Living in the Spirit
November 19, 2022
Scripture Reading: Luke 23:33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ –Luke 23:33-37
Christmas is everywhere—decorations, stores overflowing with all kinds of gifts, and Black Friday enticements. So, I experienced some shock when I read the lectionary scripture for today. Jesus dying on the cross seemed out of place. The last Sunday in the liturgical year is designated as the Reign of Christ by some; others call it Christ the King Sunday. It marks the full realization of Jesus’s incarnation and our redemption. Christ did, indeed, save others and us by giving his life in the ultimate act of love. However, the cross marked a beginning, not an ending. Celebrating that is the most appropriate way to complete the cycle of praise leading into Advent. Advent reminds us how we got to the incarnation and offers a new opportunity for us to be renewed in Christ as we work to spread his love throughout the world in anticipation of the full fruition of the Kingdom of God—The Beloved Community.
Let all mortal flesh keep silence
and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ, our God, to earth descending,
comes our homage to command.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords in human likeness,
in the body and the blood
he will give to all the faithful
his own self for heav’nly food*.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your Son coming to show us the way to encountering you fully in the Beloved Community. Amen.
*The first and second verses of the hymn Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Paraphrased by Gerard Moultrie by from Habakkuk 2:20. See at https://hymnary.org/text/let_all_mortal_flesh_keep_silence
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.