Sunday, December 31, 2017

January 7, 2018

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for January 7th: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12; Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah: This verse is about living in the light, the light of God. Chapters 58 and 59 talk about the darkness of life. The people know that God loves then, but in that love God holds them accountable. Many of the exiles have returned, and they are clashing with the people who have been in Jerusalem all along. Things are not going so well. So in chapter 60 the prophet announces that their light has come, God is with them. Instead of resenting Jerusalem, people will come to Jerusalem to see how things are done. They will know that the presence of God is there. With God present, things will start to look up and get better. Matthew: Mark does not speak about the childhood of Jesus, so we have to look at Matthew’s story. This is the story of the arrival of the three wise men, a year or so after the baby was born. By this time Mary and Joseph are back home. The wise men follow the star, because this announcement is not just for Jews, but for the world. A King of Kings has been born. They come to give him gifts. But they also realize that King Herod is not happy about this birth, so they do not want to encourage him, they go home another way in order to avoid him. That is a sign that things do not always go as we planned, but they always go God’s way. Let us focus once again on Jesus presence in our lives, not the gifts of the wise men. Questions: In our world, are we living in the darkness or the light? What are the struggles of the day? What are the celebrations? Why is it important for us to see darkness in order to see the light? What gifts would you bring to the new King? When was there a time in our life when you had to resort to plan B to achieve your goals?

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