First Sunday of Advent December 2, 2007

Reading 1, Isaiah 2:1-5  Isaiah received his call (recounted in Isaiah 6) while at prayer in the Temple of Jerusalem in 742 B.C., the year Uzziah, King of Judah, died. Uzziah had begun his 41-year reign as a reformer dedicated to the service of God. In his final years, pride had gotten in the way. The history of kings in both Judah and Israel had been a roller coaster ride with only a few truly faithful god-fearing men in the whole lot. Isaiah had been a scribe and had been responsible for chronicling the acts of King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:22). In his concern and prayers for the future of Judah, Isaiah receives this vision. If all Jewish people, their kings included, let God be the true King, they would live in peace. With the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 and of Judah in 587, this prophesy was seen as an interpretation of a future messianic kingdom.

Reading II, Romans 13:11-14  That people tend to party and get involved in immoral behavior more at night than during the day is not new to our time. The symbolic reference to light and darkness is a common theme throughout the New Testament. Jesus came as the light of the world (John 8:12) and calls us to be his light as well (Matt. 5:14). God’s kingdom is one of light…the reign of sin is one of darkness. Believing in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, Paul encourages the recipients of his letter to be live put on the armor of light to be ready for the dawn of that day.

Matthew 24:37-44  Jesus’ audience was familiar with the story of Noah and associated the pre-flood world with immersion in the ways of this world and inattentiveness to God. They were unprepared for what was to come. When life gets comfortable, it is natural for people to fall into the same combination of immersion and inattentiveness. Jesus warns listeners to keep guard against that and be prepared at all times.