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2025, December 7 ~ Isaiah 11:1-10; Roman 14:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
DECEMBER 7, 2025

Isaiah 11:1-10

Reading

1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Commentary

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE. The name “Isaiah” means “YHWH has saved” or “May YHWH save.”

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.

The Jewish Study Bible points out that one of major religious issues faced by First Isaiah was whether Judea should attempt to confront its enemies by using military and diplomatic means and or if it should rely on YHWH to protect them. Isaiah (unlike most of his contemporaries) preferred the latter option.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes that three themes dominate the book of Isaiah as it now exists: (1) that YHWH is the moving force behind all historical events; (2) the centrality of Jerusalem for Israel, both for kingship and for worship; and (3) the image of a new ruler who will usher in a new age of justice, righteousness and peace (which developed into the concept of “messiah” in early Jewish and early Christian writings).

Today’s reading is part of an extended messianic and eschatological prophesy in Chapter 11. Although Chapter 11 is in “First Isaiah” – the period from 730 to 701 BCE — there are differing scholarly opinions as to the time of the composition of the poem in Chapter 11. In particular, verses 6 to 9 are very similar to portions of Isaiah 57 and 65. According to The New Oxford Annotated Bible, many scholars see today’s reading as post-Exilic messianic expectations.

In saying that a “shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse [David’s father]” (v.1), the writer said that the Messiah will be from the House of David. (The JSB points out that the Hebrew word “geza” (translated as “stump”) can refer to not only the stump of a tree that has been cut down, but also to the stump/roots of a living tree.)

The understanding that the Messiah would come from Jesse was combined with the promise understood to have been given by YHWH to David (spoken through Nathan) in 2 Sam.7:13-16 (“I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever… your throne shall be established forever”).

The Gospels according to Matthew and Luke both state the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth was Bethlehem, the town from which David came (1 Sam.16).

The NOAB notes that “the spirit of the Lord” (v.2) is a “charismatic endowment of the future ruler expressed in three pairs of attributes” (wisdom/understanding, counsel/might, and knowledge/fear of the LORD). It observes that the LXX version adds “the spirit of piety” which provides a basis of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christian theology.

The JSB notes that in this prophesy of a new age, the poor and the wicked will still be present (v.4), but one of the main attributes of the messianic ruler will be the firm and equitable administration of justice (vv.3-5).

In addition to bringing about peace, harmony, and “righteousness” (everything in proper relationship with everything else), the concluding verse (v.10) implied a restoration of the Davidic Kingdom in which the root of Jesse would “stand as a signal” for the “peoples” and the “nations.” The Hebrew word (goyim) and the Greek word (ethnē) for “peoples” and “nations” are also translatable as “Gentiles.”

The JSB sees verses 6-9 as “the ideal age as manifested in nature.”

Romans 15:4-13

Reading

4 Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name;”
10 and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people;”
11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him;”
12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last, and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) had expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions about leadership and worship within the Jesus Follower Community.

Paul died in 63 or 64 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul saw the Jesus Follower Movement as part of a broader Judaism and continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah/the Christ, one of the important themes in Romans.

Today’s reading is the continuation of an exhortation by Paul to “we who are strong” to “put up with the failings of the weak” (v.1). Instead, the literal translation should be understood (as suggested by The Jewish Annotated New Testament and The New Jerome Biblical Commentary as “sustain the powerless in their weakness.” The JANT notes that the NRSV translation (“put up with”) supports the “traditional” interpretation that the “weak” did not trust God’s faithfulness enough to give up a belief that faithfulness included Torah observance.

The JANT points out that Paul himself was an Israelite who was personally Torah-observant and believed that Jewish Jesus Followers should remain Torah-observant. At the same time, Paul believed that (a) the faithfulness of the Christ brought “righteousness” (a right relation with God) to all peoples, including Gentiles and (b) believers had an obligation to support those Israelites who did not believe that the Christ brought righteousness to all people.

To support this view, Paul affirmed the importance of the Scriptures (v.4), which (by definition) were the Hebrew Scriptures. He urged both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers to glorify God with one voice (v.6) and noted the Jewishness of Jesus of Nazareth as “servant of the circumcised” (v.8).

In verses 9, 10 and 11, Paul emphasized the interwoven destinies of Jews and Gentiles. The NJBC points out that Paul understood that Gentiles were included in the prophesies of the Hebrew Bible. To support this assertion, Paul loosely paraphrased (most likely because he relied on the LXX Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) verses from Psalm 18:49 (“For this I will extol you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.”), Deuteronomy 32:43a (“Praise, O heavens, his people, worship him, all you gods.”) and Psalm 117:1 (“Praise the LORD, all you nations!”).

In verse 12, Paul paraphrased the last verse of today’s reading from Isaiah and stated that the “root of Jesse” would “rule the Gentiles.”

