This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 1; Psalm 2; Psalm 3; Isaiah 1:10–20; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10; Luke 20:1–8
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)
Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new year in the Christian calendar. So, Happy New Year! With the new year comes a new cycle of daily readings. In the Book of Common Prayer, the daily readings are laid out in a two-year cycle, allowing us to read through the Old Testament every two years, and through the New Testament every year. This year happens to be “Year One” in the cycle, and the listings begin on page 936 of the BCP.
In happy conformity with a practice that goes back to the days of Queen Elizabeth I, the Old Testament readings for Year One cover large portions of the Book of Isaiah from Advent through Epiphany—actually, the BCP extends the Isaiah readings all the way up to Lent.
Isaiah is an amazing docent for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. A 17th century commentator called him “the fifth evangelist” because his prophecies so clearly anticipate Christ’s coming:
“A voice cries in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’” (Isaiah 40:3)
“A virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and you shall name him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders…” (Isaiah 9:6)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to preach good news to the poor…” (Isaiah 61:1)
“He was wounded for our transgressions…” (Isaiah 53:5)
“Arise, shine, for your light has come…” (Isaiah 60:1)
“I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6)
For all the good news, however, that Isaiah pronounces, there is the bad news of the sin that must first be dealt with. As we take up his prophecies, we find him calling Israel “Sodom” and “Gomorrah.” He accuses them of the idolatry that nullifies their worship, and of the injustice that belies their mission to be God’s colony of goodness and justice on the earth. One of the reasons that Isaiah makes for powerful reading during Advent is that we find ourselves needing to do just what Israel needed to do: take stock, and prepare. In the older translations, the invitation of verse 18 to “Come now, let us reason together” is actually a legal summons. Even the NRSV’s attempt to bring out that nuance, “let us argue it out,” creates the wrong impression if it makes us think that God and we are on the same level. It’s not like he’s calling us to an arm wrestling match in which we have half a chance of winning. The truth is, he has damning evidence of our high crimes against his character, and is calling us to account.
But instead of consigning us to the eternal separation from him that we deserve, the Lord signals, even in the summons, that he plans to forgive—if we will simply prepare, if we will simply repent: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Isaiah winds up being an extended invitation to do as the Thessalonians did: turn from idols to serve the “living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
One last word for today. We’ve observed in the past that the Daily Office organizes the Book of Psalms in such a way as to give us a chance to read all the way through them every seven weeks. We begin a new seven-week cycle today. A good way to round out today’s readings is to meditate on the powerful messages of each of these first three psalms:
Over the course of this next year, may we find true delight in God’s Word, planting ourselves beside its “streams of water,” that our souls may be nourished and that our lives may flourish (Psalm 1).
May the riches of Scripture bring us time and again to the wonder of the fact that, despite all that opposes him, God has established his Son as the world’s—and our—true King (Psalm 2).
And no matter what personal attacks or setbacks might arise this next year, may we know that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is a shield about us, our glory, and the one who lifts up our heads (Psalm 3).
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+