Advent Reading ~ Dec.10

Advent 2013 ~ Bethlehem Candle

Tuesday, December 10th

Old Testament: "See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Isaiah 60:2-3

I love this scripture in Isaiah. This is a prophesy of Jesus, the Light of the World, coming into darkness. This verse is echoed in John's Gospel, "the light shines in the darkness...".

New Testament: "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly."  Matthew 1:18-19

Our story takes a quick break from the Gospel of Luke to let Gospel of Matthew catch up.  Comparing the accounts of the same story is a fun way to grow in your understanding about the events.  Many events surrounding Jesus' life are found in multiple Gospels.  They are not written to discount each other, but to give the reader depth and a wider perspective on the events unfolding. I liken the variety of perspectives to watching a football game and asking different people at the game to share what they experienced.  Each person, due to his background and education, will have a different perspective and interpretation on the game.  Matthew takes a traditional, Jewish perspective with a masculine worldview.  Luke, being a doctor, takes a scientific view and also encompasses stories involving women and lower-class citizens.  So here we are in Matthew to continue our story.

In Jewish tradition, a couple would be engaged for a period of time and then be married. This engagement period would require divorce papers to terminate. We see Joseph's character as he does not want to publicly disgrace Mary.

Have a great day!