December 29, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 29th: Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 148, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23: Theme: The Twelve Days of Christmas Matthew: By this time, the hoopla of Christmas is well over. Wintertime has set in, and the waiting of advent is over – the baby is here. This story reminds us that there are some tuff times on the journey between fulfillment and a dream come true. This is the story of the slaughter of the innocents. Herod has ordered the killing of all boy children two and under. Joseph stays faithful to his role in protecting the Son of God. In a dream he is told to go to Egypt until the threat to his son is over. When they return, they return to the horror that all of the other children and mothers have suffered. But in the end, Jesus grows up to fulfill his mission to bring salvation to any who desire to be with God. Jesus is also killed, for standing up to the powers that be – We can celebrate though that this story transforms our world into a beautiful place. Isaiah: This is a continuation on the theme of the dark journey to a fulfilled dream. Israel is lamenting because of all of the turmoil in their homeland. All they seem to see if desolation everywhere? How can they see the good in any of this? All along for 63 chapters, Isaiah has been promising hope and peace. No one seems to see it. The days after Christmas can be a very dark time – it is cold, it is dark, people are still away on vacation, so the pews are empty – there is not a lot of money coming in. This is a time for lamentation for the church. We too are called to see the light in the midst of the darkness. We too are called to see hope in the midst of despair. We too must walk that lonesome journey between a prayer and an answer. Questions: what horrid conditions are the children of today facing? Is God calling us to do anything to help them? What challenges do we face as a church? What prayers need to be answered for our time?