Archive for the ‘Malachi 4’ Category
Above: Icon of Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MALACHI, PART III
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Malachi 3:13-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
Malachi 3:13-4:6 (Anglican and Protestant)
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Malachi 3:19-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox) = Malachi 4:1-6 (Anglican and Protestant).
The final section of the Book of Malachi speaks of the beginning of a new era–the long-anticipated, fully-realized Kingdom of God. In this context, divine judgment and mercy remain balanced (3:18f). Apocalyptic writings in the Bible balance divine judgment and mercy–judgment on the wicked and mercy on the faithful.
In Christian Bibles, the Book of Malachi concludes on a threat of partial destruction. Divine action–grace–prevents the threat from being of complete destruction. Jewish Bibles, however, reprint the penultimate verse (3:23) after 3:24. Hence, in TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), the Book of Malachi concludes with:
Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.
In Jewish Bibles, therefore, the Book of Malachi ends on a positive note.
Christian tradition, of course, associates St. John the Baptist with Elijah.
Another point I would be remiss not to mention is that 3:22/4:4 (depending on versification) asserts the superiority of the Torah to the Hebrew prophetic tradition.
The Book of Malachi–and this project of reading the Hebrew prophetic books, roughly in chronological order, with some exceptions–concludes on a note of grace, mixed with judgment. Divine self-restraint in matters of judgment is an example of grace. YHWH, according to the Book of Malachi, is far removed from being God of hellfire-and-damnation theology. YHWH provides laws, practices patience, calls on people and peoples to repent, and exercises self-restraint in judgment. YHWH condemns nobody; people and peoples condemn themselves.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Hebrew prophetic books as long as you have done so. I wish you shalom as I consider what my next project should be.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOME DE LAS CASAS, “APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, ANGLICAN DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD WILLIAM LEINBACH, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, FIRST DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF JESSAMYN WEST, U.S. QUAKER WRITER
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Above: Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MALACHI, PART I
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Malachi 1:1
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The stated prophet in Malachi 1:1 is simply “Malachi,” without the traditional “son of ” formula following the persona name. “Malachi” means “My messenger.” This may be a name, a description, or both. In fact, we know close to nothing about the prophet.
The Book of Malachi does not provide many details that place it in time. It comes from after the Babylonian Exile. 1:8 and 1:2-5 place the book during the Persian period (539-332 B.C.E.). The Book of Malachi refers to concerns raised in the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and First Esdras–Malachi 1:6-14 and Nehemiah 10:32-39; 13:31 pertain to provision for sacrifices. The tithe is the topic in Malachi 3:8-12 and Nehemiah 13:10-14. Acceptable marriage partners are the topic in Malachi 3:5 and Nehemiah 5:1-13. But did Malachi come before Ezra and Nehemiah, who started their reforms in 445 B.C.E.? (See Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-13; 1 Esdras 8-9.)
The historical relationship s of Joel, Second Zechariah, and Malachi to each other are not clear. The Book of Malachi, in its original form, may plausibly date to the 470s, prior to Second Zechariah. Or the Book of Malachi may plausibly postdate Second Zechariah.
The Book of Malachi has fifty-five verses. Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles divide those verses into three chapters. Yet Anglican and Protestant Bibles divide these verses into four chapters.
Considering how short the Book of Malachi is, it fares well on the three major Christian lectionaries. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) assigns 3:14 for the Presentation of the Lord, Years A, B, and C, as well as for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year C. The RCL also assigns 4:1-2a on Proper 28, Year C. The Roman Catholic lectionary for Sundays and major feast days assigns 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10 for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. The same lectionary assigns 3:19-20a for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The corresponding lectionary for weekday Masses assigns 3:1-4, 23-24 on December 23, Years 1 and 2. The same lectionary assigns 3:13-20b for Thursday in Week 27 of Ordinary Time, Year 1.
Shall we begin, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOME DE LAS CASAS, “APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, ANGLICAN DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD WILLIAM LEINBACH, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, FIRST DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF JESSAMYN WEST, U.S. QUAKER WRITER
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Above: St. John the Baptist
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Second Sunday of Advent, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning;
grant that we may in such wise hear them,
read, mark, and inwardly digest them,
that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word,
we may embrace, and ever hold fast,
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 107
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Malachi 3:19-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)/Malachi 4:1-6 (Anglican and Protestant)
Psalm 96
Revelation 19:1-16
John 5:30-40
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Advent contains strong themes of divine judgment, mixed with mercy. Divine judgment and mercy balance each other in the Old and New Testaments. The God of the Hebrew Bible is no more all storm and smiting than the God of the New Testament is all smiles and puppies.
