Tuesday, December 24 Matthew 1:18-25 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. St. Matthew underscores the prophetic character in which God-in-Jesus Christ was made manifest before the eyes of men. Awaking from his slumbers, St. Joseph immediately did as God’s messenger bade him do, and he did it without fear. According to Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, a contemporary exegete, Joseph gets it that there are fundamentally two races of men: "those who receive the grace of God when it is offered and become God's servants, and those who have chosen to ruin their lives...
Monday, December 23 Psalm 24 1 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah The Nativity of our Lord nears. Tradition has it on this day, a long, long time ago a major miracle took place, one on the order of what many in the world now regard as the Big Bang. But this was not the day the universe was created out of nothing; rather it was the day the One who created the universe out of nothing entered his creation as a baby. He grew to become a Jewish man from a backwater village in Galilee, a Jewish man named Jesus. Many in the world now know his name. This man Jesus was God the Son, a difficult claim for us to comprehend even today but one completely beyond most of his time. The Jews had endured significant hardship to cement their commitment to God as one and one only. That he has a Son, that God therefore is Father, seemed a backward step for their “metaphysics”...
Sunday, December 22 Isaiah 7:10-17 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah...
Saturday, December 21 Matthew 11:11-19 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, 17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” It is novel concept since we all have ears, but are we willing to listen? In this case Jesus is asking whether we are willing to listen to a radical life changing message. A message that could change our identity and how we see this word. Once we have accepted Christ, these ears become even more important. With these ears we hear God and what he has for us. The catch is we usually don’t listen. We must train these ears by praying to God to change us, by sitting in silence, and read His word so we know His voice. It is not something that comes naturally in this easily distracted world, but with persistent and patience we can absolutely get there. So, over the last couple days of this devotional, ask for new patience, ask to enjoy the silence, ask for God to change us, and most of all ask for Ears to hear. It will change the time you spend with God; it will change how you pray; it will change how you read His word and will change how you see the service. I encourage you to be patient and persistent, it will take time, but it is worth it. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant me a perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen. ...
Friday, December 20 Matthew 11:2-10 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ John the Baptist was called to prepare the way of the Lord. He went around the region proclaiming a baptism for the forgiveness of sin: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” (Matthew 3:2) and “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). People flocked to him for he proclaimed a message of hope. In a way, we are all called to be John the Baptist’s ...
Thursday, December 19 James 5:7-20 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. The Book of James is filled with practical wisdom for Christians, calling us to live out genuine faith through good works (be doers of the Word, not merely hearers” (1:22). we cannot stand up to trials by our own abilities. Without faith we could never find the strength to trust God; we would never be able to be doers. And in these concluding words of James he tells us to be patient. That is really, really, hard for anyone. However, when the Lord returns everything will be make right. In verses 7-11, James repeats in different ways that the Lord is returning and for us to be steadfast, patient, long-suffering in our trials while we are looking for the Lord’s return. Hang in there, the Lord will return. As we wait for the Lord’s return let us show evidence of being doers by being sensitive to the needs of others, endure with patience as Job did, pray with faith as we wait, don’t grumble and groan about others. Remember in all we do that the Lord will return at his appointed time. Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability ...
Wednesday, December 18 Psalm 146:5-10 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! The commercial Christmas season often stirs us with happy sentiments. Because we long to be happy. People tend to be nicer to one another, unless they are eyeing the same gift when only one remains. Through all the tinsel, lights, smiles, and happy songs a subtle lie is told and embraced. The lie is that things are okay; that people are naturally good; that happiness is merely a choice or an action away. But a truer story is told through the season of Advent. A story that acknowledges all is not right in the world or in our hearts. This elusive “blessed” or happy life that everyone deep down longs for is not attainable on our own no matter how kind or giving we are. But it is available for those “whose help is the God of Jacob.” (v.5) For this God is the one “who made heaven and earth” (v.6) and he will rule and “reign forever” (v.10). This Lord sees what is wrong in the world and acts with justice and compassion to set prisoners free, give sight to the blind, and lift up those who are forgotten. His justice flanks his compassion (v.7, 9). To the readers of the New Testament, these actions of justice and compassion should ring familiar. For Jesus embodies many of the characteristics of the Lord’s rule directly with his healings and teachings and feeding and liberating. This is good news for us, who stumble in darkness, for there is a genuine and real hope because the reign of God, revealed in the psalms and in the life of Jesus Christ, is made available to us. The God who made heaven and earth stepped out of heaven and into earth in the person of Christ to dwell among us and to “execute justice for the oppressed” (v.7). Because this is a real hope of a real blessed life the psalmist erupts in real praise. This is the appropriate response for us to make also: “Praise the Lord!” Gracious Father, your kingdom is one of justice and compassion. Help us to rightly mourn our brokenness but to not fall into despair. For you are the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. By your Son, Jesus, you bring light and life to the world. Deliver us from the oppressive sins to which we are bound; feed our souls with the body and blood of Christ at his Table; and open our blind eyes to your glory and grace. For the honor of your holy name we pray. Amen! ...
