Daily Retreat 01/13/09
2009 Jan 13 Tue: Ordinary Weekday/ Hilary, bp, dr
Heb 2: 5-12/ Ps 8: 2ab and 5. 6-7. 8-9/ Mk 1: 21-28
From today’s readings: “...by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone.... You have given Your Son rule over the works of Your hands.... The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes....”
Of Angels and their Lord
During Advent, the lectionary readings, although thematically related, “jump” from book to book, making it difficult in that schema to observe continuity and development of themes within books of the Bible. But in the Christmas season, the daily first readings were progressively taken from the First Letter of John, so we were able to reflect not just on isolated verses, but on the overall thematic impact of the whole work.
Now, for a few weeks, the daily first readings will peruse the New Testament book (or letter) to the Hebrews. The day-by-day lectionary reading of this text will occasionally abbreviate the text in the Bible by omitting a few verses, but as always, it is highly encouraged to use your own Bible to read the whole passage, including omitted verses. Thus, yesterday, the lectionary ended with Hebrews 1:6, while today the reading begins with Hebrews 2:5 - the omitted verses are not essential, but reading them will lead to a more complete understanding of the issues.
The first verses of Hebrews acknowledge Jesus as the definitive revelation of God. In explaining that point, the first chapters of Hebrews detail how Jesus is superior to the angels and to Moses. Now, by nature, angels (both good and evil) enjoy certain advantages over humans: their intellects are superior, and furthermore, angels, being pure spirits, need not worry about the limitations and weaknesses of the body. So the fact that Jesus was truly human seems to lead, at first glance, to the conclusion that He was inferior to the angels, which is why these first chapters address that issue and explain why Christ, not only in spite of His humanity, but precisely because of His Incarnation as God’s Son, is infinitely superior to the angels.
Heb 2: 5-12/ Ps 8: 2ab and 5. 6-7. 8-9/ Mk 1: 21-28
From today’s readings: “...by the grace of God, He might taste death for everyone.... You have given Your Son rule over the works of Your hands.... The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes....”
Of Angels and their Lord
During Advent, the lectionary readings, although thematically related, “jump” from book to book, making it difficult in that schema to observe continuity and development of themes within books of the Bible. But in the Christmas season, the daily first readings were progressively taken from the First Letter of John, so we were able to reflect not just on isolated verses, but on the overall thematic impact of the whole work.
Now, for a few weeks, the daily first readings will peruse the New Testament book (or letter) to the Hebrews. The day-by-day lectionary reading of this text will occasionally abbreviate the text in the Bible by omitting a few verses, but as always, it is highly encouraged to use your own Bible to read the whole passage, including omitted verses. Thus, yesterday, the lectionary ended with Hebrews 1:6, while today the reading begins with Hebrews 2:5 - the omitted verses are not essential, but reading them will lead to a more complete understanding of the issues.
The first verses of Hebrews acknowledge Jesus as the definitive revelation of God. In explaining that point, the first chapters of Hebrews detail how Jesus is superior to the angels and to Moses. Now, by nature, angels (both good and evil) enjoy certain advantages over humans: their intellects are superior, and furthermore, angels, being pure spirits, need not worry about the limitations and weaknesses of the body. So the fact that Jesus was truly human seems to lead, at first glance, to the conclusion that He was inferior to the angels, which is why these first chapters address that issue and explain why Christ, not only in spite of His humanity, but precisely because of His Incarnation as God’s Son, is infinitely superior to the angels.
posted by FrPitstick | 1/10/2009
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