Matters Biblical and Christological as in the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1:5-25.

Luke begins his infancy narrative by saying nothing of Jesus, but giving us the announcement (annunciation) of the divine conception of John the Baptist (or John the Baptizer, as he is commonly called from today’s pulpits.) The parents of John the Baptist, Zechariah and Elizabeth, are described as “upright,” “on in years,” and without children.

In particular, Zechariah is one of the priests who twice a year came to Jerusalem to serve in the temple. There were 24 divisions of priests who served at the temple one week every six months. Each day lots were cast to assign priests for four morning activities: burnt animal offering, meal offering, incense offering, maintenance of the candlestick in the Holy Place. In the afternoon there was one lot cast for offering of incense. Because there were people awaiting a blessing, it is assumed that Luke is referring to the afternoon (3 p.m.) incense offering. The priest would enter the Holy Place (not the Holy of Holies) to offer incense.

We can detect connections with the Old Testament in Luke’s narrative. Zechariah and Elizabeth are reminiscent of two Old Testament couples. They are similar to Elkanah and Hannah, the parents of Samuel (I Samuel 1:1). Samuel is one of the most famous Nazirites, and John the Baptist will be described as having characteristics of a Nazirite, namely that he does not drink wine or strong drink. More strongly we see the connection with Abraham and Sarah, both advanced in age, with Sarah barren, exactly the situation for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Luke is trying to teach the reader that the events about to unfold are a “renewal of the covenant made with the patriarchs” [269].

The announcement of John the Baptist’s birth is made in private by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah. Note that the angel Gabriel is only mentioned in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel, considered to be one of the last, if not the last book written for the Old Testament. Indeed, there are many parallels between Daniel and this part of Luke’s narrative, including Zechariah being struck mute at the end of the encounter with Gabriel. Thus Luke echoes Genesis, the first book chronologically in the Old Testament, and Daniel, the last (or nearly last) book in the Old Testament. This appears to be Luke showing that God’s emerging plan of salvation is firmly in line with the history of Israel.

After the annunciation, Zechariah is struck mute and not able to give the blessing to the awaited masses outside the temple. In contrast, at the end of Luke’s gospel, Jesus gives a blessing before the Ascension. Thus Jesus is seen, after the resurrection, as fulfilling or replacing the Temple cult. (This is an extremely important theme that need not be developed as part of the Christmas story.)

This section ends with the pregnancy of Elizabeth and her praise of God.


- posted by gkissel @ 11:14 PM

 
Today is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

Matters Personal, as in how I spent part of Christmas Day.

My Christmas Day started early, at 12:45 a.m. with the return from the Christmas Eve service at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego. On television I caught the tail ends of both the the Crystal Cathedral Christmas Eve service and Midnight Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. As I wound down for bed (while enjoying some of Mom's great pumpkin bread!) , I listened to the Christmas morning service from Durham Cathedral in Durham England, over the BBC internet connection. The new Bishop of Durham, N. T. Wright, was providing commentary as various scriptures were read and Psalms were sung. (Not surprisingly, he found a way to subtly pick on the Jews and Americans during his oraculations -- what a moral giant!) The service concluded with the singing of "O Come All Ye Faithful", after which I blew out my candle, shut down my computer and went to bed.

I had my alarm set to go off at 7 a.m. (yes, five hours of sleep), but drifted in and out of my slumber until 8:30. My plan was to go the Christmas morning service at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego (can't get enough of a good thing). So I quickly opened my gifts (shirts, pen and pencil set, candy and more) and had my morning tea and cereal. I made it away by 9:30 and drove thru quite a bit of rain into San Diego, speaking with Mom, Dad and Deb via cell phone and making it to the cathedral in time for the 10 a.m. service.

The cathedral was obviously not packed as it was the night before, but the crowd was respectable and the music was great. Someone was videotaping parts of the service, apparently for a local television station. Most notable muscially were the processional hymn, "Joy to the World," the singing of "Angels We Have Heard on High" for the Gloria, and the recessional hymn, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." I thanked Martin Green, the music director, and Kevin Kwan, the organ scholar, for their hard work this past month.

