Revised Common Lectionary
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today’s readings call us to faithfulness as we await God’s gift of redemption. Both Zechariah (BCP) and Jeremiah (RCL) remind God’s people of the divine promise of healing and restoration. Paul affirms the faith of the Thessalonian Christians, urging them to remain steadfast as they look forward to Jesus’ return. Jesus himself, in today’s reading from Luke, assures us that, though the cosmos may be in upheaval, redemption awaits the faithful.

First Reading: Zechariah 14:4-9 (BCP)
The prophecies of Zechariah came in 520–518 B.C., during the early period of reconstruction after the exile. Zechariah was especially concerned for the rebuilding of the temple, the reinstitution of the Levitical priesthood and the purification of the divided and diverse community. He looked for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy to bring the messianic age.

The final battle and victory “on that day” (vv. 4, 6, 8, 9) are described in the images of apocalyptic writing. Upheavals will cause people to flee in terror. The cycle of day and night and of the seasons will be transformed and a fountain will spring up in Jerusalem. The Lord will be recognized as the only and supreme Ruler.
Zechariah 14:4-9 (BCP)
On that day
his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives,
which lies before Jerusalem on the east;
and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two
from east to west by a very wide valley;
so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward,
and the other half southward.
And you shall flee by the valley of the LORD’s mountain,
for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal;
and you shall flee
as you fled from the earthquake
in the days of King Uzziah of Judah.
Then the LORD my God will come,
and all the holy ones with him.
On that day
there shall not be either cold or frost.
And there shall be continuous day
(it is known to the LORD),
not day and not night,
for at evening time there shall be light.
On that day
living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem,
half of them to the eastern sea
and half of them to the western sea;
it shall continue in summer as in winter.
And the LORD will become king over all the earth;
on that day
the LORD will be one and his name one.

First Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16 (RCL)
In 626 B.C., God’s call came to a young priest, Jeremiah. Reluctant to take up his mission, Jeremiah often criticized his task, his performance and occasionally God. But he remained faithful to his commission and trusted in God’s plan to renew the people after judgment.

In today’s reading, the prophet communicates God’s promise of healing and restoration. The promise concerns God’s gift of a deliverer, a Messiah, from the line of David. This king’s reign will be characterized by justice and a right relationship with God, unlike the reign of King Zedekiah, Judah’s last king.
Jeremiah 33:14-16 (RCL)
The days are surely coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time
I will cause a righteous Branch
to spring up for David;
and he shall execute justice
and righteousness in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this is the name by which it will be called:
“The LORD is our righteousness.”

Psalm: Psalm 50 (BCP)
Psalm 50 focuses on the meaning of sacrifice. God’s people have abandoned the covenant and forgotten the real significance of sacrifice. Their offerings do not feed a hungry God nor assure God’s favor. They should rather be an expression of the people’s reliance upon and thankfulness to God.
Psalm 50 (BCP)
The mighty one, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.

Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.

He calls to the heavens above and to the earth,
that he may judge his people:

“Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”

The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.

Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.

I will not accept a bull from your house,
or goats from your folds.

For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine.

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is mine.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High.

Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

But to the wicked God says:
What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?

For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.

You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.

“You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.

You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother’s child.

These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you,
and lay the charge before you.

“Mark this, then, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart,
and there will be no one to deliver.

Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God.”

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10 (RCL)
Psalm 25 is a personal lament. Fear of the Lord compels the psalmist to acknowledge that God alone can make him into a person of true righteousness (v. 9) and so enjoy “the friendship of the Lord” (v. 14).
Psalm 25:1-10 (RCL)
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD,
and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth
or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the LORD
are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant
and his decrees.

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Paul’s stay in Thessalonika was relatively brief, and after he left, the new converts faced the hostility of their neighbors. Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians’ welfare led him to send Timothy back to visit (3:2). Timothy’s encouraging report about their faithfulness (3:6) occasioned Paul’s letter to them. Written from Corinth about A.D. 51, it is the earliest writing of the New Testament.

Paul expresses joy at the news of the Thessalonians’ perseverance and reiterates his continuing care for their spiritual growth. They are lacking, not in the faith that makes one a Christian, but in the teaching needed for further growth in sanctification. Paul instructs them about the moral implications of their faith (4:1-12) and the meaning of the second coming (4:13–5:11).
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
How can we thank God enough for you
in return for all the joy
that we feel before our God
because of you?
Night and day we pray most earnestly
that we may see you face to face
and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself
and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
And may the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we abound in love for you.
And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness
that you may be blameless before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Gospel: Luke 21:25-36
In response to the disciples’ questions about the end-time, Jesus offers an imaginative picture of the cosmic changes that will signal his triumphant return for the final transformation of the earth.

The reference to the coming of the Son of Man “in a cloud” (v. 27) links Jesus’ anticipated second coming to his transfiguration and ascension. The redemption announced by Anna (2:36-38) is drawing near.

In verses 34-36, Jesus warns his disciples of those habits that can effectively prevent readiness. Overindulgence and worldly cares (v. 34) can so dull the spirit that the Lord’s return will seem more of a trap than a sign of hope.

Watchfulness must be accompanied by prayer so that the disciple can endure the cataclysm of the last days and find comfort in the Lord’s presence.
Luke 21:25-36
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on the earth distress among nations
confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear
and foreboding of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see
‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’
with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place,
stand up and raise your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near.”
Then he told them a parable:
“Look at the fig tree and all the trees;
as soon as they sprout leaves
you can see for yourselves and know
that summer is already near.
So also, when you see these things taking place,
you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Truly I tell you,
this generation will not pass away
until all things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
“Be on guard
so that your hearts are not weighed down
with dissipation and drunkenness
and the worries of this life,
and that day catch you unexpectedly,
like a trap.
For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.
Be alert at all times,
praying that you may have the strength
to escape all these things that will take place,
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Reflection and Response
Today’s gospel sounds an Advent theme that recurs throughout the season: the natural world speaks to us. Through the roaring of waves and the signs of sun, moon and stars, Jesus urges his hearers and us to pay attention to the deeper meanings hidden within.

However, he gives the message a twist: after listing a sequence of calamities that would leave most of us whimpering, Jesus tells us to stand up straight and raise our heads—salvation is at hand.

If Jesus says that such catastrophic events can herald our ransom, it gives us a different perspective on the calamities of our own day. It is tempting to become paralyzed by the overwhelming scope of the problems: the poisoning of our environment, the abuse of our children, the starvation of whole peoples.

Yet Jesus sees these events with different eyes. To him, they are not causes for depression or inertia, but challenges to the Christian. Just as Jesus found a message within disaster, so our experience of floods, earthquakes and fires can alert us to the fragility of precious relationships. To God, no one is ever a nameless victim. God can turn our closets of fear into empty tombs. John Gardner echoes the theme of treasure hidden in disaster: “We are all continually faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”
Quietly consider:
What can we read in the wintry darkness, the frozen, lifeless face of nature, the chaos in human affairs?

Prayer Starter
O God of Surprises, this Advent, open my eyes to the possibilities of redemption hidden within the anguish of our world...