Revised Common Lectionary: Judges 4:1-7 or Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 123 or Psalm 90:1-12
Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
As we near the end of Ordinary Time, this Kingdom-tide, we come to an end of this thread of Old Testament readings, the stories of our ancestors from Abraham to the twelve tribes living in Canaan. We followed the saga of Abraham and Sarah and their family through four generations, leading them across Mesopotamia into a land promised to their descendants, then into Egypt. In Egypt, it grew from the story of a family to a story of a nation, and as they crossed the Red Sea, they left behind slavery and oppression to follow God who delivered them, under the leadership and guidance of Moses, Miriam and Aaron. After their time in the wilderness and the deaths of Moses, Miriam and Aaron, the people crossed the River Jordan under the leadership of Joshua into the land promised to them. And now, before the time of king David, before the time of a ruler who united the tribes, we read the story of Deborah, one of the Judges, one of the only successful leaders in this interim time between the wilderness and the kingdom of Israel.
This is one of those unfortunate times when our lectionary does not do the full story justice. Judges 4:1-7 is just a snippet of the story. Deborah, the judge and prophetess of Israel, rules wisely and through her leadership and counsel of Barak and the bravery of Jael, they prevail against their enemies. This snippet does show that God calls both women and men to be leaders, God gifts both men and women for leadership, and God’s blessings can be revealed through both women and men. However, as can be seen in the book of Judges, and even in the first king, Saul, even those whom God’s blessings are revealed, even those who seem to be anointed by God can be corrupted, can fall short, and can fail the people. Leaders, rulers, judges and kings, after all, are still only human.
In contrast of Deborah’s rule, Zephaniah cries out and proclaims the day of the Lord is drawing near, a day of judgment. Zephaniah prophesied just before King Josiah carried out great reforms, both politically and religiously. In Zephaniah’s time, Israel had fallen one hundred years before. Judah was in danger of falling to their enemies and the kings had continued to be corrupt, to worship other gods, to let the wealthy elite stay wealthy and trample upon the poor. Josiah, upon the rediscovery of portions of the Torah that had been lost, will reform the political and religious sphere, but Zephaniah writes just before this time. Zephaniah proclaims judgment for those who have forsaken God’s ways, who have betrayed their people and their God.
Psalm 123 cries out for mercy from God, as the psalmist is humble, seeking restoration and help in a time of struggle. Psalm 90: 1-12 remarks on how short human life is, in contrast to the vastness of the life of creation. God is beyond time; God is beyond our understanding, and our lives are short, so we should be humble, grateful for what we have, and repent where we have gone wrong. We are called not to waste our days, but to count them, so “that we may gain a wise heart” (vs. 12).
Matthew 25:14-30 is the second parable of this last chapter before Christ’s anointing, before the preparation for his death. This is one of the harder parables, for it does not seem fair. It does not seem fair that the man who was afraid of his master, who buried his talent rather than invest it, is punished. But what this parable speaks to me is that if we are not willing to risk, we are bound to lose. This isn’t about money in the stock market, but it is about what we do with what God has given us. Are we willing to risk ourselves for God? Are we willing to leave behind what makes us first to become last? Are we willing to be among the lost and the least, to lose our reputation to be with the marginalized? In this preparation for the reign of Christ, which we all ought to be doing with our lives now, are we willing to risk what we have for the reign of God? Are we willing to risk ourselves to do the work of God? Are we more concerned with self-preservation, burying our talent in the ground, or are we willing to take the risk to make more talents for God? Are we willing to take the risk and live among the marginalized in the hopes of bringing more people into the knowledge of God’s love and grace, or will we stick with what we know, turn our eyes inward, and preserve ourselves?
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 are words of encouragement for Paul in this time of waiting for the reign of God to come, in this time of waiting for Christ to come again in a new way into our lives, but also a reminder, as last week’s parable taught us, to keep awake. To be ready. To be prepared for the coming reign of God.
All of these scriptures, as we prepare for Reign of Christ Sunday, remind us to be prepared to do our part in the reign of God here and now, as we await Christ to come into our lives in a new way. We are called not to become content with the status quo, not to take our fill and turn away from the poor as the people did in Zephaniah’s time, not to do what is right in our own eyes as the people did in the time of the Judges. Rather, we are called to do what the first two servants did in the parable of the Talents–to risk what we have been given in order to do greater good in the reign of God. That might mean our reputations in standing with the marginalized, or our own possessions in standing with the poor, or our own contentment in standing with the oppressed. We are called to live as participants in the reign of God here and now. This is not something we are waiting for at the end of our lives, but something we are active in now.
Call to Worship:
Leader: The Reign of God is at hand!
People: Let us stand with the poor.
Leader: The Reign of God is at hand!
People: Let us stand with the marginalized.
Leader: The Reign of God is at hand!
People: Let us stand with the oppressed.
Leader: The Reign of God is at hand!
People: Let us stand with the lost and the least.
Leader: The Reign of God is at hand!
People: Come, let us participate in the Reign of God together!
Prayer of Confession:
Almighty God, we confess to You that we have turned inward instead of outward to the world. We have focused on self-preservation rather than concern for the poor and marginalized. We have focused on our own success and failed to see the needs of others. We have at times believed that what we have is more important to preserve for ourselves than to share with our brothers and sisters in need. Forgive us. Call us to repent. God, we desire to be citizens of Your kingdom. Break down the barriers in our hearts that hold us to self-preservation and instead open us to the cries of the world. Remind us that in Your kingdom, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Call us into humility when we sin in pride. Call us to be selfless when we sin in greed. Forgive us, and call us to repentance. In the name of Christ, our Redeemer, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon:
Nothing we can ever do will separate us from God’s love. There is no wall too great, no boundary too broad, for God’s love to penetrate. We can change, we can grow, and we can walk right with God again. Go with this Good News, and live as citizens of Christ’s reign. Amen.
Prayer:
Holy God, we come to You in this time where the light grows dim, where the air turns cooler, when the northern hemisphere turns to wintry sleep. We come to You in a time when economic prospects look bleak, when political polarization has captured the news, and the real cries of the poor and hungry in all our world are not heard. God, You are the Light of the World. In the darkness, Your light shines. Help us to grow and share that light. Call us to be beacons in times of darkness. In the most challenging times, Lord, give us the strength and courage to be Your light in our world, to live as citizens of Your reign, for Your light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. In the name of Christ, the Light that has come and will come again, we pray. Amen.
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