The Upper Room Daily Reflections: daily words of wisdom and faith of The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Sunday, 3 December 2017 "Keeping Our Eyes Open"
Today’s Reflection:
WHEN SHOPPING, CLEANING, planning, or worrying preoccupies us, we forget to leave space for God. When we find ourselves frazzled by chaos, filled with anger or anxiety, we can stop, turn, and look at God. This is the spiritual practice I need these days — keeping my eyes on God.When, in the midst of my daily tasks and responsibilities, I search for the ways God is present, I am keeping my eyes on God. When I look for God in each person I meet, in each situation I enounter, I am more open to God’s Spirit working in me, shaping me into a vessel of God’s peace. Keeping my eyes on God helps me stay open to God’s transforming power and allows God to remake me into Christ’s likeness. I can then become Christ’s heart, mind, and hands in the world. (The Uncluttered Heart)
From pages 37-38 of The Uncluttered Heart: Making Room for God During Advent and Christmas by Beth A. Richardson. Copyright © 2009 by Upper Room Books. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question: Look for God as you go about your day.
Today’s Scripture: Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1, NRSV)
This Week: pray for peace.
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The Upper Room Daily Reflections: daily words of wisdom and faith of The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Saturday, 2 December 2017 "Prepare"
Today’s Reflection:
IN THE SEASON of Advent, we are called to share the hope that we have in Christ with a hope-famished world. …Prepare your heart to be open to this season before you, a season full of sights and sounds and needs. Commit to setting aside a brief time every day to read [a] scripture and meditation for the day. Pause and breathe. God is near. (Light of Lights)
From page 9 of Light of Lights: Advent Devotions from The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide, compiled and edited by Robin Pippin. Copyright © 2014 by Upper Room Books. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question: What spiritual practice will you observe during Advent?
Today’s Scripture: Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:30-31, NRSV)
This Week: pray for hope.
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The Upper Room Daily Reflections: daily words of wisdom and faith of The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Friday, 1 December 2017 "God, I Need Your Help"
Today’s Reflection:
HAVING LIVED WITH HIV for nearly two decades, I have had my share of struggles: a bout with pneumonia, loss of weight and muscle mass, extreme fatigue, depression, and losing nearly 3,000 of my friends to HIV/AIDS.On my good days, I greet the morning with a smile, give thanks to God for another beautiful day, and go on living life to its fullest.
But the bad days make it hard to accept living with AIDS. On those days I start with a simple prayer: “God, you know how hard it is for me today. I need your help.” As soon as I feel God’s arms around me, I remember Psalm 23. Then I am able to climb out of bed singing my favorite hymn, “Then sings my soul, … how great thou art!” …
God, let me feel your loving arms holding me today. And make that so for all those who suffer. Amen. (Dave Daniels, Prayers for Encouragement)
From “The Good and the Bad” by Dave Daniels, in Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases. Copyright © 2007 by Upper Room Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question: Pray today’s prayer God, let me feel your loving arms holding me today. And make that so for all those who suffer. Amen.
Today’s Scripture: God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9, NRSV)
This Week: pray for hope.
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Did You Know?
Did you know that tomorrow is #GivingTuesday, a day set aside for giving back to the ministries and organizations that mean the most to you? Consider a Giving Tuesday donation to The Upper Room.
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This week we remember: Dorothy Day (November 29).
Dorothy DayNovember 29
Dorothy Day was born in 1897 and died in 1980. She was an American Catholic social activist. Dorothy Day lived a life of radical commitment to the gospel. As a convert to Catholicism, she loved the church deeply but challenged the church to take its own message seriously. Her spirit of nonviolence and care for the poorest of the poor led her from involvement in socialism to the development of her own particular form of radical Catholicism. Her vision induced her to found the Catholic Worker movement, which survives to this day in over 120 communities across the United States.
Born in a journalist home, Day followed her father and became a journalist herself, working for several radical papers, especially The Liberator. After several affairs, an abortion, and a brief marriage, Dorothy found herself pregnant again and decided to keep the child, a daughter, Tamar, born in 1927. Motherhood caused Dorothy to think seriously about religion. Tamar was baptized over the objections of the child's atheist father. When Dorothy was baptized as a Roman Catholic later that year, the father left her. In 1933 she joined with Peter Maurin, a Christian Brother, and together they became a team for social change. Beginning with the newspaper The Catholic Worker, they moved on to found Houses of Hospitality where those who needed a place to stay were welcome. Although they began in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City, these houses were established in many cities, nearly always in the poorest areas.
Faith was a constant struggle for her, and while she titled her autobiography The Long Loneliness, she was haunted by God from childhood until her death.
