December 22, 2002 Fourth Sunday of
Advent
The information and
commentary presented each week on this page are actually notes
for the Saturday Scripture Class held at St. Raymond Parish,
Dublin, Ca. These notes are not intended to be used in isolation
but as background information for the readings and starting
points for group discussion. This page is updated with the
following Sunday's readings each Sunday night (California Time).
The Saturday Morning Scripture Class meets to discuss the weekend
Mass readings each Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 in the Conference
Room or in Multipurpose Room Number 2. No registration or prior
arrangement is needed; everyone is welcome
anytime.
This week we celebrate
the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. In the first reading,
David wishes to build a house (temple) for God. God, however, had
other plans and promised to build a house (dynasty) for David.
The prophecy of Nathan in that reading forms the basis for the
Jewish expectation of a Davidic Messiah that we believe is
fulfilled in Christ. In the second reading, Paul ends his letter
to the Romans with a wonderful doxology which praises God for the
mystery that He had kept hidden and revealed in Jesus. The gospel
tells us again the story of Gabriel's appearance to Mary and
Mary's yes to God's call. All of these should cause us to ask
ourselves how seriously we take our service to God. If I were
beginning to live in royal splendor like David would I be struck
with a desire to build a temple for God? How "real" to me is the
mystery of God's love expressed in Jesus? Would my yes to God
have come as quickly as did the response from
Mary?
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,
8b-12,14a,16
1 When King David was settled in his
palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every
side, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a
house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" 3 Nathan
answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the
LORD is with you." 4 But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and
said: 5 "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should
you build me a house to dwell in? [6 I have not dwelt in a house
from the day on which I led the Israelites out of Egypt to the
present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth. 7 In
all my wanderings everywhere among the Israelites, did I ever
utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my
people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of
cedar?'
8 "Now then, speak thus to my servant
David, 'The LORD of hosts has this to say:] It was I who took you
from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander
of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make
you famous like the great ones of the earth. 10 I will fix a
place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may
dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall
the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, 11 since
the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will
give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you. 12 And when your time
comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir
after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom
firm. [13 It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I
will make his royal throne firm forever.] 14 I will be a father
to him, and he shall be a son to me. [And if he does wrong, I
will correct him with the rod of men and with human
chastisements; 15 but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I
withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my
presence.] 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever
before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"
NOTES on First Reading:
* Verses in brackets [] are omitted from
the reading.
* 7:1 This chapter is constructed on the
wide range of meanings for the Hebrew word, "bayith," or "house."
It is taken as palace in v 1, temple in v 5, dynasty in v 12,
family or lineage in v 18. An even more prominent thread is the
antithesis: David is not to build a house (temple) for God (verse
5); God is to build a House (dynasty) for David (verse 11). The
real substance of the prophecy is the perpetuity of the Davidic
dynasty in Israel. This is the first reference to the Davidic
Messiah. See also Isa 7:14 ff; Mi 4:;14; Hg 2:22; Acts
2:30.
* 7:6-7 In fact, there were two views of
worship in Israel at the time. Although a new view was developing
in Israel represented by a desire to establish a temple based
worship, the older tradition represented by the ark was generally
against the innovation of a temple which followed Canaanite
practice. The impasse was resolved by placing the ark in the
Temple and modeling the temple, to a degree, after the tent of
meeting that was used in the wilderness. Nathan himself was a
supporter of the older "ark" tradition.
* 7:8-16 This prophecy to David also
appears, in poetic form, in Psalm 89:20-38, and is indirectly
referenced in Psalm 132. The people of Israel are included in the
promises to David (2 Sam 7:10-11). They are anticipated in 2 Sam
7:6-7, and alluded to in David's thanksgiving, 2 Sam 7:23-24. The
text applies to the people an expression that is used of David in
Psalm 89:23. This prophecy to David is the basis for the Jewish
expectation of a Messiah who was to be a son of David. Christians
have always seen Jesus Christ as the true and complete
fulfillment of this prophecy in a transcendent way. See Acts
2:30; Hebrews 1:5.
* 7:14 This verse begins with a formula
of adoption. See also Ps 2:7; 110:3d; and 89:30-33. 1 Chr 17:13
applies this text to the Messiah and suppresses the second part
of the verse.
Second Reading: Romans 16:
25-27
25 Now to him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long
ages 26 but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all
nations to bring about the obedience of faith, 27 to the only
wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 16:25-27 These verses form an
appropriate conclusion to the letter but there is considerable
disagreement as to where they really belong. Although most
manuscripts place them here some place them at the end of chapter
14 and some at the end of chapter 15. Others omit them
altogether. In many ways this provides a short, solemn reminder
of the main points of the letter. See 3:20; Jude
24-25.
* 16:25 Strengthen refers to being
firmly grounded in true doctrine and being strong in the
Christian practice.
* 16:26 Paul borrows the idea of a
mystery of wisdom long hidden in God and recently revealed from
Jewish apocalyptic (Dan 2:18-19) but he applies it to the climax
of salvation history, the cross of Christ.
Gospel Reading: Luke
1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of
David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he
said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was
greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you
will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him
Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most
High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his
father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and
of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 But Mary said to the
angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
35 And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of
God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived
a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was
called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God." 38
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done
to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from
her.
NOTES on Gospel:
* 1:26 The sixth month of Elizabeth's
pregnancy.
* 1:27 The word usually translated as
"engaged or espoused" is a relatively rare Greek word,
"mnesteveim", that indicated a situation of a legal marriage
contract where the principals don't yet live together. In
Galilee it was the last stage of an engagement prior to moving in
together.
"Virgin" as used here is derived from the Septuagint (ancient
Greek text) of Isa 7:14. The Hebrew text uses a word that could
mean either a virgin or simply a young woman.
The Church has always followed the interpretation of Matthew and
of Luke who use the Septuagint version and therefore call Mary a
Virgin.
* 1:28 The pattern of the dialog follows
that of the announcements of Ishmael, Isaac and Samson. The word
translated as "favored one" or "full of grace" means " especially
favored" or "highly graced".
* 1:31 This verse tells us the reason
for her being "highly favored."
* 1:32 One of Luke's great purposes in
the first two chapters of the gospel is to show that Jesus is
both "Son of David" and "Son of God." He sets up a series of
parallels:
- 2 Sam 7:9, Luke 1:32a
- 2 Sam 7:13, Luke 1:32b
- 2 Sam 7:14, Luke 1:33a
- 2 Sam 7:16, Luke 1:33b
* 1:34 Literally, "I know not a man." This is a Jewish idiom for
not having had sexual intercourse. See Isa 7:14.
* 1:35 The image of the Holy Spirit is from Gen 1:2 and is
also used in Rom 1:3-4. That God would send His Son is a startling New
Testament idea.
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