Tuesday, December 17 Psalm 146:1-4 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Robert, Cardinal Sarah, author of The Day is Spent, made some apt seasonal observations in a recent interview. “Civilized man is fundamentally an heir; he receives a history, a religion, a language, a culture, a name, a family. Refusing to join a network of dependency, inheritance, and filiation condemns us to enter the naked jungle of competition from a self-sufficient economy. Because he refuses to accept himself as an heir, man condemns himself to the hell of liberal globalization, where individual interests clash without any other law than that of profit at all costs.” One doesn’t have to be a Socialist to get the point. Like the good Cardinal, read Put not your trust in princes to include the princes of commerce as well. After all, they are not the sponsors of Christmas. Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that the barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ...
Monday, December 16 Isaiah 35:5-10 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Our English word “remedy” is not used much these days. Check it out online and you will find its decline began in the 19th century and has reached its present nadir here in the 21st. Small wonder. Whether used as a thing or as an act, this word has its roots in going back to what once was, and that “what” is understood as better than the “what” that is now. It is a word that declares the past is superior to both the present and the future. At its base, this word casts the present as a failure, and the future as worse. Those of us with pasts lengthier than our prospective futures will likely agree with remedy’s core logic. But it is a sentimental acquiescence, one that likely ignores what we once eyed when it was our futures that loomed large. Above, the prophet rejects such limp sighing. With a bulging vigor from on high, he unleashes God’s muscular fury on all human progress. “It is a lie, a ruse, a deceit! Fools! You rush headlong to greater afflictions and desiccation!” Tucked inside the outburst is a reminder, an Ebenezer of something we can but barely recall: There is nothing better than the perfection that flourished so abundantly there in God’s Zion, where we might walk with him garlanded by everlasting joy. And then the invitation at the center of all such eruptions from God: There is a highway back. Our habit of Christmas points us wrong ward, forward, to the day, then the week, then the new year, then looking forward to it again. If a disorientation descends into your heart while packing up the decorations, then take up Isaiah’s remedy. The Way of Holiness alone restores. Lord Jesus, lead us on the Way. Amen. ...
Sunday, December 15 Isaiah 35:1-4 1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2 it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Don’t like the ways things are? Neither does God. So, take heart. Someday, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), it will all change. Isaiah peered into the future and saw that. But he lacked language to describe what he saw. So, he put it in terms people might understand. Flowers will bloom, even where there is no water. The creation will rejoice and sing. Fear will go away. God will save the weak and infirm. Sand will melt into a pool of water. Danger will be absent. God’s people will sing with joy. Sounds good, don’t you think? But Isaiah had even better news than that. He said, “They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.” (Isaiah 35:2) In other words, on that day, we will see God. We will see God. What might that be like? Honestly, words fail me. God is more than I can describe or imagine. Perhaps it is better to rely on another. Here are some hymn lyrics written by Walter Chalmers Smith. Reflect on these and you will have a better idea of what it will be like to see God. Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render; O help us to see Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee! ...
Wednesday, December 4 Psalm 122:6-9 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! 7 Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” 8 For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, “Peace be w...
Keep ReadingTuesday, December 3 Psalm 122:1-5 1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” 2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3 Jerusalem...
Keep ReadingMonday, December 2 Isaiah 2:4-5 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up swo...
Keep ReadingSunday, December 1 Isaiah 2:1-3 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say:...
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