Luke’s gospel comes finally to the moment we have been expecting—the birth of the one who will be named Jesus, “The Lord is our Savior.” We read the story so often, and see it represented in pageants so often, that perhaps we are no longer surprised by its emphasis upon time and space: dates, places,Continue reading “Light from the Old Testament Upon the Nativity 6: When the Days were Fulfilled”
Tag Archives: humility
Light from the Old Testament Upon the Nativity 4: The Blessed, the Humble, and the Mighty
Luke 1:39-56; 1 Samuel 2; 2 Samuel 6 We come to that intriguing vignette in Luke’s gospel where two women prophesy about the greatest divine action of all time, and when two unborn babies exemplify what happens when God meets with humanity. Luke 1:39-56 is well known, but let’s put the sights and sounds intoContinue reading “Light from the Old Testament Upon the Nativity 4: The Blessed, the Humble, and the Mighty”
Light from the Readable Books 15: The Wisdom of Sirach and the Fear of the Lord
Sirach Prologue, 1-2; Job 38-40; Proverbs 9; James 1-3; Ephesians 1-4 Our Scriptures are full of different genres, that is, different kinds of literature—poetry, visions, parables, narratives of various sorts, sermons. The book of Sirach, or in its full title, The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach (Jesus the son of Sirach) is a series ofContinue reading “Light from the Readable Books 15: The Wisdom of Sirach and the Fear of the Lord”
Light From (and Upon) the Readable Books 8: Misinformation, Decrees, and the Life of Leaders
Esther 3:13a-g, 5:1-13 LXX, 8:12a-i; Psalm 85/6; Phil 2:-11; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 We have seen already how the LXX version of Esther makes God the main character, with Mordecai’s initial vision and closing interpretation, and with the poignant prayers of both Mordecai and Esther as the action heats up. Our final episode on Esther continuesContinue reading “Light From (and Upon) the Readable Books 8: Misinformation, Decrees, and the Life of Leaders”
Light From (and Upon) the Readable Books 7: Esther’s Humility and God’s Rescue
Esther 4:17a-x, Psalm 1, Psalm 150-151, Daniel 3:2-45; 2 Kings/4 Kingdoms 19:14-19, Nehemiah 1:5-11 From the early days of the Church, the righteous Esther has been put forth as an example of both courage and humility. The first century father Clement of Rome, exclaimed: Many women, fortified by the grace of God, have accomplished manyContinue reading “Light From (and Upon) the Readable Books 7: Esther’s Humility and God’s Rescue”
Light from the Psalter 19: Out of the Depths
Psalms 128-130 (MT 129-131); Isaiah 42:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-14. We continue with our pilgrimage up to God’s holy presence in the Orthros Psalms and Songs of Ascent, this time focusing on the Tone Four anabathmoi, and Psalms 128-130 (MT 129-131). These three psalms, with the antiphons that are based on them, emphasize the humble conditionContinue reading “Light from the Psalter 19: Out of the Depths”
Edith M. Humphrey 