Lectionary for 1/1/09

Today's readings are Isaiah 61.1-11 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+61.1-11 ) and Luke 1.57-80 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Lk.+1.57-80 ).

On this day of the year many people are making a list of resolutions.  Countless Americans are vowing to lose weight, exercise more, maybe save more money, maybe to spend more time with their families.  These are good things.  Yet in all our planning we want to consider what the Lord proclaims.  What are God's priorities?

Isaiah 61 proclaims a "year of the Lord's favor" (v. 2, ESV).  In this year, we see God's priorities as healing the sick and wounded, giving liberty to those in prison, showing favor to his people, and taking vengeance on those who oppose him.   What if we consider these four priorities of God as we look at our lives in the upcoming year?

Maybe we are weak, tired, physically or spiritually sick.  Let us look to our Lord as the one who has provided Christian brothers and sisters in His Church to build us up.  Let us look to his provisions of Word and Sacraments to nourish us.  Maybe we find ourselves in contact with people who are in need of healing.  Can we be God's instruments in this world?   

We can look also to God's provision of liberty to those in prison.  Maybe we know someone who is in prison physically and literally.  Can we nurture that person in the faith?  Or maybe we know people who are imprisoned spiritually, locked in by false doctrine, desires to earn their own justification, searching their inner man for something good and finding nothing.  Can we proclaim liberty in Christ?  Indeed we can.  God is able to use his people to accomplish his purposes in the world.  

What favor is the Lord showing to his people?  How can we be instruments of that desire?  How are we recipients of God's favor?  Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.  Let us revel in the mercies of Christ.  

And what of vengeance?  So often we wish to take vengeance on evildoers.  We want to take justice into our own hands.  But we will ultimately fail as we cannot possibly deal with the heart and eternal destiny of anybody.  What liberty to see that our Lord is the one who will take vengeance on evil.  He will exercise just judgment and will bring all things to pass in accord with his righteousness.  It is no longer our burden.  It is our Lord's burden.

Lord, grant that we may have the priorities that you have in this, the year of your favor.