"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 15 November 2016 with Scripture Luke 1:68-79
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Luke 1:68 “Praised be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,[Luke 1:68 Psalms 41:14(13); 72:18; 106:48]
because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people
69 by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer
who is a descendant of his servant David.
70 It is just as he has spoken
through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning —
71 that we should be delivered from our enemies
and from the power of all who hate us.
72 “This has happened so that he might show
the mercy promised to our fathers —
that he would remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore before Avraham avinu
74 to grant us that we, freed from our enemies,
would serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha‘Elyon;
you will go before the Lord to prepare his way[Luke 1:76 Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3]
77 by spreading the knowledge among his people
that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven
78 through our God’s most tender mercy,
which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,
79 to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death,[Luke 1:79 Isaiah 9:1(2)]
and to guide our feet into the paths of peace.”[Complete Jewish Bible]
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Simeon's song is an insight into the dreams and hopes of a community embodied in a faithful man who has waited to see the redemption of his people. It is hard for us as temporal creatures to wait, particularly in our age of instant gratification. We want what we want when we want it, on our agenda. Yet we stand upon the testimony and faithful witness of generations. We are not the first to follow Christ and by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit we trust we will not be the last.
We remember Simeon because he encountered the Jesus child. But his story reminds also of God's faithful who waited for generations to see Emmanuel. In so doing we are invited to commit ourselves to working for justice and peace while we wait in our time. In so doing we recognize not every wrong will be righted but that by God's grace we will be invited to participate in the coming of the kingdom.
Holy Christ, born of Mary, stir our waiting hearts this day. Encourage us to wait patiently while yet working diligently for justice and peace in your world. Through Christ, our Emmanuel. Amen.
Erik K. J. Gronberg, '05
Bishop, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA
Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."[New Revised Standard Version]
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We remember Simeon because he encountered the Jesus child. But his story reminds also of God's faithful who waited for generations to see Emmanuel. In so doing we are invited to commit ourselves to working for justice and peace while we wait in our time. In so doing we recognize not every wrong will be righted but that by God's grace we will be invited to participate in the coming of the kingdom.
Holy Christ, born of Mary, stir our waiting hearts this day. Encourage us to wait patiently while yet working diligently for justice and peace in your world. Through Christ, our Emmanuel. Amen.
Erik K. J. Gronberg, '05
Bishop, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA
Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."[New Revised Standard Version]
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