New Passovers and Immanuels

Friday, December 12, 2008 -- Week of 2 Advent; Year One

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 936)
Psalms 31 (morning) 35 (evening)
Isaiah 7:10-25
2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 3:5
Luke 22:14-30

Jesus has made careful preparations for his friends so that they may observe the Passover. The Passover is the fundamental feast of Judaism. It recalls the dramatic intervention of God that liberated Israel from bondage and slavery. Israel's escape from Egypt and journey through the wilderness into the promised land is their foundational epic. It is the God-directed pilgrimage from bondage into freedom, from slavery into inheritance, from lostness to identity as God's own people. The Passover and Exodus established the covenant of God with God's people.

Now Jesus takes the cups of wine that are part of the Passover feast and he identifies them with his own pilgrimage that is to take place through his death. "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant of my blood." Jesus breaks the bread into pieces. "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Jesus gives to his friends an interpretation of his death in the context of the Passover. A new foundational story, a new journey from bondage into freedom, from slavery into inheritance, from lostness to identity as Christ's own body.

In the tradition of the Passover Seder, time becomes malleable. "I was a wandering Aramean..." the people speak, as they enter into the ancient story themselves. It was us, you and me, who journeyed into Egypt and became an enslaved and oppressed people. Then the hand of God acted and brought us out into this happiness. Each person is to retrace the steps of our ancestors as the past becomes vividly present.

In the tradition of the Christian Eucharist, time becomes malleable. The past becomes vividly present as we take the bread and the wine, give thanks, and hear once again the words, "This is my body...; this is my blood." We enter the upper room and embrace the feast which has become our participation in the liberation of Christ's Passover, his death and resurrection.

What an irony that the first conflict that arises at that table that night is a battle for power and pride. "A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest." Jesus makes it clear with his first lesson from his table. "I am among you a one who serves." "The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves." The new inheritance of this liberated community is the vocation of service to others. A Collect for Peace in our Daily Office prays to God that "to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom." In Christ we are liberated from sin and death and formed into a new community of thankful servant leadership.
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Just a couple of notes about the prophecy from Isaiah.

Beginning last Monday we shifted from the 5th century Isaiah texts to the 8th century Isaiah texts. Many of the themes are similar, but the context has some differences. Isaiah 5-12 is the oldest part of the book, containing prophecies from 740-732 BCE.

This section with the prophet using three children's names as signs of divine messages is probably a first-person memoirs from the original prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz. Today he upbraids the King Ahaz for his unwillingness to trust God or to seek a sign from God. Frightened by the threat of invasion from Israel and Aram (Syria) intended to depose him, Ahaz is planning to ally himself as a vassal of Assyria. Isaiah tries to dissuade Ahaz from his plan.

You weary mortals and God, Isaiah tells him. God will give you a sign even though you don't ask for it. A "young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel (meaning "God is with us")." Before he is two years of age this threat will have passed, and these two threatening kings will have retreated with only a remnant of their army left (a reference to the name of Isaiah's child who is with him, Shear-jashub, meaning "A remnant shall return.") Trust God, not Assyria, Isaiah tells Ahaz.

In all likelihood, the child whom Isaiah names as Immanuel is his own child, like the other two children he interprets as signs. It is the father's right to confer a name upon his child. It is not impossible, however, that Isaiah references a child who is a royal heir, possibly Hezekiah who succeeded Ahaz on the throne of Judah. Later generations, after this royal dynasty ceased to rule in Jerusalem, picked up this passage and gave it messianic interpretations about a hoped for restoration of a Davidic kingship.

In all likelihood the "young woman" mentioned in the passage is Isaiah's wife. The Hebrew word is "virgin." In that day the word only meant "a woman of marriageable age."

The early Christians developed a claim about Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's hopes for a Messiah and applied this prophecy to him, claiming that he was Immanuel and that he was born of a virgin, as the text from Isaiah foretold. This is probably one of the sources for the doctrine of the Virgin Birth.

It has led to a translation controversy. Translations that intend to teach in a way that will reinforce certain Christian interpretations will translate the word used for this mother in Isaiah 7:14 as "virgin." Translations that intend to be as faithful possible to the original meaning and context will translate it as "young woman" or "maiden."

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas