St. Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary
Today’s Scripture Lessons
An In-Depth Discussion Led by the Rev. Mike Kreutzer
Sunday, January 9, 2011
FIRST READING: Isaiah (42:1-9)
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.” Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.”
> Second half of Isaiah — written mid 500’s BC
> Servant of the Lord — an indefinite person
> Justice: an important concept – sharing of God’s gifts
> Emergence of creation theme
> Yahweh is the ONLY God (no other Gods as in earlier verses)
> New beginnings
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, “Glory!”10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
> The author has the voice of God in a thunderstorm
> The storm starts in the sea
> Next, the storm comes over Lebanon and shakes the cedar trees
> Then the storm shakes Mount Hermon and then the wilderness and forest
> The Lord sits calmly above the storm and gives his blessings of peace
SECOND READING: Acts (10:34-43)
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
> Early members of the church are Jewish
> Peter gives a speech to Cornelius, a friend is among the first non-Jews to convert
> Luke emphasized the physical being of Jesus (Ate with his disciples)
> Universality of salvation
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (3:13-17)
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
> Earlier John had noted that a greater one was coming than himself
> To dispel who is greatest, John says Jesus should baptize him
> But Jesus notes it is God’s plan
> God speaks to everyone – not just Jesus
