Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 (NRSV Updated Edition)
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
...
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms
and carry them in his bosom
and gently lead the mother sheep.
~
Mark 1:1-8 (NRSV Updated Edition)
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.[1]
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight,’ ”
so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
[1] The NRSV Update Edition does not include "Son of God" in the main text but notes that "other ancient authorities add" it. I have included it as it is mentioned by James Alison in his video homily, see below.
~
"It's worthwhile thinking that part of the preparing the way is helping us prepare our imaginations for how that's going to look like that's what we celebrate in Advent. If you're like, allowing our imaginations to be prepared so that we may see the one who is coming in, so we may see the Holy One of God, the one who John the Baptist will later recognize as the Lamb of God, coming in.
...
"So “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.” Not the good news concerning Jesus Christ, not the good news about Jesus Christ, not the good news preached by Jesus Christ, but the good news that *is* Jesus Christ. That's the meaning of the genitive, and I get the “of” is the good news that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God - immediately there is given that title, a high priestly title, to tell us something about the coming in that's going to happen.
...
"So let's hold on tightly to these things: John symbolizing the Patriarchs; Elijah because of the leather belt; Samson because of the honey; the flight from Egypt because of the locusts; and really challenging the Temple establishment. So next Sunday we'll see how the temple authorities react to this and we'll be able to be taken further into our imagination of the one who is coming in."
- James Alison, from video "Homily for the Second Sunday in Advent Year B" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJQ6j2qbOIk)
[For discussion and resources on all of this week's lectionary texts, see: http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-b/advent2b/]
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