Matthew 3:1-12

Reading

1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint Translation, the LXX) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Having been written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel was aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars). There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

In today’s reading, Matthew shifted from the travel of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Nazareth after their time in Egypt (2:23) to the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness and at the River Jordan preaching repentance. (This is where the Gospel of Mark begins.)

Matthew’s account followed Mark’s description with some exceptions. Matthew had John speak of the “Kingdom of Heaven” (v.2) — his customary circumlocution for the Kingdom of God. This is a recognition that Matthew’s audience was primarily Jewish Jesus Followers for whom the word “God” was not to be spoken or written.

Like Mark, this gospel used hyperbole and claimed that all Judea (v.5) came to be baptized by John. John’s dress and diet (v.4) were derived from Elijah (2 Kings 1:8 and Zech. 13:4). The JANT points out that the River Jordan was frequently described as a source of purification in the Hebrew Bible.

In Jesus’ time, according to Josephus (a First Century historian), the three principal sects within Judaism were the Sadducees (hereditary priesthood who understood the Torah literally and exclusively), the Pharisees (learned in the Law and who claimed there was also an “oral Torah” or interpretations – sometimes called the “traditions of the elders”), and the Essenes (who were separated from the mainstream).

It is surprising that Matthew said that “many Pharisees and Sadducees [were] coming for baptism” (v.7). The “brood of vipers” condemnation (v.7) is “Q” material and is only in Matthew and Luke. In Luke, however, John condemned “the crowds” (Luke 3:7) rather than the Sadducees and Pharisees. (The NOAB says this condemnation of the Sadducees and Pharisees was characteristic of the Essenes’ views towards the Sadducees and Pharisees.)

In Mark and Matthew’s Gospels, the Sadducees were seen as the most significant group in persuading Pilate to order Jesus’ crucifixion.

The JANT points out that in Matthew and Luke, baptism is not sufficient alone and that one’s repentance must “bear fruit worthy of repentance” (v.8).

In saying that the “chaff will burn with unquenchable fire,” Matthew (3:12) and Luke (3:17) relied on 1 Enoch 48:9 (“I will cast them like hay into the fire, and like lead into the water. Thus shall they burn in the presence of the righteous, and sink in the presence of the holy; nor shall a tenth part of them be found.”)

In the verses after today’s reading, John baptized Jesus. Because a person performing a baptism is usually seen as “superior” to the baptized person, Jesus’ baptism by John created a “need” to show that John was subordinate to Jesus. All four gospels contain language about John’s unworthiness to untie Jesus’ sandals (Matthew said “carry” which The NJBC suggests may reflect a later rabbinic refinement). As part of Jesus’ baptism, Matthew added a colloquy in which John said to Jesus that he ought to be baptized by Jesus, but Jesus told him to proceed with the baptism to “fulfill all righteousness” (3:14-15).

In A Season for the Spirit, Martin Smith suggests that Jesus’ Baptism was a theological statement of Jesus’ essential humanity and his relationship with us. Smith surmises that although Jesus was aware of his sinless state, Jesus did not stand apart from sinners but submitted to baptism as one of us.

2025, November 30 ~ Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 30, 2025
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Isaiah 2:1-5

Reading

1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Commentary

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE. The name “Isaiah” means “YHWH has saved” or “May YHWH save.”

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.

The Jewish Study Bible points out that one of major religious issues faced by First Isaiah was the extent to which Judea should attempt to confront its enemies by using military and diplomatic means and the extent it should rely on YHWH to protect them. Isaiah (unlike most of his contemporaries) preferred the latter option.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes that three themes dominate the book of Isaiah as it now exists: (1) that YHWH is the moving force behind all historical events; (2) the centrality of Jerusalem for Israel, both for kingship and for worship; and (3) the image of a new ruler who will usher in a new age of justice, righteousness and peace (which developed into the concept of “messiah” in early Jewish and early Christian writings).

Today’s reading is from First Isaiah and is set in the time from 733 to 701 BCE. The opening verse is similar to Isaiah 1:1 and is another “superscription” or introduction to the prophet’s words. The JSB says the fact that there are two superscriptions strongly supports the conclusion that the Book of Isaiah is an amalgamation of a number of independent collections of Isaiah’s prophesies, and that these documents were not necessarily organized chronologically in the Book of Isaiah.

As a “prophet,” Isaiah did not foretell the future, and The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the word translated as “saw” (v.1) is from a Hebrew word that is literally translated as “saw in a vision.”

The JSB says that verses 2 to 4 are one of the most famous texts in the Bible. In these verses, Isaiah saw the restoration of Israel through the power of YHWH and saw Jerusalem as a city of peace, equity and divine presence. This divine presence was so strong that many peoples and nations would come to Jerusalem for instruction (in Hebrew, “Torah”). The root of the word translated as “nations” and “peoples” (v.3) is “goyim” which is also translatable as “Gentiles.” These verses are repeated in Micah 4:1-4. Micah was a younger contemporary of First Isaiah.

