Monday, November 28, 2022

 

Monday, November 28, 2022


Psalm 71

Isaiah 1:18-31

Mark 4:1-20


Observance: First Monday of Advent


To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God.


While our lectionary is good for helping us structure our lives around daily reading of the Bible, it is a bit unfortunate that the change from the last church year to this left us on a bit of a cliff hanger. But as a pastor once said, God loves cliff hangers.


Advent is a season in the church calendar which we describe as a “penitential” season. (Lent is the other.) We will spend the following weeks gearing up for Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year. This time is intended to be spent reflecting on repentance, which sounds scary and medieval, but is actually more like a chance to do a bit of spring-cleaning in our soul; like a season we spend in spiritual detox. In about a month’s time, we will be celebrating that most incredible miracle of God: the incarnation, where our soul’s Friend, the Lord Jesus, condescended to leave His place of undimmed glory and spend a time with His tent pitched among us, in the flesh. This is a chance for us to look at where we are, where we have been, where we are going, and to make sure we are still on the right track.


The first lesson from Jesus in our morning prayers comes from His parable of the sower. Thankfully, Jesus actually gives us the meaning behind this parable. So let’s think about how it relates to our season of spiritual healing.


Firstly, note there is nothing wrong with the seed itself. The seed, God’s word, is perfect, and is able to grow into a thick crop. The issues come, rather, from circumstances external to the perfection of God’s word.


Secondly, while Jesus teaches us that each example of sowing relates to different people, there is the possibility that we, at different times and in different seasons, can relate to every example He gives us.


Sometimes we read a bit of the Bible that we really like, that makes our spirit leap for joy. Other bits make us frown or flinch. But this is not a problem with God’s word. It is a problem with us, and what kind of soil we are preparing for our Sower.


May we take the opportunity this Advent offers us to start on the right foot, to be open to the entire counsel of God, even the bits we would rather not hear. Because ultimately it all leads to the same place: God’s kingdom, and the reign of the Lord Jesus, the One Who Loves Us.



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