If Dorothy Day had taken the Spiritual Types Test she probably would have been a Prophet. Dorothy Day is remembered on November 29.
[Excerpted with permission from the entry on Dorothy Day by Howard L. Rice The Upper Room Dictionary of Christian Spiritual Formation, edited by Keith Beasley-Topliffe. Copyright © 2003 by Upper Room Books®. All rights reserved.]
Image is detail of Photo Taken by Vivian Cherry (born 1920). From Women Of Our Time: Twentieth-Century Photographs from the National Portrait Gallery, George Bush Presidential Library. Administered by the United States National Archives and Records Administration.
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Lectionary Readings for Sunday, 3 December 2017
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37Scripture Texts: Isaiah 64:1 (2) It would be like fire kindling the brush,
and the fire then makes the water boil.
Then your enemies would know your name,
the nations would tremble before you!
2 (3) When you did tremendous things
that we were not expecting,
we wished that you would come down,
so that the mountains would shake at your presence!
3 (4) No one has ever heard,
no ear perceived, no eye seen,
any God but you.
You work for him who waits for you.
4 (5) You favored those who were glad to do justice,
those who remembered you in your ways.
When you were angry, we kept sinning;
but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.
5 (6) All of us are like someone unclean,
all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags;
we wither, all of us, like leaves;
and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.
6 (7) No one calls on your name
or bestirs himself to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.
7 (8) But now, Adonai, you are our father;
we are the clay, you are our potter;
and we are all the work of your hands.
8 (9) Do not be so very angry, Adonai!
Don’t remember crime forever.
Look, please, we are all your people.
9 (10) Your holy cities have become a desert,
Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.
Psalm 80:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved., 17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
4 I thank my God always for you because of God’s love and kindness given to you through the Messiah Yeshua, 5 in that you have been enriched by him in so many ways, particularly in power of speech and depth of knowledge. 6 Indeed, the testimony about the Messiah has become firmly established in you; 7 so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift and are eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 8 He will enable you to hold out until the end and thus be blameless on the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah — 9 God is trustworthy: it was he who called you into fellowship with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord.
Mark 13:24 In those days, after that trouble,
the sun will grow dark,
the moon will stop shining,
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in heaven will be shaken.[Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10; 3:4 (2:31); 4:15(3:15); Haggai 2:6, 21]
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with tremendous power and glory.[Mark 13:26 Daniel 7:13–14] 27 He will send out his angels and gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “Now let the fig tree teach you its lesson: when its branches begin to sprout and leaves appear, you know that summer is approaching. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you are to know that the time is near, right at the door. 30 Yes! I tell you that this people will certainly not pass away before all these things happen. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away. 32 However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows — not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father. 33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time will come.
34 “It’s like a man who travels away from home, puts his servants in charge, each with his own task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 So stay alert! for you don’t know when the owner of the house will come, 36 whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning — you don’t want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping! 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: stay alert!”
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John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes: Isaiah 64:1-9
Verse 1
[1] Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Rent — A metaphor taken from men, that when they would resolutely help one in distress, break and fling open doors and whatever may hinder.
Flow down — That all impediments might be removed out of the way: possibly an allusion to God's coming down upon mount Sinai, in those terrible flames of fire.
Verse 2
[2] As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
Fire — Come with such zeal for thy people, that the solid mountains may be no more before thy breath, than metal that runs, or water that boils by the force of a vehement fire.
Known — That thine enemies may know thy power, and that thy name may be dreaded among them.
Verse 3
[3] When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
Terrible things — This may relate to what he did among the Egyptians, tho' it be not recorded, and afterward in the wilderness.
Looked not for — Such things as we could never expect.
Mountains — Kings, princes, and potentates, may metaphorically be understood by these mountains.
Verse 4
[4] For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Besides thee — This is to be applied to all the wonderful works, that God at all times wrought for his people: and thus they are a plea with God, that they might well expect such things from him now, that had done such wonderful things for their fathers.
Waiteth — This may be taken with reference both to the state of grace and glory, those incomprehensible things that are exhibited through Christ in the mysteries of the gospel.
Verse 5
[5] Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
Meetest — As the father the prodigal.
Worketh — That rejoices to work righteousness.
Continuance — To those that work righteousness.
Be saved — In so doing, in working righteousness.
Verse 6
[6] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Unclean — Formerly there were some that feared thee; but now we are all as one polluted mass, nothing of good left in us by reason of an universal degeneracy.
And all — The very best of us all are no better than the uncleanest things.
Taken — Carried away to Babylon, as leaves hurried away by a boisterous wind.