The last verse is the beginning of a call for the House of Jacob (i.e. Israel) to reform and walk in the light of YHWH.

Romans 13:11-14

Reading

11 You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Commentary

Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last, and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.

Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) had expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions about leadership and worship within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)

Paul died in 63 or 64 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, Paul saw the Jesus Follower Movement as part of a broader Judaism and continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah/the Christ, one of the important themes in Romans.

Today’s reading is the concluding verses of Chapter 13. In this Chapter, Paul exhorted the community to be subject to governing authorities (v.1), pay taxes (v.7) and love one another (vv.8-9). The NOAB observes that these verses “stand in tension” with views that Paul expressed in Corinthians and Thessalonians regarding the “rulers of this age.”

Some scholars opine that Paul expressed these views that appear (on their face) conventional because he was aware of recent pogroms against Jews in Alexandria around 40 CE and the expulsion of Jews from Rome by Claudius. The thinking is that he therefore urged civil obedience by the Jesus Follower Community so that the Jesus Followers would not be vulnerable to persecution by civil authorities.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament understands this Chapter differently. It suggests that rather than urging obedience to imperial authorities, the “governing authorities” (v.1) are the synagogue rulers and that Paul’s principal concern was how non-Jews should behave among Jews who did not share their convictions. The JANT suggests that Paul was urging Gentile Jesus Followers to “live respectfully toward Jews” and accept their communal leaders’ authority, including paying the Temple tax (v.7). The JANT continues that it is difficult to understand how Paul would sanction the Roman Empire as “instituted by God” (v.1). Instead, for Paul, the present age is night (v.12) and darkness (v.13) and evil from which people need to be freed.

In today’s verses, Paul urged his hearers to live honorably because “salvation” (understood as the Return of the Christ) was perceived to be near (v.11). He urged them to ”live honorably as in the day” (v.13).

Paul told the community to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” – a metaphor for baptism (v.14). In speaking of “the flesh,” Paul was not referring to the human body, but instead (as he did consistently in his epistles) he equated “the flesh” with self-centeredness, striving for power, selfishness, and adopting the values of the world.

Matthew 24:36-44

Reading

36 Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Septuagint Greek Translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because is was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also appears to have used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which contains accounts found in Luke and Matthew, but not in Mark.

There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is part of an extended eschatological presentation by Jesus. Chapter 24 is a long discourse about the coming of the Son of Man (a reference to Dan. 7:13) (vv. 27, 30, 37, 44) and the end of the age as we know it, including a prediction of the destruction of the Temple (24:1-2).

Jesus retired to the Mount of Olives and spoke to his disciples “privately” (v.3) about these signs of the coming of the Son of Man. Today’s verses emphasized that the coming of the Son of Man would occur at an unexpected time and urged Jesus followers to be ready for it at any time.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that the Son appears subordinate to the Father in that “only the Father” (v.36) knows when the time will come. The translators’ notes say that the words “nor the Son” are not in other ancient authorities. These variations in texts reflect the fact that the theological relationship between the Father and the Son was still being developed in the early Jesus Follower movement.

The JANT also observes that the “time of Noah” was considered a sinful time (Gen. 6:11-12) that caused God to make the Flood.

2023, November 23 ~ Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 23, 2025
FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Reading

1 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD.

5 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.”

Commentary

After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported many Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e., speaking for YHWH) began around 627 and continued until 586 BCE when he fled to Egypt (Ch. 43) and died there.

According to The Jewish Study Bible, Jeremiah was descended from the priestly line of Eli – who had presided as the high priest at Shiloh in the early years of Israel’s history in the land (1 Sam. 1-4). Jeremiah was presented as a priest and a prophet and his prophesying for 40 years was seen in Rabbinic Tradition as a parallel to the 40 years Moses led the Israelites in the desert.

The call of Jeremiah is said to have been in 627 BCE – “the thirteenth year of the reign of King Josiah” (1:2) and his prophesying lasted until 587 BCE, the “eleventh year of King Zedekiah” (1:3). The JSB says: “Jeremiah emerges as one of the major figures who grappled with the theological problems posed by the destruction of the nation, and who laid the foundations for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple in the years following the end of the exile.” He was a constant opponent of King Jehoiakim (608-598) who was an Egyptian sympathizer and of King Zedekiah (597-586), a Babylonian appointee who nevertheless went to war (unsuccessfully) with Babylon in 597 BCE.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there are different versions of the Book of Jeremiah. The Greek Septuagint Translation (the LXX – dating from 300 to 200 BCE) has some chapters that are not in the Hebrew versions.