I made it back to Escondido by 11:45, with drizzle virtually all the way. Indeed, the rain inreased throughout the day, sometimes getting quite heavy.
- posted by gkissel @ 9:03 PM

 
Matters Christological, Ecclesiastical, Liturgical and Musical, as in Today is Christmas Eve, with links to Christmas services around the world.

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is carrying quite a few offerings for Christmas, including The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel, at Cambridge University. This was on early in the morning American time and will be replayed on Christmas Day. You may also note Christmas carols will be coming from York Minster and there will be a Christmas Day service from Durham Cathedral. Simply click on the BBC link above and browse the list.

Christmas broadcasts will be coming from the Vatican. This includes the midnight mass from St. Peter's Basilica and the Pope's Christmas day blessing.

The Crystal Cathedral will be streaming their Christmas Eve service at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). It will also be carried on various television stations.

Duke University Chapel will have a couple of Christmas Eve services. Note that they archive all of their services for about 6 months, so that you can go back and hear them at any time.
- posted by gkissel @ 2:01 PM

 
Matters Biblical and Christological as in an introduction to Luke’s Christmas story.

Luke’s Christmas story (the entire infancy narrative is in Luke 1-2) is longer than Matthew’s. Luke’s narrative has elements that are virtually unknown to most Christians, as well as features that are the most beloved and most celebrated in song at the Christmas season. It is important to recall that Luke is the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He was probably writing for a Gentile church that was somehow connected with Paul’s missionary efforts.

The geographical and theological trajectories apparent in Luke’s two books are worth noting. The Gospel of Luke begins and ends at the temple in Jerusalem. The Acts of the Apostles moves from Jerusalem to Rome. Thus Luke has the Christian mission first focused on the Jews and then on the Gentiles as we move through his writings.

It appears that Luke wrote his materials in the following order:
(1) Luke 3-24
(2) The Acts of the Apostles
(3) Luke 1-2 (the infancy narrative), without the 4 hymns (canticles) and without the story of the boy Jesus in the temple.
(4) The 4 hymns (canticles) and the story of the boy Jesus in the temple are added to Luke 1-2.

Because Luke wrote the infancy narrative after Acts and because he may have wanted to create some specific parallels between Luke 1-2 and Acts 1-2, we can detect some close associations between the infancy narrative and many parts of the book of Acts. We note the outpouring of the Spirit at several points in the infancy narrative much like the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. We may conclude that the hymns in the infancy narrative are paralleled by the speeches in Acts. Likewise angelic appearances appear in Luke 1-2 and in Acts. Finally the focus on the careers of Peter and Paul in Acts may be paralleled by the concentration on John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke 1-2.

The basic structure of the infancy narrative that Luke originally devised without the canticles and without the story of the boy Jesus in the temple is as follows:
1a. The annunciation of the conception of John the Baptist
1b. The annunciation of the conception of Jesus
2a. The narrative of the birth and infancy of John the Baptist
2b. The narrative of the birth and infancy of Jesus.

In each case Luke shows Jesus to be superior to John the Baptist.

(Raymond Brown [252] makes the fascinating observation that the original structure of the infancy narrative has a startling contrast between the beginning and the end. As the narrative starts Zechariah comes into the temple to burn incense and then is struck mute so that he is unable to pronounce a blessing on the assembled people. In contast as the narrative ends, the old man Simeon is led into the temple by the Spirit and is able to bless Mary, Joseph and Jesus. In each case the male figure "is associated with a woman (Elizabeth and Anna) whose age, tribal derivation, and piety are mentioned." [252])





- posted by gkissel @ 10:35 PM

 
Matters Biblical and Christological, as in the final part of Matthew's Christmas story, Matthew 2:13-23.