The Day of the Lord (Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6, depending on versification) relates to the creative destruction in Revelation. The destruction of the wicked order, built on and maintained by violence and exploitation, must precede the creation of the fully realized Kingdom of God on Earth. Yet, as we read in Malachi, reconciliation and repentance can stave off judgment. The impenitent receive judgment.
Psalm 96 is a text of the universal kingship of God. Thematically, it fits well with the other readings. YHWH is the sole deity, not a tribal god.
I encourage you, O reader, not to find apocalyptic Biblical language scary and/or off-putting. Such language condemns many in authority. It decrees that they fall short of God’s standards, and that God remains sovereign. Such language empowers we who follow Jesus to say boldly, in the words of Daniel 5:27,
You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting….
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Such language empowers us to speak and write prophetically. May we do so in love, boldly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 28, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN THE YOUNGER, DEFENDER OF ICONS
THE FEAST OF ALBERT GEORGE BUTZER, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF KAMEHAMEHA IV AND EMMAR ROOKE, KING AND QUEEN OF HAWAI’I
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH AND MICHAEL HOFER, U.S. HUTTERITE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS AND MARTYRS, 1918
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Above: The Transfiguration
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:18-36
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How well can we understand the judgment and mercy of God? Christianity dwells on divine mercy yet the New Testament contains plenty of judgment. Need I remind anyone of Revelation? Furthermore, anger and fantasies of violence recur throughout the Psalms. We read of the Day of the LORD in Malachi. In that passage we read, according to TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), that the faithful will
trample the wicked to a pulp.
Who do we say God is? Who do we say Jesus is? We cannot escape all spiritual veils, for we know in part and carry cultural blinders. Yet we can, by grace, recognize Jesus sufficiently to follow him to Jerusalem, so to speak.
God will tend to judgment and mercy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 22, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEOGRATIAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
THE FEAST OF EMMANUEL MOURNIER, PERSONALIST PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF JAMES DE KOVEN, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HUGHES, BRITISH SOCIAL REFORMER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/devotion-for-transfiguration-sunday-year-c-humes/
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Above: The Visitation
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Malachi 3:1-20/3:1-4:2
Psalm 89:1-8. 11-18
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 1:26-38
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If one expects God (YHWH, in Malachi) or Jesus to return and set matters right, how does one think and behave? If such a person is wise and pious, one will revere God and treat people with respect. One will continue to fulfill one’s duty before God. One will be heavenly-minded and of earthly good.
The Incarnation is not merely about the life of the Second Person of the Trinity in the flesh as Jesus of Nazareth, as well as the lives Jesus touched, directly and indirectly. No, the Incarnation pertains to many theologians have pondered for nearly two thousand years. I make no pretense of being an intellectual peer of St. Irenaeus of Lyons (circa 130-circa 202), author of The Scandal of the Incarnation. I do, however, tell you, O reader, that the Incarnation is also about my life and your life. Is Christ evident in us? Do we draw people to Jesus and make disciples, or do we drive people away from our Lord and Savior?
I can speak and write only for myself, so I do. I have a mixed record. I continue to strive to improve, by grace, however.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 9, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HARRIET TUBMAN, U.S. ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF EMANUEL CRONENWETT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCES OF ROME, FOUNDRESS OF THE COLLATINES
THE FEAST OF JOHANN PACHELBEL, GERMAN LUTHERAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/devotion-for-the-second-sunday-of-advent-year-c-humes/
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Above: Caduceus
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Numbers 21:4-9 or Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 74:1-2, 10-17
Hebrews 13:1-16, 20-21
Mark 12:35-44
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The promise of divine punishment for evil and of divine deliverance of the oppressed and righteous on the great Day of the LORD is one example of judgment and mercy being like sides of a coin. The deliverance of the oppressed is very bad news for the oppressors, who are, in a way, victims of themselves.
If we behave as we should–revere God, take care of each other, et cetera–we will not have to fear punishment from God for not doing so. We may incur punishment from human authorities, as in Tobit 1, but God did not promise a peaceful life in exchange for righteousness.
Two stories require more attention.
The cure in Numbers, cited also in John 3:14-15, in the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, our Lord and Savior’s glorification, according to the Fourth Gospel, is a textbook case of sympathetic magic. It is related to Egyptian imagery of kingship, divinity, and protection from cobra saliva. A commonplace visual echo is the caduceus, the medical symbol.
Pay attention to what precedes and follows Mark 12:41-44. Our Lord and Savior’s condemnation of those who, among other things,
eat up the property of widows,
precedes the account of the widow giving all she had to the Temple. Immediately in Chapter 13, we read a prediction of the destruction of the Temple. I conclude that Jesus found the widow’s faith laudable yet grieved her choice.