Verse 7
[7] And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
That calleth — That call upon thee as they ought.
Take hold — Either to stay thee from departing from us, or to fetch thee back when departed.
Verse 8
[8] But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Our father — Notwithstanding all this thou art our father both by creation, and by adoption, therefore pity us thy children.
Verse 9
[9] Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Thy people — Thou hast no people in covenant but us, and wilt thou not leave thyself a people in the world?
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Verse 1
[1] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Joseph — The children of Joseph or Israel. The name of Joseph, the most eminent of the patriarchs, is elsewhere put for all the tribes.
Cherubim — Which were by the mercy seat above the ark.
Verse 2
[2] Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.
Before Ephraim — Here is an allusion to the ancient situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, where these tribes were placed on the west-side of the tabernacle, in which the ark was, which consequently was before them.
Verse 3
[3] Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Turn us — To thy self.
Verse 17
[17] Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
Be — To protect and strengthen him.
Right-hand — Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand, a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob.
Son of man — The people of Israel, who are often spoken of as one person, as God's son and first-born.
Verse 18
[18] So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
Go back — Revolt from thee to idolatry or wickedness.
Quicken — Revive and restore us to our tranquility.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Verse 4
[4] I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
Always — Whenever I mention you to God in prayer.
Verse 5
[5] That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
In all utterance and knowledge — Of divine things. These gifts the Corinthians particularly admired. Therefore this congratulation naturally tended to soften their spirits, and I make way for the reproofs which follow.
Verse 6
[6] Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
The testimony of Christ — The gospel.
Was confirmed among you — By these gifts attending it. They knew they had received these by the hand of Paul: and this consideration was highly proper, to revive in them their former reverence and affection for their spiritual father.
Verse 7
[7] So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Waiting — With earnest desire. For the glorious revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ - A sure mark of a true or false Christian, to long for, or dread, this revelation.
Verse 8
[8] Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who will also — if you faithfully apply to him.
Confirm you to the end. In the day of Christ — Now it is our day, wherein we are to work out our salvation; then it will be eminently the day of Christ, and of his glory in the saints.
Verse 9
[9] God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is faithful — To all his promises; and therefore "to him that hath shall be given." By whom ye are called - A pledge of his willingness to save you unto the uttermost.
Mark 13:24-37
Verse 24
[24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
He proposed another parable — in which he farther explains the case of unfruitful hearers. The kingdom of heaven (as has been observed before) sometimes signifies eternal glory: sometimes the way to it, inward religion; sometimes, as here, the Gospel dispensation: the phrase is likewise used for a person or thing relating to any one of those: so in this place it means, Christ preaching the Gospel, who is like a man sowing good seed - The expression, is like, both here and in several other places, only means, that the thing spoken of may be illustrated by the following similitude.
Who sowed good seed in his field — God sowed nothing but good in his whole creation. Christ sowed only the good seed of truth in his Church.
Verse 25
[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But while men slept — They ought to have watched: the Lord of the field sleepeth not.
His enemy came and sowed darnel — This is very like wheat, and commonly grows among wheat rather than among other grain: but tares or vetches are of the pulse kind, and bear no resemblance to wheat.
Verse 26
[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
When the blade was sprung up, then appeared the darnel — It was not discerned before: it seldom appears, as soon as the good seed is sown: all at first appears to be peace, and love, and joy.
Verse 27
[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it darnel? — Not from the parent of good. Even the heathen could say, "No evil can from thee proceed: 'Tis only suffer'd, not decreed: As darkness is not from the sun, Nor mount the shades, till he is gone."
Verse 28
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
He said, An enemy hath done this — A plain answer to the great question concerning the origin of evil. God made men (as he did angels) intelligent creatures, and consequently free either to choose good or evil: but he implanted no evil in the human soul: An enemy (with man's concurrence) hath done this. Darnel, in the Church, is properly outside Christians, such as have the form of godliness, without the power. Open sinners, such as have neither the form nor the power, are not so properly darnel, as thistles and brambles: these ought to be rooted up without delay, and not suffered in the Christian community. Whereas should fallible men attempt to gather up the darnel, they would often root up the wheat with them.
Verse 31
[31] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
He proposed to them another parable — The former parables relate chiefly to unfruitful hearers; these that follow, to those who bear good fruit.
The kingdom of heaven — Both the Gospel dispensation, and the inward kingdom. Mark 4:30; Luke 13:18.
Verse 32
[32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
The least — That is, one of the least: a way of speaking extremely common among the Jews.
It becometh a tree — In those countries it grows exceeding large and high. So will the Christian doctrine spread in the world, and the life of Christ in the soul.
