December 27, 2020, Matthew 3:1-12, ISSL Reflections, Post 3

May you be blessed on this Christmas Day!

The traditional Scripture reading for Christmas is the account found in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 2:1-20 –
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NRSV

Whether you are reading the above passage or our Scripture lesson for this week, Matthew 3:1-12, you probably want to pay attention to what both Scriptures present as “breaking” into our world.

You can find the Matthew passage from The Message translation and the New Revised Version at this link –
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%203%3A1-12&version=MSG,NRSV

VII.
“[John’s] message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: ‘Change your life. God’s kingdom is here’…. [John said,] ‘I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.’” (Matthew 3:2,11, The Message)

VIII.
Perhaps John’s message was “the Kingdom” as was Jesus’?

On Christmas eve on the car radio, I heard the song, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

What does Christmas look like where you are this year? Certainly the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted how everything looks (and feels) this year. Beyond that, how does Christmas look this year?

Is Christmas “looking a lot like” the Kingdom John and Jesus spoke of?

What do you have in your power to help that come about?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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