The Banquet

The first reading today again comes from the Prophet Isaiah. In yesterday’s post what has been, in times past, promised and announced, comes to fruition as the Promise One is depicted as ruling. In place of the kings from the line of David which proved to be faithless and fickle, in defiance of the empires such as Assyria, those verses describe a king in who ushers in a reign of safety and security to which the weary exiles may come streaming in return. Continue reading

Another Question

This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. In the previous post we considered some questions that are posed by the very beginning of Mark’s gospel. In the previous post we considered the meaning of the words of Mark 1:1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God – taking on the Marcan intent of “beginning” and “gospel.” Now we consider the phrase “Christ the Son of God.”  A phrase too familiar to us. But what did the listeners of the 1st century hear, consider, and conclude? Continue reading