Jeremiah is largely a prophet of doom and gloom, so much so that the English word “jeremiad” is defined as a long, mournful complaint or lamentation, a list of woes. In the Bible, the Book of Lamentations was placed after the Book of Jeremiah because of the (incorrect) view that Jeremiah wrote the Book of Lamentations.

Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” are thought to have been added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word-for-word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)

Today’s reading is in prose style and attacked the kings and priests (the “shepherds”). The Jewish Study Bible points out that the term “shepherds” (meaning kings) is even used in the Code of Hammurabi.

Consistent with the “do bad, get bad” theology of the Deuteronomists, YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) will “attend to” them for their “evil doings” (v.2).

The writers then held up the promise that YHWH would raise up for “David” (Judea) a righteous king who would enable Israel to live in safety and righteousness (v.5). For the Deuteronomists, YHWH was in charge of everything, and YHWH caused the Exile, the end of the Exile through Cyrus of Persia, the return of the Judeans to Jerusalem, and the relatively peaceful Persian Era (539 to 333 BCE).

The JSB observes: “The restoration of Davidic rule over a reunited people was one of the goals of Josiah’s reforms. The image is developed especially in the works of Second Isaiah who sees Israel’s return from Babylonian exile as a second exodus.” It has its basis in Nathan’s prophesy to David in 2 Sam. 7.

If these “predictions” of YHWH’s promises of restoration were in fact made after the Exile, the writers had “20/20 hindsight” that the “remnant” (a common designation for the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile) would be “fruitful and multiply” – the command given by God to humans in Gen. 1:28.

Because the restoration of the Davidic kingship did not occur after the return from Exile, these prophesies by Jeremiah became (and remained) an important part of Ancient Israel’s understandings (and expectations) of what the Messiah would be and do.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible and The JSB note that the last verse includes a play on words. “Tsedeqah” is the Hebrew word for “righteousness” and is intended as a contrast to Zedekiah, the last king of Judea before the Exile.

Colossians 1:11-20

Reading

11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers — all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Commentary

Colossae was a town in the Lycus valley in what is now western Türkiye. According to The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, it had a flourishing wool and textile industry. The population consisted of native Phrygians, Greeks and a sizable community of Jews — perhaps as many as 10,000.

A Jesus Follower community was founded there by Paul’s associate, Epaphras (1:7). The letter is short (three chapters) and expressed concern about apocalyptic and mystical practices that were inconsistent with Paul’s understanding of being a Jesus Follower.

Scholars debate whether this letter was written by Paul or by his disciples in the decades after Paul’s death in 63 CE. It lacks many terms used in Paul’s authentic letters and its style is more liturgical than Paul’s other letters.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that “the letter presents the idea that the believers’ lives are completely transformed by Christ’s death and resurrection [vv.12-14], instead of Paul’s usual tension between the only partially fulfilled present and the future resurrection and full enjoyment of Christ’s benefits.”

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that the authentic epistles speak of “justification” and “sanctification” in the present tense but reserve “salvation” for the future. In Colossians, salvation is a present reality and justification has no place at all. The JANT also observes that Colossians contains a “hierarchical description of household relations” whereas “Paul’s own description of marital relationships [in his authentic letters] is remarkably nonhierarchical (cf. 1 Cor 7.14).”

The first part of today’s reading is part of a prayer for spiritual wisdom for the Colossians. The author adopted an apocalyptic theme by contrasting light and darkness (vv. 12-13). He expressed the theme that believers are redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin in the Christ (v. 14). “Redemption” conveyed the sense of being bought back, the way something already owned is redeemed from a pawn shop. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the phrase “forgiveness of sins” (v.9) does not occur in the undisputed Pauline writings.

The JANT points out that spiritual wisdom and understanding are a major theme of this letter, but that authentic Paul “contrasts the negative attributes of wisdom and understanding – which he associates with cleverness and argumentation – with ‘pneumatika,’ ‘spiritual things.’ The author of Colossians reverses Paul’s moral vocabulary: wisdom, here positive, involves knowledge (v 9), right living (v 10), and patience (v 11).”

The second part of the reading is described by The NJBC as “an independent unit that has the character of a primative Christian hymn.” The author described the Christ as the “image” (or symbol or manifestation) of the invisible God (v.15) and described the Cosmic Christ as the unifying force for all created things, the one who brings life to us even though we encounter our own deaths, and the force that reconciles all things in the God of Love. The Christ is the firstborn of all creation (v.15) and the firstborn of the dead (v.18) – the first person raised from the dead. The NOAB observes that these images are based on the figure of Wisdom found in Proverbs, Sirach and the Book of Wisdom.

Regarding the reference to thrones or dominions or rulers or powers (v.16), The NJBC notes: “In the false teaching in Colossae [Gnosticism], these entities may have been thought of as rivals of Christ or beings that provided supplementary power to that of Christ (2:10,15). Such a belief grew out of the complex and highly developed angelology that was widespread at this time.”