The final verses in Matthew's Christmas story tell the rescue of the baby Jesus from the wicked King Herod. The narrative is also meant to contrast the rejection of Jesus by the secular ruler, Herod (and by implication the chief priests and scribes, and people of Jerusalem), and the acceptance of Jesus by certain gentiles (the magi) of the previous verses. This is a kind of foreshadowing of the instigators of the crucifixion and the aftermath of the resurretion with the rise of Christianity among gentiles.

In a dream Joseph is instructed to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt ("the classic land of refuge for those fleeing tyranny in Palestine." [203]) to avoid the coming persecution by Herod. In anticipation of their return from Egypt, Matthew cites Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." This is an echo of the Hebrew's Exodus from Egypt.

In the mean time the wicked Herod (he killed three of his own sons in the course of his life), realizing the magi failed to report back to him on the baby Jesus, had all boys 2 years of age and under massacred in Bethlehem. Based on the demographics of that time, this would have amounted to about 20 children. This event also echoes the slaughter of male infants by Pharoah at the time of the birth of Moses.

Matthew then quotes as prophetically fulfilled, Jeremiah 31:15 concerning the matriarch Rachel (a wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin) whose weeping for the children could be heard in Ramah. When Jeremiah wrote this, his point of reference was to mourning over those taken captive at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. Jeremiah 40:1 points out that the captives were taken to Ramah (a few miles north of Jerusalem) before being deported to Babylon. But what does this have to do with Bethlehem? Recall from Genesis 35:19 that Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin while on the way to Bethlehem. Genesis refers to Bethlehem as Ephrath (or Ephrathah) because the clan of Ephrath eventually settled in the area of Bethlehem. (The exact location of Rachel's tomb, from where her wailing voice is metaphorically heard, is a disputed matter. A historical reading of the biblical text [I Samuel 10:2] would place it near Bethel, not too far from Ramah. Some religious traditions place it near Bethlehem.)

With Herod's death (in March or April of 4 B.C.) Joseph is instructed in another dream to return "to the land of Israel." Because the brutal son of Herod, Archalaus, was now ruler of Judea (his brutality was so great that Rome got rid of him in 6 A.D.), Joseph was afraid to return there and was warned in a dream to go to Galilee, where he settled in Nazareth.

Thus in Chapter 2 we have an interesting juxtaposition of six geographical names. The names Bethlehem, Egypt and Ramah are associated in the Old Testament, respectively, with King David, the Exodus and the Exile. The other three names, Israel, Galilee and Nazareth anticipate Jesus' mission in the New Testament.

Finally, Matthew concludes his infancy narrative with the statement that "He will be called a Nazorean," as a fulfillment of prophecy concerning Jesus. Unfortunately, such a phrase cannot be directly found in the Old Testament. The word Nazorean has three connotations for Matthew. First, it refers to the fact that Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Second, it refers to Jesus being the messianic branch (neser in the Hebrew language) among Kind David's descendants. Third, and most importantly, he has in mind Jesus as a holy one set aside for God's service from birth, referred to in the Old Testament as a Nazirite, like Samson and Samuel. (The word "made holy by a vow" [Nazir in Hebrew] can be rendered as hagios or Naziraios in Greek.) Thus, Matthew may have had in mind, Isaiah 4:3, "He who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy," and Judges 16:17, "I have been a Nazirite of God from my mother's womb," when citing this prophecy.
- posted by gkissel @ 2:09 PM

 
Matters Medical and Political, as in an Open Letter to Dr. Howard Dean.

Dr Dean:

At long last you have the opportunity to demonstrate your "patriotism" in the war on terror and put your unutilized medical skills to good use in one fell swoop. Yes, Dr. Dean, you can volunteer to complete Saddam Hussein's medical examination! Any good medical checkup (presumably like one we would receive if you get your way and have health care nationalized) should include not just an inspection of the oral cavity, which Saddam Hussein has already received, but a proper probing of that orifice on the other end of the body as well.