May our lives bring glory to God and lead others to faith and discipleship. May we, in our zeal, not go off the deep end and embarrass God and/or accidentally drive people away from God or get in the way of evangelism. And may we never mistake an internal monologue for a dialogue with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/devotion-for-proper-28-year-b-humes/
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Above: Paul Writing His Epistles, by Valentin de Boulogne
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth Sunday after Easter, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Give us, O Lord, a right understanding and a sincere love of thy Word;
that we may not be deceived and carried away by any falsehood,
but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 123
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Malachi 3:16-4:3
Romans 14:10-19
John 16:1-15
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Divine judgment hangs over the readings from Romans 14 and Malachi 3 and 4 (Malachi 3 in Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, which, despite having all the verses, have an extended Chapter 3 and no Chapter 4). In the context of judgment falling into the purview of God, our human responsibilities include obeying divine commandments and, in particular, supporting one another in faithful community. The latter point is especially important when the faith community is marginalized and facing conflict.
The assigned portion of John 16 operates on two levels. The first level is narrative–in this case, shortly before the crucifixion of Jesus. The text reads as spiritual counsel at the last minute. The second level is historical, given the Johannine Jewish community’s poor relations with their fellow Jews:
They will ban you from the synagogue….
–Verse 16:2a, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Mutual support in faith community is a practice people undertake with divine support. The delusion of self-sufficiency–the denial of interdependence–lies at the root of evil. When one thinks that one can–and must–rely on one’s powers, one opens the door to seeking to improve one’s lot by harming others. Yet when we accept that we depend fully on God and on each other, we realize the necessity of building each other up.
Poorly informed and uninformed judgment works against building people up. I differentiate between poorly informed judgment on one hand and proper judgment on the other. One may recall Jesus calling certain religious opponents on the Judean carpet and Hebrew prophets issuing stern condemnations. The verses against judging do not condemn telling the truth. They do, however, condemn destructive comments, written and oral. The truth, in contrast, may prompt one to repent. It works toward the goal of building up in the context of faithful community.
A major difficulty is a distinguishing poorly informed and uninformed judgment from proper judgment. Often–probably most of the time–we commit the latter when imagining that we are doing the former. In the context of conflict avoiding the latter is especially challenging, for anger leads naturally and predictably to invective. Words matter; invective leads to unfortunate results, not reconciliation. No, it feeds further conflict.
May we, by grace, build each other up, in the context of faithful community.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 14, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN AMOS COMENIUS, FATHER OF MODERN EDUCATION
THE FEAST OF THE CONSECRATION OF SAMUEL SEABURY, FIRST EPISCOPAL BISHOP
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROMANIS, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: Christ and the Two Blind Men, by Julius Schnorr
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 20:1-21 or Amos 4:1-13 or Malachi 3:5-18; 4:(1-2a) 2b-6
Psalm 56
Matthew 9:27-34 or John 5:31-47
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (3:16-4:5) 4:6-21 or 2 John 1-13
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Do not think that I am sending a new command; I am recalling the one we have had from the beginning: I ask that we love one another. What love means is to live according t the commands of God. This is the command that was given you from the beginning, to be your rule of life.
–2 John 5b-6, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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That rule of life includes commandments such as do not be haughty (2 Kings 20), swear falsely, commit adultery or sorcery, deny workers their proper wages, thrust aliens aside, oppress widows and orphans (Malachi 3), rob God (Malachi 4), oppress the poor and the needy (Amos 4), mistake good for evil (Matthew 9) or good for evil (Matthew 9) or become so legalistic as to complain about someone committing good works on the Sabbath, to the point of wanting to kill one who does that (John 5). This is, of course, a woefully incomplete list.
Sometimes people who violate these and other commandments of God flourish and the righteous suffer. One finds recognition of this reality in the Bible, which tells us that this might be true temporally, but the picture is more complex than that (see Malachi 4).
Vengeance is properly God’s alone. Temporal justice, which is, when it is what it ought to be, is not revenge. Life does not present us with morally complicated situations sometimes, but the commandment to make love the rule of life applies always. May we, by grace, succeed in living accordingly, to the glory of God and the benefit of our fellow human beings, as well as ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/devotion-for-proper-8-year-d/
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Above: Mattie Ross on Blackie, Her Fine Horse, in True Grit (2010)
A Screen Capture via PowerDVD and a legal DVD
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The Collect:
Stir up your power, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son.
By his coming give to all the world knowledge of your salvation;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 19
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The Assigned Readings:
Malachi 3:5-12 (Thursday)
Malachi 3:13-18 (Friday)
Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6 (Saturday)
Luke 1:68-79 (All Days)
Philippians 1:12-18a (Thursday)
Philippians 1:18b-26 (Friday)
Luke 9:1-6 (Saturday)
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NOTE REGARDING VERSIFICATION:
Malachi 4:1-6 in Protestant Bibles = Malachi 3:19-24 in Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
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Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. The author of all things watches over me, and I have a fine horse.