The JANT describes the Christology in this hymn as “perhaps the most exalted in the NT (cf. Jn 1.1-8; Phil 2.6-11).” The NJBC says that most scholars agree that the words “the church” in 18a are a later addition to the hymn and the epistle.

Luke 23:33-43

Reading

33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” 35 And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Commentary

The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both books were written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.

The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 40% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan.

The Passion in Luke generally follows the Passion as recounted in Mark (which, in turn, relied on many motifs from Psalm 22 and the Suffering Servant Song in Second Isaiah). Luke’s account, however, contained a number of episodes and sayings not found in any of the other gospels. For example, only in Luke did Jesus appear before Herod Antipas (23:6-12). Only in Luke did Jesus say, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (v.34) – a verse not found in all ancient manuscripts. The essence of this prayer was repeated by Stephen (the first martyr) in Acts 7:6, also written by the author of the Gospel of Luke. The NJBC sees the prayer as “part and parcel of Luke’s theology of rejected prophet and of a Jesus who teaches and practices forgiveness of enemies (6:27-28; 17:4).”

The NRSV translators’ notes add that the words “written in Greek and Latin and Hebrew (that is, Aramaic)” are inserted after verse 38a in some ancient authorities.

In today’s reading, another exchange unique to Luke is the one between Jesus and the so-called “Good Thief” who rebuked the other criminal (v.40), asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom (v.42) and received the promise to be with Jesus “in Paradise” (v.43). The New Oxford Annotated Bible notes that “Paradise was originally a term for the garden of Eden (Gen. 2.8-10) and was a contemporary [in the First Century] term for the lodging place of the righteous dead prior to the resurrection.”

2025, November 16 ~ Isaiah 65:17-25; Malachi 4:1-2a; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21: 5-19

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 16, 2025

During Pentecost Season 2025, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Isaiah 65:17-25

Reading

17 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD — and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent — its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD.

Commentary

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.

Today’s reading is from Third Isaiah and appears to be a late insert into Chapter 65. The first seven verses in the Chapter are a lament by YHWH that the people had not asked for assistance even though YHWH was ready to assist. The Jewish Study Bible points out that the fact that YHWH “spread out My hands” (v.2) meant that YHWH assumed a human-like posture of prayer. Verses 8 to 16 are a statement by YHWH that those who are his servants shall prosper, but those who forsake YHWH and worship foreign gods will perish.

Verses 17 to 25 have an apocalyptic tone – the existing dire situation will be reversed because divine intervention will bring about a profound change. Similar eschatological motifs are found in the so-called “Isaiah Apocalypse” in Chapters 24 to 27.

The reading presents a “new world” (v.17) in which there is no infant mortality and persons will live more than 100 years (v.20). This eschatological vision reversed some of the consequences of the “Disobedience Event” in the Garden of Eden. Endless and sometimes futile toil (Gen. 3:17-18) is changed into “you shall not labor in vain” (v. 23). As in the Garden of Eden before the Disobedience Event (Gen. 1:29-30), no creatures (human or animal) will kill for food (v.25).

The images in verse 25 (“the lion and the lamb shall feed together” and “the lion shall eat straw like the ox”) became integrated into the expected signs of the Messiah’s presence and the Shalom (peace, good order) that the Messiah is expected to bring.

The Jewish Study Bible notes that although the new era will be one in which persons will live to an old age, there is no prediction of eternal life or resurrection in these passages. The JSB also notes that there are passages in Daniel and in the Isaian Apocalypse that did form a basis for Rabbinic Judaism to formulate a belief in the resurrection of all.

Malachi 4:1-2a

Reading

1 See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2a But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

Commentary

The Book of Malachi is the last book of the 12 “Minor” Prophets – so called because these 12 books are much shorter than the three “Major” Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). His name literally means “my messenger” and the book appears to have been written in the 5th Century BCE, after the Second Temple was built in 515 BCE.

Malachi held a high view of the Temple priesthood and its responsibilities and wrote to an audience that was disheartened that the hopes of the “restoration prophets” (Haggai and Zechariah) had not materialized. Malachi asserted that YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) had been true to God’s promises, but that the hopes of the other prophets were not fulfilled because Judah (Judea and Jerusalem) had not been faithful.

Malachi asserted that the “Day of the LORD” was coming soon, and the “messenger” of the Day of the LORD was later identified as Elijah (4:5). In most prophetic books, the Day of the LORD was presented as a time of wrath, darkness, fear, and trembling.

In today’s reading from the last chapter in the book, the author reiterated that the Day of the LORD will be terrible for the arrogant and evildoers, but that those who revere YHWH’s name will rise (v.2). The Jewish Study Bible suggests that a “sun of righteousness” (or “victory” in the Jewish Publication translation) in v.2a is a metaphor for a new “day” – a new era of history. The New Oxford Annotated Bible notes that the image of the sun with wings (v.2) is a common motif in ancient Near Eastern art.

