Advent 15th December

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit offainting so they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3"

Readings

 

Psalm 121

Isaiah 61:1-3
Luke 4: 14-21

Reflection

When you read or listen to the passage of scripture read from Isaiah 61 what do you
think of or consider? Do you remember the account of Jesus reading from the scroll in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-26). Together we see a unity of God’s spoken word through prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ.

At a time of great suffering and affliction while in exile in Babylon, Isaiah proclaims to God’s people over 600 years before the birth of Christ that their Messiah would come to set them free and restore salvation to the Lord’s Chosen Ones. The Israelites, of course know all about slavery  having walked to freedom from the bondage of forced labour in an earlier age. They would know it again in their return from exile (history has  a tendency to repeat itself) and Jesus now takes us from our own slavery to our human weakness and failings and leads into the freedom of  new life and birth. Jesus reading the Old Testament passage proclaims: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Wow! Hallelujah!!

God’s long-promised Redeemer has finally come.

Prayers 

I worship you eternal and everlasting God; Alpha and Omega – the first and the last. 

For you are the source of all life. 

You set the world in motion  and you are beyond my understanding, more than I can ever imagine. 

Thank you for your love, the delicate wrapping in which you enfold me from beginning to end. 

I am not worthy yet I open my heart to receive your love.  

Amen