The Fifth Week of November

Isaiah 2:1-5 

1 This is what Isaiah, Amoz’s son, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 

In the days to come   

the mountain of the Lord’s house   

will be the highest of the mountains.   

It will be lifted above the hills;       

peoples will stream to it.

3 

Many nations will go and say,

“Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,   

to the house of Jacob’s God       

so that he may teach us his ways       

and we may walk in God’s paths.

”Instruction will come from Zion;   

the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.

4 

God will judge between the nations,   

and settle disputes of mighty nations.

Then they will beat their swords into iron plows   

and their spears into pruning tools.

Nation will not take up sword against nation;   

they will no longer learn how to make war.

5 

Come, house of Jacob,   

let’s walk by the Lord’s light.

Psalm 122 

1 

I rejoiced with those who said to me,   

“Let’s go to the Lord’s house!”

2 

Now our feet are standing   

in your gates, Jerusalem!

3 

Jerusalem is built like a city   

joined together in unity.

4 

That is where the tribes go up—   

the Lord’s tribes!It is the law for Israel   

to give thanks there to the Lord’s name,

5 

because the thrones of justice are there—   

the thrones of the house of David!

6 

Pray that Jerusalem has peace:   

“Let those who love you have rest.

7 

Let there be peace on your walls;   

let there be rest on your fortifications.”

8 

For the sake of my family and friends,   

I say, “Peace be with you, Jerusalem.”

9 

For the sake of the Lord our God’s house   

I will pray for your good.

Romans 13:11-14 

11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. 14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires.

Matthew 24:36-44 

36 “But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows. 37 As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One. 38 In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 39 They didn’t know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. The coming of the Human One will be like that. 40 At that time there will be two men in the field. One will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. 42 Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know what day the Lord is coming. 43 But you understand that if the head of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would keep alert and wouldn’t allow the thief to break into his house. 44 Therefore, you also should be prepared, because the Human One will come at a time you don’t know.

We read…

Walking in the light of the Lord, what a delight that He invites us into that with Him. Isaiah, the Psalmist, Paul to the Romans, and Matthew are speaking of two sides of the spectrum…or are they? Peace, judgement, the Day of the Lord–do they all have to be so distant from one another?

We think…

• What stands out to you in these verses?
  

• Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
  

• How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or in the church?
  

• What are you considering?
  

• What questions come to mind?

There’s a temptation in the Church, the world, and in our hearts to hold the Old and New Testaments as polarities to one another. Despite the constant connections made, prophecies, fulfilled, and footnote references, we can take the God of the Old Testament and convince ourselves that even though He is the same God seen in the person of Jesus Christ, there’s no way we can truly connect the two. But let’s take a moment to consider the Trinity, as chairs if you will. These are not separate, non-communicating entities facing forward, doing their own thing completely apart from the others, they are still in their chairs functioning in brilliant unison & yet unique ways, in a circle, working in solidarity. 

So, what does this have to do with these passages? If we understand the Triune God as divided, that will surely impact our reading of Scripture. So as we consider the themes of these passages being judgement, the holy righteousness & authority of God–it also can be considered as something that flows into unison with peace!

I am fascinated by how Paul so eloquently writes the necessity of repentance and salvation because they are freeing us from separation from our Lord. And do these things not also lead into peace? It doesn’t mean you won’t be completely absent of frustration or anxieties ever again, of course. But there is an assurance about our judgement when the Lord returns…an almost joy that we’re face to face with when we think about being in the presence of our Father, not just to account for our sins but because we will finally be with the One who bore them in the first place. What an odd & holy place of tension to exist in!

We feel…

• What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
  

• Where have you seen God today or this week?
  

• What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, maybe a friend or adult that cares for you)?
  

• What has God made new in your life? In your heart? 
  

• How are you making space for whatever you might be feeling in the midst of this strange combination of emotions?
  

• It’s a bit of a mental game to combine the words judgement and peace isn’t it?! What comes to mind for you as you reflect on the passage from Matthew? 

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 

We believe…

Does this prompt a theological shift for you in any sense regarding the return of our Lord? Not one away from what your tradition believes and teaches, but a welcoming of other emotions surrounding something that may have previously caused fear. That’s a tricky thing to work through for those of us who are pastors, parents, or anyone who happens to regularly have conversations about what that day might look like. Where the world wants to strike fear in death we hold victory knowing that there is salvation, a free gift to receive through Christ Jesus our Lord! There is no fear to be had as we rest in His presence and worship at His feet.

We practice…

Let us walk in the light of the Lord dear brothers & sisters! May the house of the Lord be a place of peace for you, your family and friends. Challenge yourself to wake up from this slumber! Who around you can hold you accountable for the things we hold a little too closely that are not guiding us toward holiness? In fact, let’s get ready together! That’s what the body is for, isn’t it? All of these members have different functions to spur one another on toward sanctification. 

You are His, and He is yours! Have fun living in the tension this week!