Links for today’s readings:
Dec 26 Read: 2 Chronicles 31 Listen: (4:20) Read: Psalms 142-143 Listen: (2:35)
Dec 27 Read: 2 Chronicles 32 Listen: (5:58) Read: Psalms 144 Listen: (1:56)
Dec 28 Read: 2 Chronicles 33 Listen: (4:01) Read: Psalms 145 Listen: (2:19)
Scripture Focus: Psalm 143:8-10
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
Mark 1:1-8
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection: From the Manger to the Muddy Jordan
By Jon Polk
What’s next now that Jesus’ birth has been celebrated, the presents have been unwrapped, and the leftover turkey and cranberry sauce is almost all gone? How do we leave Christmas behind and move forward into a new year?
Well, what’s next in the gospels? After the birth of Jesus, the next major character introduced is John the Baptist. In Mark’s Gospel, there is no account of the Nativity at all; we jump right into John’s story from the start.
John is an interesting character. He is identified as the messenger prophesied by Isaiah who would come to prepare the way for the Messiah, but it makes you wonder about Jesus’ PR strategy if this is the guy who is supposed to be his opening act. Living like a wild man out in the Judean wilderness, wearing some uncomfortable threads…and what about that questionable diet of insects and honey? This guy isn’t getting invited to any black-tie charity dinners at the Jerusalem Ritz-Carlton.
Yet, John’s message hit home. People flocked out to the countryside in droves to hear him preach.
John’s message was two-fold. First, he calls people to repentance for forgiveness of sins. By repentance, he doesn’t mean a polite admission of feeling sorry for our sins; he means turning our lives around, leaving our sins behind, and charting a new path. Repentance is about changing how we live in this world, treating one another with the same love and grace God extends to us.
In the second part of his message, John truly understands his place as a voice crying in the wilderness, a lowly servant. He preaches about One coming who is powerful and who will breathe life into them through the Holy Spirit. John’s role is to announce his arrival and prepare the hearts of the people to receive him. Dunking them in the muddy Jordan River is only a precursor to the real change to come when Jesus hits the scene.
Jesus is this powerful One, but he also is a servant. He isn’t an invincible warrior who vanquishes his enemies with his sword. This powerful One will die a powerless death on a cross, reconciling us with God so that we truly can repent and be forgiven. John the Baptist is the messenger who prepares the way of the Lord and he is a model for our calling as Christians today. Our purpose, like John’s, is to share the Good News, preparing the hearts of others to receive Jesus as King.
That sounds like a good plan to take into the new year.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. — Psalm 146.1
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
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