In the Hebrew Bible, the Books of the Prophets are in the middle of the Bible and are followed by the Writings. In Christian Bibles, Malachi is the last book of the Hebrew Bible, so that when one turns the page, a prophet much like Elijah (John the Baptist) is encountered in the Gospel According to Matthew.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Reading

6 Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8 and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9 This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Commentary

Thessalonica, a port city in northern Greece, was capital of the Roman province of Macedonia in the First Century. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest part of the Christian Scriptures and was written by Paul before 50 CE, about 20 years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. A principal theme of both 1 and 2 Thessalonians is the return of the Lord Jesus in the end time.

In 2 Thessalonians, however, there was what appears to be a conscious imitation of 1 Thessalonians, an emphasis on living in the present, and warnings about forgeries of Paul’s writings. For these reasons, many scholars conclude that 2 Thessalonians was written by one of Paul’s disciples after Paul’s death in 64 CE. Unlike Paul’s authentic letters, this letter is addressed only to Gentiles and, although the author appears well-grounded in Jewish thought, nothing is said about Jews or Judaism.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes that in 1 Thessalonians assumes that the Christ’s reappearance will be a surprise, but that 2 Thessalonians suggests that it will come only after a struggle with evil and an unidentified “lawless one” (2:3) at some future time (2:8). The letter addressed problems perceived at the time: persecutions, disagreements about the end-times, and a refusal to work.

Today’s reading is from the final chapter in the letter and was an exhortation to the entire community. The writer presented his own behavior as the model for the community (v.7) and commanded that those who were able to work must do so (v.10). The NOAB notes that “idleness” (v.6) is sometimes translated as “disorderliness.” The Jewish Annotated New Testament points out that the author’s claim (on behalf of Paul) to have a “right” (v.9a) to receive food without paying for it (v.8) is explicated further in 1 Cor. 9:4-15.

The verses that follow today’s reading closed the letter with a wish of peace for the community and an assertion by “Paul” that he wrote the letter with his own hand – a claim that The NOAB observes ironically shows that the author was concerned about the authenticity and authority of the letter.

Luke 21:5-19

Reading

5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and `The time is near!’ Do not go after them.

9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.”

Commentary

The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both books were written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.

The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 40% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan.

After the Babylonian Exile (586-539 BCE), a modest Temple in Jerusalem was built in the period from 515 to 505 BCE. This is called the “Second Temple” in recognition of the Biblical account of Solomon’s building a Temple in Jerusalem from 961 to 954 BCE (1 Kings 6). Solomon’s Temple was modest (about 15% of the size of his Palace).

In 37 BCE, Herod the Great became the King of the Jews and he reigned until 4 BCE. Herod had what has been described as an “Edifice Complex” – he greatly enlarged the Temple starting in 19 BCE so that it covered 20% of the area of Jerusalem inside the walls. It was adorned with gold and was a magnificent structure capable of holding 250,000 people at once. He also built the port and amphitheater at Caesarea, and the Fortress at Masada.

Today’s reading is the “foretelling” of the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE during the Jewish-Roman War from 66 to 73 CE. This foretelling is also described in similar detail in Mark 13 and Matt. 24:1-28.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes: “Numerous writers, Jewish and Christian, and also Stoic philosophers, shared the belief that history was headed for some great transforming cataclysm. The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE was seen as the beginning of the end.”

Jesus’ speech used apocalyptic motifs in verses 7 to 11 to caution against over-interpreting any of these conventional apocalyptic events: the Destruction of the Temple (v.6), the claims of false Messiahs (v.7), wars and insurrections (v.9), and earthquakes, famines, and plagues (v.11), each of which were often seen as signs the end is near. Instead, he noted that “the end will not follow immediately” (v.9). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that the text made clear that “Disciples should not confuse the destruction of the Temple with Jesus’ return (as the Son of Man).”

Verses 12 to 17 described the persecution Jesus predicted for the disciples, including being handed over to synagogues (v.12). These are also themes that were developed in Acts of the Apostles. It is difficult to know if these were statements made by the Historical Jesus or were an expression by the gospel writing communities after the Destruction of the Temple noting some of the consequences of the intensifying struggle between two remaining Jewish sects — the Pharisaic Movement and the Jesus Follower Movement — for control of the future of Judaism.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes, however: “Localized persecution (e.g., Nero’s persecution in 64-CE in Rome) occurred, but the first empire-wide persecution did not occur until the Decian persecution of 250 CE.”