Verse 33
[33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Three measures — This was the quantity which they usually baked at once: till the whole was leavened - Thus will the Gospel leaven the world and grace the Christian. Luke 13:20.
Verse 34
[34] All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Without a parable spake he not unto them — That is, not at that time; at other times he did.
Verse 35
[35] That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Psalms 78:2
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Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37Scripture Texts: Isaiah 64:1 (2) It would be like fire kindling the brush,
and the fire then makes the water boil.
Then your enemies would know your name,
the nations would tremble before you!
2 (3) When you did tremendous things
that we were not expecting,
we wished that you would come down,
so that the mountains would shake at your presence!
3 (4) No one has ever heard,
no ear perceived, no eye seen,
any God but you.
You work for him who waits for you.
4 (5) You favored those who were glad to do justice,
those who remembered you in your ways.
When you were angry, we kept sinning;
but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.
5 (6) All of us are like someone unclean,
all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags;
we wither, all of us, like leaves;
and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.
6 (7) No one calls on your name
or bestirs himself to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.
7 (8) But now, Adonai, you are our father;
we are the clay, you are our potter;
and we are all the work of your hands.
8 (9) Do not be so very angry, Adonai!
Don’t remember crime forever.
Look, please, we are all your people.
9 (10) Your holy cities have become a desert,
Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.
Psalm 80:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved., 17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
4 I thank my God always for you because of God’s love and kindness given to you through the Messiah Yeshua, 5 in that you have been enriched by him in so many ways, particularly in power of speech and depth of knowledge. 6 Indeed, the testimony about the Messiah has become firmly established in you; 7 so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift and are eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 8 He will enable you to hold out until the end and thus be blameless on the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah — 9 God is trustworthy: it was he who called you into fellowship with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord.
Mark 13:24 In those days, after that trouble,
the sun will grow dark,
the moon will stop shining,
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in heaven will be shaken.[Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10; 3:4 (2:31); 4:15(3:15); Haggai 2:6, 21]
26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with tremendous power and glory.[Mark 13:26 Daniel 7:13–14] 27 He will send out his angels and gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “Now let the fig tree teach you its lesson: when its branches begin to sprout and leaves appear, you know that summer is approaching. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you are to know that the time is near, right at the door. 30 Yes! I tell you that this people will certainly not pass away before all these things happen. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away. 32 However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows — not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father. 33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time will come.
34 “It’s like a man who travels away from home, puts his servants in charge, each with his own task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 So stay alert! for you don’t know when the owner of the house will come, 36 whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning — you don’t want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping! 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: stay alert!”
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John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes: Isaiah 64:1-9
Verse 1
[1] Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Rent — A metaphor taken from men, that when they would resolutely help one in distress, break and fling open doors and whatever may hinder.
Flow down — That all impediments might be removed out of the way: possibly an allusion to God's coming down upon mount Sinai, in those terrible flames of fire.
Verse 2
[2] As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!
Fire — Come with such zeal for thy people, that the solid mountains may be no more before thy breath, than metal that runs, or water that boils by the force of a vehement fire.
Known — That thine enemies may know thy power, and that thy name may be dreaded among them.
Verse 3
[3] When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.
Terrible things — This may relate to what he did among the Egyptians, tho' it be not recorded, and afterward in the wilderness.
Looked not for — Such things as we could never expect.
Mountains — Kings, princes, and potentates, may metaphorically be understood by these mountains.
Verse 4
[4] For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
Besides thee — This is to be applied to all the wonderful works, that God at all times wrought for his people: and thus they are a plea with God, that they might well expect such things from him now, that had done such wonderful things for their fathers.
Waiteth — This may be taken with reference both to the state of grace and glory, those incomprehensible things that are exhibited through Christ in the mysteries of the gospel.
Verse 5
[5] Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.
Meetest — As the father the prodigal.
Worketh — That rejoices to work righteousness.
Continuance — To those that work righteousness.
Be saved — In so doing, in working righteousness.
Verse 6
[6] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Unclean — Formerly there were some that feared thee; but now we are all as one polluted mass, nothing of good left in us by reason of an universal degeneracy.
And all — The very best of us all are no better than the uncleanest things.
Taken — Carried away to Babylon, as leaves hurried away by a boisterous wind.
Verse 7
[7] And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
That calleth — That call upon thee as they ought.
Take hold — Either to stay thee from departing from us, or to fetch thee back when departed.
Verse 8
[8] But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Our father — Notwithstanding all this thou art our father both by creation, and by adoption, therefore pity us thy children.
Verse 9
[9] Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Thy people — Thou hast no people in covenant but us, and wilt thou not leave thyself a people in the world?
