as they had been told.

Reflection: Why did the angels bring the tidings of great joy to the shepherds? Luke doesn’t say. It may have had something to do with their poverty, but there were other poor people in the area, even many other shepherds. We don’t even read about how many shepherds were there; it could be any number from two on up. As for the heavenly multitude, well, they were putting on big doings for a little baby. I guess the shepherds knew that when a heavenly multitude says something’s important, it is. So, they ran off to see this baby. Let the angels watch flocks for a while!  When the shepherds arrived and saw that the choir wasn’t joking, they understood that the rest of what they were told was true too: the child was a Savior. The Messiah, their rescuer, had come. God had taken action, and came into their presence. So now they started picking up on the angels’ carol, praising God to all who were nearby along the way back.  God came to us as a baby, died as an adult, did the biggest task of all, and lives as God-With-Us. We can still pick up on the choir’s songs. Join the party!

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Luke 21:29-31 

²⁹ Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom is near.

Reflection: Taken by itself, this is such a pleasant passage. Leaves are appearing, and summer is coming. Of course, Jesus was talking about much more than an approaching summer season – he was talking about the end of the world. Just a few lines before this passage, Jesus described terrible atrocities that will come down upon earth and all who inhabit it. Terrible famine, war and plagues ravaging the nations; the Holy Land itself under direct assault; and yet he ends all of this with trees and the approaching of summer. Spring may be the time when new life emerges, but summer is the time when that new life flourishes. And as we continue in God’s love, no matter what the struggles are that we might face, our life will flourish. As we go forward, remember that we will all suffer from literal and Jesus have promised, there will be a refreshing spring. And more assuredly, there will be a blessed, fruitful summer – the Kingdom of God.

Friday, December 27, 2024

Psalm 111 

Praise the Lord! I thank the Lord with all my heart in the company of those who do right, in the congregation. ² The works of the Lord are magnificent; they are treasured by all who desire them. ³ God’s deeds are majestic and glorious. God’s righteousness stands forever. ⁴ God is famous for his wondrous works. The Lord is full of mercy and compassion. ⁵ God gives food to those who honor him. God remembers his covenant forever. ⁶ God proclaimed his powerful deeds to his people and gave them what had belonged to other nations. ⁷ God’s handiwork is honesty and justice; all God’s rules are trustworthy— ⁸ they are established always and forever: they are fulfilled with truth and right doing. ⁹ God sent redemption for his people; God commanded that his covenant last forever. Holy and awesome is God’s name! ¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins; sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws. God’s praise lasts forever!

Reflection: The old year has almost passed, the new one lies ahead of us and we have just celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the light of the incarnation of God, how does looking backward and forward turn out? That is, do we let ourselves become depressed and disheartened by the events around us or do we find the courage and strength to praise the Lord for every day despite everything around us; to praise him for every day he gifts to us in the midst of his creation, now that we are allowed to belong to his people through his son Jesus Christ? One thing is clear: We won’t save humanity today. But by putting the Lord first and by praising him and not ourselves, it should be possible with and through him to make our world, our family, our neighborhood, our work place and even our church community a little more fair and just. That would be a starting point for a better world, would it not? It is not for nothing that the psalm prayer gives us the solution at the end for us to take along: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” Praise the Lord!