2025, November 9 ~ Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Job 19:23-27a; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17; Luke 20:27-38

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 9, 2025

During Pentecost Season 2025, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Reading

15b In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, 2:1 the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Commentary

Haggai is one the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

The Jewish Study Bible says: “In the Jewish tradition, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are the last prophets; after them, prophecy ceased. According to tradition, they were among the members of the ‘Great Assembly,’ a group that was a precursor of the Sanhedrin, and after their death, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel, though ‘bat kol’ (lit. ‘the daughter of the voice,’ or ‘echo’ remained available to Israel [citing portions of the Talmud]. This ‘echo’ of the voice of God is sometimes available to the Rabbis in their deliberations about legal interpretation (halakhah) but it is not on the same level as prophecy…. As the final representatives of the prophetic tradition, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi represent the link in the transmission of the oral Torah between prophets and sages.”

The Persian King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians in 538 BCE, decreed that the captive Judeans were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and encouraged them to rebuild the Temple. Little progress was made on the Temple in the next 18 years, in large measure because of economic conditions in Judea and ongoing hostilities between Persia and Egypt in which Judea was caught in the middle. In 520 BCE, the rebuilding process began in earnest and the Temple was rebuilt by 515 BCE.

Haggai, along with the prophet Zechariah, was primarily responsible for inspiring the Jewish leadership and populace to complete the reconstruction of the Temple. The JSB says: “The main focus of the book as a whole is the Temple, or to be more precise, the necessary character, centrality, and legitimacy of the Second Temple.”

The first verses of Haggai (vv.1-11) were an oracle of judgment against the people for failing to complete the Temple. The leaders and people responded favorably (vv.12-15a). In today’s reading, Haggai encouraged the people in their efforts and stated that YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) would support them.

The JSB also notes that building temples was the prerogative and obligation of kings, and the book recognizes the king at the time was Darius. Haggai’s prophecy is aimed at the high priest and the governor (v.2) as fulfilling the expected role of a king. In addition, because these actions were directed by the word of the LORD (v.1), this lent additional legitimization to the project.

The precise date for this portion of Haggai’s exhortation is October 17, 520 BCE, and he would have spoken during the Festival of Booths (Sukkot), a time of remembering the Exodus (v.5).

It is possible that some of the Judeans present in 520 BCE (“the remnant of the people” vv.2-3) would have remembered the Temple of Solomon that was destroyed in 586 BCE. The New Oxford Annotated Bible also understands the “people of the land” to be “those who had not gone into exile and who resisted the efforts of the returning exiles.”

Haggai told the people that the new Temple would be more splendid than the former and that building it will lead to prosperity (v.9).

The balance of this short book (two chapters) consists of an oracle of salvation, and the promise of an ideal age. This ideal age did not occur, though Judea remained under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians until the Persians were defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE.

Job 19:23-27a

Reading

23 Job said, “O that my words were written down!
24 O that they were inscribed in a book! O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”

Commentary

The Book of Job is a unique poetic story in the Hebrew Scriptures. The NOAB points out: “Job is part of the Wisdom Literature – along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. As such, it does not focus on the nation Israel or on its great formative historical memories. Instead, Wisdom Literature is a reflection on universal human concerns – especially the understanding of individual experiences and the maintenance of ordered relationships.”

The NOAB goes on to say: “Job denies the inevitability of rewards for living an upright life and decisively refutes the idea that human suffering is always deserved.”

The authors of Job are collectively referred to as “Poet-Job.” They are anonymous and the story contains multiple linguistic and stylistic forms. Accordingly, scholars conclude that the story is an ancient one that was supplemented by multiple authors between the 6th and the 4th Centuries BCE. The book contains numerous allusions to mythological traditions known throughout the Middle East but does not make specific references to Israelite legal or historical traditions. The characters sometimes refer to themes found in the Psalms and Proverbs.

In the opening two chapters, Job was introduced and his good fortune was enumerated. The Satan (the “adversary” or the “accuser”) – not the post-First Century name of the devil) made (in effect) a wager with God that Job was righteous only because Job had health, children, and riches. The Satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) bet God that Job would curse God if he lost his family, health, and wealth.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary says that God was put in a “no-win” situation: “If God were to refuse the test which the Satan proposes, would it be a sign of fear that human beings serve him only for themselves (and then the Satan is right)? On the other hand, the acceptance of the Satan’s wager makes God almost ‘demonic,’ but we are meant to understand that the Lord trusts those who serve him, and this is Job’s opportunity.”

Satan took everything from Job, but Job did not curse God.

Three of Job’s friends came to “comfort” him and sat with him for seven days in silence (2:11-13). Job then spoke an extended lament and wished he had never been born and prayed for his own death (Chapter 3).

Chapters 4 through 22 are a dialogue between Job and his friends in which his friends relied on the typical Deuteronomic thought that Job’s deprivations must be the result of a sin by him or his forebears. Job denied this reasoning and denied that he had engaged in wrongdoing. The Jewish Study Bible says that the friends are “concerned to safeguard the goodness of the LORD (seen as the cause of all things, good and bad) by arguing that if a person suffers, the suffering must somehow be deserved.”