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Verse 1
[1] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
Joseph — The children of Joseph or Israel. The name of Joseph, the most eminent of the patriarchs, is elsewhere put for all the tribes.
Cherubim — Which were by the mercy seat above the ark.
Verse 2
[2] Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.
Before Ephraim — Here is an allusion to the ancient situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, where these tribes were placed on the west-side of the tabernacle, in which the ark was, which consequently was before them.
Verse 3
[3] Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Turn us — To thy self.
Verse 17
[17] Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
Be — To protect and strengthen him.
Right-hand — Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand, a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob.
Son of man — The people of Israel, who are often spoken of as one person, as God's son and first-born.
Verse 18
[18] So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
Go back — Revolt from thee to idolatry or wickedness.
Quicken — Revive and restore us to our tranquility.
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Verse 4
[4] I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
Always — Whenever I mention you to God in prayer.
Verse 5
[5] That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
In all utterance and knowledge — Of divine things. These gifts the Corinthians particularly admired. Therefore this congratulation naturally tended to soften their spirits, and I make way for the reproofs which follow.
Verse 6
[6] Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
The testimony of Christ — The gospel.
Was confirmed among you — By these gifts attending it. They knew they had received these by the hand of Paul: and this consideration was highly proper, to revive in them their former reverence and affection for their spiritual father.
Verse 7
[7] So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Waiting — With earnest desire. For the glorious revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ - A sure mark of a true or false Christian, to long for, or dread, this revelation.
Verse 8
[8] Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who will also — if you faithfully apply to him.
Confirm you to the end. In the day of Christ — Now it is our day, wherein we are to work out our salvation; then it will be eminently the day of Christ, and of his glory in the saints.
Verse 9
[9] God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is faithful — To all his promises; and therefore "to him that hath shall be given." By whom ye are called - A pledge of his willingness to save you unto the uttermost.
Mark 13:24-37
Verse 24
[24] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
He proposed another parable — in which he farther explains the case of unfruitful hearers. The kingdom of heaven (as has been observed before) sometimes signifies eternal glory: sometimes the way to it, inward religion; sometimes, as here, the Gospel dispensation: the phrase is likewise used for a person or thing relating to any one of those: so in this place it means, Christ preaching the Gospel, who is like a man sowing good seed - The expression, is like, both here and in several other places, only means, that the thing spoken of may be illustrated by the following similitude.
Who sowed good seed in his field — God sowed nothing but good in his whole creation. Christ sowed only the good seed of truth in his Church.
Verse 25
[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But while men slept — They ought to have watched: the Lord of the field sleepeth not.
His enemy came and sowed darnel — This is very like wheat, and commonly grows among wheat rather than among other grain: but tares or vetches are of the pulse kind, and bear no resemblance to wheat.
Verse 26
[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
When the blade was sprung up, then appeared the darnel — It was not discerned before: it seldom appears, as soon as the good seed is sown: all at first appears to be peace, and love, and joy.
Verse 27
[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it darnel? — Not from the parent of good. Even the heathen could say, "No evil can from thee proceed: 'Tis only suffer'd, not decreed: As darkness is not from the sun, Nor mount the shades, till he is gone."
Verse 28
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
He said, An enemy hath done this — A plain answer to the great question concerning the origin of evil. God made men (as he did angels) intelligent creatures, and consequently free either to choose good or evil: but he implanted no evil in the human soul: An enemy (with man's concurrence) hath done this. Darnel, in the Church, is properly outside Christians, such as have the form of godliness, without the power. Open sinners, such as have neither the form nor the power, are not so properly darnel, as thistles and brambles: these ought to be rooted up without delay, and not suffered in the Christian community. Whereas should fallible men attempt to gather up the darnel, they would often root up the wheat with them.
Verse 31
[31] Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
He proposed to them another parable — The former parables relate chiefly to unfruitful hearers; these that follow, to those who bear good fruit.
The kingdom of heaven — Both the Gospel dispensation, and the inward kingdom. Mark 4:30; Luke 13:18.
Verse 32
[32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
The least — That is, one of the least: a way of speaking extremely common among the Jews.
It becometh a tree — In those countries it grows exceeding large and high. So will the Christian doctrine spread in the world, and the life of Christ in the soul.
Verse 33
[33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Three measures — This was the quantity which they usually baked at once: till the whole was leavened - Thus will the Gospel leaven the world and grace the Christian. Luke 13:20.
Verse 34
[34] All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Without a parable spake he not unto them — That is, not at that time; at other times he did.
Verse 35
[35] That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Psalms 78:2
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PO Box 340004
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