–Mattie Ross in True Grit (2010)
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A person who remembers the ending of that movie should understand that Mattie’s fine horse did not prevent her from losing part of one arm. One might also recognize the irony of the last sentence.
The author of all things watches over me
seems to indicate trust in God, but
I have a fine horse
constitutes a contradictory thought.
The instructions of Jesus to his twelve Apostles emphasize complete dependence on God, who provides via people much of the time. In Mark 6:8 each man may carry a staff, but Matthew 10:10 and Luke 9:3 forbid that item. The Apostles’ mission was an urgent one for which packing lightly and depending upon the hospitality of strangers were essential. Such light packing also emphasized solidarity with the poor, who were most likely to be the ones extending hospitality, given the fact that they lived on the edges of towns. The Apostles were to announce the Kingdom of God, not to press the issue where they were unwelcome.
The ethic of trusting God, especially during difficult times, exists in the readings from Malachi and Philippians. Locusts (in Malachi) and incarceration (in Philippians) were the background hardships. Yet trust in the generosity of God, the prophet wrote. St. Paul the Apostle noted that his period of incarceration (wherever and whenever it was; scholars debate that point) aided the spread the gospel of Jesus.
Zechariah prophesied that his son, St. John the Baptist, would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Both John and Jesus suffered and died at the hands of authorities, which we remember in their context. Officialdom was powerless to prevent the spread of the good news of Jesus in those cases and in the case of Paul. Mortal means can prove useful, but they pass away in time. The faithfulness and generosity of God, however, are everlasting. To live confidently in the latter is a wise course of action.
Of all the illusions to abandon, one of the most difficult to leave behind is the idea that one must be in control. The illusion of control might boost one’s self-esteem, but so what? Control remains an illusion. On the other hand, recognizing that God is in control is liberating. It frees one up to live as one ought to live–
in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ
–according to Philippians 1:27b (The New Revised Standard Version, 1989).
I know this struggle well. The idol of the illusion of control was precious to me. Then circumstances forced me to learn the reality of my powerlessness and to trust God, for I had no feasible alternative. Sometimes dire events prove to be necessary for spiritual awakening to occur.
God has given each of us important tasks to complete. May we lay aside all illusions and other incumbrances, pack lightly, and labor faithfully to the glory of God and for the benefit of those to whom God sends us and to those whom God sends to us. May we trust in the faithfulness and generosity of God, not in ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 11, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF NEOCAESAREA; AND SAINT ALEXANDER OF COMANA “THE CHARCOAL BURNER,” ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR AND BISHOP OF COMANA, PONTUS
THE FEAST OF AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLARE OF ASSISI, FOUNDER OF THE POOR CLARES
THE FEAST OF MATTHIAS LOY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; AND CONRAD HERMANN LOUIS SCHUETTE, GERMAN-AMERICAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/devotion-for-thursday-friday-and-saturday-before-the-second-sunday-of-advent-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Icon of Elijah
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God,
and open our ears to the words of your prophets,
that, anointed by your Spirit, we may testify to your light;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 19
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The Assigned Readings:
Malachi 3:16-4:16
Psalm 125
Mark 9:9-13
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Show your goodness, O LORD, to those who are good
and to those who are true of heart.
As for those who turn aside to crooked ways,
the LORD will lead them away with evildoers;
but peace be upon Israel.
–Psalm 125:4-5, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Malachi 3:16-4:6 (as Protestant versification labels it), or 3:16-21 (as Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox versification calls it), speaks of divine judgment and mercy–the former for evildoers and the latter for the righteous. The evildoers, back in Malachi 3:14-15, had said:
It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His charge and walking in abject awe of the LORD of Hosts? And so, we account the arrogant happy: they have indeed dared God and escaped.
–TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Certain forces of wickedness attempted to kill the prophet Elijah. Some of their successors succeeded in executing St. John the Baptist then Jesus. Yet, as Malachi wrote:
All the arrogant ones and those doing evil will become straw.
–4:1b/3:19b, Common English Bible (2008).
Jesus died, but the Resurrection followed. Elijah went to Heaven directly. St. John the Baptist remained dead, but his legacy has survived to today. Executing a person is easier than killing an idea. Arrogant people and evildoers have been slow to learn this lesson.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 27, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR CAMPBELL AINGER, ENGLISH EDUCATOR, SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT AEDESIUS, PRIEST AND MISSIONARY; AND SAINT FRUDENTIUS, FIRST BISHOP OF AXUM AND ABUNA OF THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX TEWAHEDO CHURCH
THE FEAST OF THE VICTIMS OF THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS
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Adapted from this post:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/devotion-for-wednesday-after-the-third-sunday-of-advent-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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