Indeed, Dr. Dean, you could make such an exam a real photo opportunity and in the process upstage President Bush. During his Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad, all Bush had to show for it was the rear end of a roasted turkey. Just think, you could still make it to Baghdad in time for the holidays and show us the rear end of the biggest turkey in Iraq!

So pack your medical bag, throw in some maple sugar candy for the troops and bring along some of those Vermont Teddy Bears for the orphaned children who may or may not be better off without Saddam. And, oh yes, Dr. Dean, don't forget your latex gloves.
- posted by gkissel @ 10:15 PM

 
Matters Verbal, Political and Geographical, as in the verbal blunder of Professor Larry Sabato at a recent conference.

During the 6th Annual American Democracy Conference held on December 12 (and carried on C-SPAN) at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College , Professor Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, and frequent commentator for the media on elections, made a verbal blunder, as do many speakers, with the word "enervate."

When he introduced his discussion panel on the upcoming presidential primaries and election, he described New Hampshire as a "cold, but enervating part of the Union." He apparently did not realize that "enervating" refers to something that lessens vitality or strength -- exactly the opposite of what he meant to convey. He intended to say that New Hampshire is a "cold, but energizing part of the Union."

- posted by gkissel @ 9:42 PM

 
Matters International and Cultural, as in the not so sweet life in Canada.

This column in today's Seattle Times by Jennifer Meeks, immigrant from Canada living in Seattle, explains much of the downside of the Canadian welfare state. I heard about this article from the Michael Medved show.
- posted by gkissel @ 5:14 PM

 
Matters Martial and Informational, as in the Iraqi informant who warned the British that WMD attacks could be launched with under 45 minutes notice.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting in this article on the Iraqi Colonel who provided intelligence that the Iraqi army was given weapons of mass destruction that could have been used in the battlefield with 45 minutes notice. The colonel believes that the WMD are still hidden in Iraq. This could be a very important story to follow.
- posted by gkissel @ 10:48 PM

 
Matters Bibilical and Christological, as in the Christmas commentary on Matthew 2:1-12.

We now come to the most familiar Christmas story in Matthew's infancy narrative: the visit of the Magi and the consternation of Herod. This scripture is meant to anticipate the positive reception Gentiles (non-Jews) will give to the Christian message.

Geographically, Jesus is born in Bethlehem, five miles south of Jersusalem, and the ancestral home of King David. This "King of the Jews," is notably born in the Jewish territory of Judea.

The word "magi" refers to those working in the art of the occult, including magicians, fortune tellers and astrologers. Because a star is so prominently mentioned in the text, it is likely that the magi are astrologers. (Recall that the "principle of astrology is to establish a horoscope based on the sign of the zodiac that is rising in the eastern horizon when a person is born [173].")

This passage can be summarized nicely as centering on star, scripture and salutation. For these Gentile magi, their first revelation from God comes from nature (star). But they also need instruction from the Jewish scripture. This was provided by the startled Herod who consulted with the Jewish priests and scribes. Here Matthew cites Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2 as the prophecy passed on to Herod. (Much more on Herod in the next installment.) Finally, the magi have a personal encounter with the Christ child (salutation) at which they pay homage and open their treasure boxes holding gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Later legends have grown up around the Magi in a kind of four step process: (1) The magi become kings (Matthew may have been thinking of Psalm 72:10-11 when he wrote this passage). (2) The number of kings is settled on at three. (3) The three kings are given names: Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar in the West. (4) Symbolism is attached to the gifts.

The magi have been depicted in countless pieces of artwork, including paintings, stained glass windows and mosaics. One of the most interesting appears in the Immaculata (the largest Catholic church building in San Diego County) at the University of San Diego. In the east transept is a mosaic of the magi approaching Bethlehem. One of the magi is wearing black rimmed glasses! This is meant to be a representation of the founder of the University of San Diego, Bishop Buddy - a wearer of black rimmed glasses.


- posted by gkissel @ 11:07 AM