First Sunday in Advent
READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
- First reading
- Isaiah 2:1-5
- Psalm
- Psalm 122
- Second reading
- Romans 13:11-14
- Gospel
- Matthew 24:36-44
The first reading from Isaiah:
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
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. 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.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!
The gospel from Matthew:
“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Hart, Frederick, 1943-1999
Washington National Cathedral
Relief sculpture
Stone
Washington, DC
https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu
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, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
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. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Sermon:
The first reading applies well this Sunday: “He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” It raises the question when will God bring the Ukraine fight to a close, or when will war be vanquished. This month the gospel readings are harsh. Pastor Stevenson suggests what we are to make of them. They are uncomfortable to read in that they tell about the future return of Christ. How long is the question? A well known German wrote that there are two worlds, one that is now and one that is to come. God will determine when and He will make the change for the better………..