Job asked for someone to judge whether a God who caused a righteous person to suffer is really a just God and worthy to be called “God” (9:33-35). He asked to confront God face-to-face and for a witness to testify on his behalf (16:19-21).

The JSB interprets today’s reading: “Job is so certain of his innocence that he wants his case to be inscribed on a monumental stele [or on leather in a book] rather than on the more temporary parchment or papyrus used in biblical antiquity.” The NOAB and The JSB explain that the Hebrew word for “Redeemer” (“Vindicator” in the Jewish Publication Society translation and in the translators’ notes in the NRSV) is “go’el,” the legal term for the person in the family responsible for avenging the murder of other members, citing Num. 35 and Deut. 19. The JSB continues: “While the term ‘go’el’ is sometimes applied to God, who is the ‘redeemer’ of Israel, Job is not speaking about God but rather about a future kinsman, who will vindicate him, who will take revenge on God for what God has done to Job.”

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary expands the definition of “go’el” to mean “the next of kin whose obligation it was to rescue from poverty, redeem from slavery, or avenge a death.”

Contrary to the claim in the traditional (King James Version) translation in Jas. 5:11, Job was anything but “patient.” He “endured,” was steadfast and – in some respects, defiant.

Towards the end of the story (Chapters 38-42), God appeared to Job out of a whirlwind, and verbally overwhelmed him by pointing out all that Job did not know. God also criticized the positions taken by Job’s friends that suffering results from some prior immoral act of the sufferer. The JSB observes that “in the LORD’s argument, the reasons for suffering – if there are any – are simply beyond human comprehension.”

In a later-added Epilogue, Job’s riches were restored and he fathered a new family.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Reading

1 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Commentary

Thessalonica, a port city in northern Greece, was capital of the Roman province of Macedonia in the First Century. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest part of the Christian Scriptures and was written by Paul before 50 CE, about 20 years before the first Gospel (Mark) was written. A principal theme of both 1 and 2 Thessalonians was the return of the Lord Jesus in the end time.

In 2 Thessalonians, however, there was an emphasis on living in the present and warnings about forgeries of Paul’s writings. For these reasons, most scholars conclude that 2 Thessalonians was written by one of Paul’s disciples late in the First Century.

The first part of today’s readings discussed what has come to be known as the “Second Coming” of Christ. The idea of a Second Coming arose because many of the understandings about the “Day of the Lord” and the expected effects of the Messiah were not fulfilled either in the lifetime of Jesus of Nazareth or in the period soon after his death. For this reason, the early Jesus Follower Community developed ideas about a “Second Coming” when these expectations would be fulfilled. Projections about a Second Coming are also found in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 13, Matt 24 and Luke 21) and the Book of Revelation – all written in the last 30 years of the First Century CE.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary understands the phrase “our being gathered together to him” (v.1) as the fulfillment of Christian life.

Today’s reading emphasized that the Second Coming had not yet occurred and urged rejection of the false claims regarding it. The Jewish Annotated New Testament advises “the author is concerned that congregants, acting as if the end is here, refuse to work or abandon moral strictures.”

The writer of the letter suggested that an unidentified “lawless one” (v.3) would be revealed as an event before the Second Coming/Day of the Lord. The JANT advises that the “lawless one” draws on Jewish apocalyptic literature and may be modelled on foreign oppressors such as Antiochus IV or Pompey, both of whom sought to desecrate the Temple. It also suggests that the “lawless one” may have been an actual person, perhaps a false teacher or Roman emperor claiming divine status.

The second part of today’s reading was a customary thanksgiving for the acceptance by the Jesus Follower Community of the good news (v.14) and an exhortation to hold fast to “Paul’s” teachings (v.15).

Luke 20:27-38

Reading

27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus 28 and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

34 Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Commentary

The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both books were written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.

The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 40% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan.

The NOAB describes the Sadducees as “the elite class of landed Jerusalem gentry who operated the Temple and wielded power from that religious base of operations.” Sadducees were hereditary priests, and were said to be descended from Zadok, the high priest of David and Solomon. Sadducees did not believe in resurrection because it was not in the Torah.

The scriptural bases for “levirate marriage” are found in Deut. 25:5 and in the story of Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar (Gen. 28). The purpose of levirate marriage was to protect widows and to preserve the dead husband’s name and estate.

The NOAB interprets vv.34-36 to mean: “Human relations in marriage do not exist in the same way beyond death. Jesus distinguishes two ages and kinds of existence. Mortals are part of this age by their physical birth and of the age to come by resurrection”.

In interpreting vv. 37-38, The NJBC notes: “Since God is the God of the living, God must have sustained the dead Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in life by resurrecting them.”