ADVENT 3
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
This psalm sharply contrasts the inadequacy of all human rulers with the total adequacy of the Lord (Yahweh). It is Yahweh, not any human figure, who is to be praised for all creation, for mercy and release from suffering for the weak, the oppressed, and the handicapped.
Common, Lutheran: Isaiah 35:1-10
Roman Catholic: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
In this, the most outstanding of the four texts chosen for this occasion, the poet's inspired imagination is given free rein. There are no restraints. Physical handicaps and all of the usual limitations are to be removed. Your God will come to save you! Matthew 11:2-11 is an echo of this and of similar Israelite apocalyptic texts. The Matthean tradition affirms that when Jesus comes to act in God's behalf the usual physical handicaps and limitations are cast away, life is restored, and the gospel is proclaimed to the oppressed.
To highlight the beauty of this Isaiah 35 text, it would be appropriate to have some members of the congregation accompany the reading of this text with an interpretative dance coordinated to an expressive reading of the text. Some rehearsals would be needed, but with a free spirit in the reading and some imagination on the part of the interpretative dancers, this could be done well within the time available. We too can be inspired, just as were the psalmists and the poets of the Isaiah tradition. Each of the worship services on the four Sundays in Advent should be a unique and memorable experience.
James 5:7-10
A glance at the Aktionsart (kind of action) of the Greek verbs in this text indicates that the writer was addressing a situation with much more urgency than is apparent in our typical translations into English. The kind of action is more pronounced in the imperative forms in Greek than in the indicative. We see, therefore, that the speaker/writer was urging the community to "begin to be patient" (aorist active imperative makrothumesate) where the present active imperative, if used, would have encouraged them to "continue to be patient." The people of the community are urged to "begin to show some fortitude" (aorist active imperative steritzate) where the present active imperative, which could have been used, would have encouraged them to "continue to hang in there." When the negative command was used at the beginning of 5:9, the writer switched to the present active imperative m'stenazete to admonish them to stop grumbling against each other; if the aorist active subjunctive form had been used, it would have advised them not to start grumbling. If we prepare our own translation with an awareness of the Aktionsart factor of present forms for continuous or repeated action and aorist forms for simple action, the life-situation addressed in this text will be related more closely to our life-situation today.
Matthew 11:2-11
Regardless of whether this text and its Lukan parallel represent incidents that occurred during the activities of the Jesus of history, the more significant consideration for us is "What is the principal theological message of this text?" "What is the gospel in this text that we can proclaim next Sunday where we are?"
The gospel is most pronounced in the final verse of this text (and in the Luke 7:28 parallel), "Truly I say to you that there has not been raised up among those born from women anyone greater than John the Baptizer. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is." The principal theological value of this text as an Advent text for us lies in the anticipation in Matthew 11:11 of an impending glorious, joyous future. This is the point of contact cited above to the beautiful Isaiah 35:1-10 text. These two texts look forward with a "Joy to the World" motif to the time when all handicaps, limitations, and impediments will be removed from us. Within this limited world of time and space each of us is handicapped in many ways, but the gospel here is that God will remove our limitations in a new and better life here and in the life to come, in spite of everything.
Common, Lutheran: Isaiah 35:1-10
Roman Catholic: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
In this, the most outstanding of the four texts chosen for this occasion, the poet's inspired imagination is given free rein. There are no restraints. Physical handicaps and all of the usual limitations are to be removed. Your God will come to save you! Matthew 11:2-11 is an echo of this and of similar Israelite apocalyptic texts. The Matthean tradition affirms that when Jesus comes to act in God's behalf the usual physical handicaps and limitations are cast away, life is restored, and the gospel is proclaimed to the oppressed.
To highlight the beauty of this Isaiah 35 text, it would be appropriate to have some members of the congregation accompany the reading of this text with an interpretative dance coordinated to an expressive reading of the text. Some rehearsals would be needed, but with a free spirit in the reading and some imagination on the part of the interpretative dancers, this could be done well within the time available. We too can be inspired, just as were the psalmists and the poets of the Isaiah tradition. Each of the worship services on the four Sundays in Advent should be a unique and memorable experience.
James 5:7-10
A glance at the Aktionsart (kind of action) of the Greek verbs in this text indicates that the writer was addressing a situation with much more urgency than is apparent in our typical translations into English. The kind of action is more pronounced in the imperative forms in Greek than in the indicative. We see, therefore, that the speaker/writer was urging the community to "begin to be patient" (aorist active imperative makrothumesate) where the present active imperative, if used, would have encouraged them to "continue to be patient." The people of the community are urged to "begin to show some fortitude" (aorist active imperative steritzate) where the present active imperative, which could have been used, would have encouraged them to "continue to hang in there." When the negative command was used at the beginning of 5:9, the writer switched to the present active imperative m'stenazete to admonish them to stop grumbling against each other; if the aorist active subjunctive form had been used, it would have advised them not to start grumbling. If we prepare our own translation with an awareness of the Aktionsart factor of present forms for continuous or repeated action and aorist forms for simple action, the life-situation addressed in this text will be related more closely to our life-situation today.
Matthew 11:2-11
Regardless of whether this text and its Lukan parallel represent incidents that occurred during the activities of the Jesus of history, the more significant consideration for us is "What is the principal theological message of this text?" "What is the gospel in this text that we can proclaim next Sunday where we are?"
The gospel is most pronounced in the final verse of this text (and in the Luke 7:28 parallel), "Truly I say to you that there has not been raised up among those born from women anyone greater than John the Baptizer. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is." The principal theological value of this text as an Advent text for us lies in the anticipation in Matthew 11:11 of an impending glorious, joyous future. This is the point of contact cited above to the beautiful Isaiah 35:1-10 text. These two texts look forward with a "Joy to the World" motif to the time when all handicaps, limitations, and impediments will be removed from us. Within this limited world of time and space each of us is handicapped in many ways, but the gospel here is that God will remove our limitations in a new and better life here and in the life to come, in spite of everything.
