The Upper Room Daily Reflections: daily words of wisdom and faith “Whom Shepherds Guard” by James C. Howell for Sunday, 23 December 2018
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Today’s Reflection:
THE SHEPHERDS “went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). We associate the lovely tune “Greensleeves” with the beloved carol “What Child Is This?” I find myself intrigued by the phrase “whom shepherds guard and angels sing.” Shepherds don’t sound like very good guards, do they? Lacking armor and swords, they have never been drilled in formations or in protecting against violent attackers. … Chasing sheep around in the dark doesn’t qualify you to guard a king like Jesus.
But the shepherds stood before Jesus in awe, the way we crowd around a crib that holds a sleeping child. Theirs was a guarding of faith, belief, hope, and love. (James C. Howell, Why This Jubilee?)
From page 57 of Why This Jubilee? Advent Reflections on Songs of the Season by James C. Howell. Copyright © 2015 by James C. Howell. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
What are you guarding these Advent and Christmas seasons.
Today’s Scripture:
“For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:48-49, NRSV)
This Week: Pray for joy.
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The Upper Room Daily Reflections: daily words of wisdom and faith from United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Thank You, Blessed Lord” by Richard Morgan for Saturday, 22 December 2018
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Today’s Reflection:
THANK YOU, blessed Lord, for sending us songs in the midnight of our lives. When we feel discouraged and tired, we rest beside the road and hear the angels sing. Amen. (Richard Morgan, Settling In)
From page 46 of Settling In: My First Year in a Retirement Community by Richard Morgan. Copyright © 2006 by Richard Morgan. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
Pray today’s prayer. THANK YOU, blessed Lord, for sending us songs in the midnight of our lives. When we feel discouraged and tired, we rest beside the road and hear the angels sing. Amen.
Today’s Scripture:
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47, NRSV)
This Week: Pray for joy.
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This week we remember: Peter Casinius (December 21).
Lectionary Readings for Sunday, 23 December 2018
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
- Micah 5:2-5a
- Luke 1:46b-55
- Philippians 4:4-7
- Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
- Micah 5:2 (3) Therefore he will give up [Isra’el]
only until she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his kinsmen
will return to the people of Isra’el.
3 (4) He will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of Adonai,
in the majesty of the name
of Adonai his God;
and they will stay put, as he grows great
to the very ends of the earth;
4 (5) and this will be peace.
If Ashur invades our land,
if he overruns our fortresses,
we will raise seven shepherds against him,
eight leaders of men.
5 (6) They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword,
the land of Nimrod at its gates;
and he will rescue us from Ashur
when he invades our land,
when he overruns our borders. -
Luke 1:46 Then Miryam said,
“My soul magnifies Adonai;
47 and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
48 who has taken notice of his servant-girl
in her humble position.[a]
For — imagine it! — from now on, all generations will call me blessed!
49 “The Mighty One has done great things for me!
Indeed, his name is holy; 50 and in every generation
he has mercy on those who fear him.[b]51 “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm,
routed the secretly proud,
52 brought down rulers from their thrones,
raised up the humble,
53 filled the hungry with good things,
but sent the rich away empty.54 “He has taken the part of his servant Isra’el,
mindful of the mercy
55 which he promised to our fathers,
to Avraham and his seed forever.” - Philippians 4: 2 (3) Therefore he will give up [Isra’el]only until she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his kinsmen
will return to the people of Isra’el.
3 (4) He will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of Adonai,
in the majesty of the name
of Adonai his God;
and they will stay put, as he grows great
to the very ends of the earth;
4 (5) and this will be peace.
If Ashur invades our land,
if he overruns our fortresses,
we will raise seven shepherds against him,
eight leaders of men.
5 (6) They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword,
the land of Nimrod at its gates;
and he will rescue us from Ashur
when he invades our land,
when he overruns our borders. - Luke 1:39 Without delay, Miryam set out and hurried to the town in the hill country of Y’hudah 40 where Z’kharyah lived, entered his house and greeted Elisheva. 41 When Elisheva heard Miryam’s greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh 42 and spoke up in a loud voice,
“How blessed are you among women!
And how blessed is the child in your womb!43 “But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise Adonai has made to you will be fulfilled.”
46 Then Miryam said,
“My soul magnifies Adonai;
47 and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
48 who has taken notice of his servant-girl
in her humble position.[a]
For — imagine it! — from now on, all generations will call me blessed!
49 “The Mighty One has done great things for me!
Indeed, his name is holy; 50 and in every generation
he has mercy on those who fear him.[b]51 “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm,
routed the secretly proud,
52 brought down rulers from their thrones,
raised up the humble,
53 filled the hungry with good things,
but sent the rich away empty.54 “He has taken the part of his servant Isra’el,
mindful of the mercy
55 which he promised to our fathers,
to Avraham and his seed forever.” -
Footnotes:
- Luke 1:48 1 Samuel 1:11; 2:1
- Luke 1:50 Psalms 103:17; 111:9 (Complete Jewish Bible).
- Micah 5:2-5aVerses:
5:1 Now gather thyself – Since this must be done, do it quickly.O daughter of troops – Nineveh or Babylon. He – Sennacherib, or Nebuchadnezzar. They – The proud, oppressive enemy.The judge – The king. Of Israel – Not the ten tribes, though they are actually called by this name, but the two tribes that adhered to David’s family. A rod – This is a proverbial speech, expressing the most contemptuous usage. 5:2 Bethlehem – Bethlehem of Judah was called Ephratah, from the fruitfulness of the land where it stood: the word whence it is derived importing fruitfulness. Art thou little – If thou art the least in other respects in this thou art honoured above them all.Ruler – King and sovereign. In Israel – Amidst the Israel of God.Going forth – Whose generation, as he is the Son of God, equal with his father, is eternal. 5:3 He – God. Give them up – To the Chaldeans. She – The daughter of Zion, compared here to a woman in travail, shall be delivered out of captivity. His brethren – The brethren of the Messiah.Those of Judah and Benjamin who were carried captive. 5:4 He – The ruler, the Messiah shall stand. This posture speaks the readiness, chearfulness, and stability of Christ, his government, and kingdom. Feed – As a shepherd that diligently guides, preserves, and feeds his sheep. By the strength – By his own almighty strength.Of the name – By commission from the Father in whose name Christ came, preached, wrought miracles, and instituted his gospel church.They – His church made up of converted Jews and Gentiles, shall continue; the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.For – The church is so redeemed, and established, that Christ the Messiah might be glorified, throughout the world. 5:5 This man – The Messiah. The peace – Which is promised to the people of God; all their deliverances are not only for his sake, but effected by his power. Shall tread in our palaces – Which Sennacherib did in all the cities of Judah, except Jerusalem.We – Hezekiah, and with him the prophets and people, shall prevail with God to send deliverance. Seven shepherds – A certain number put for an uncertain - Luke 1:46b-55
1:46 And Mary said – Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand. 1:47 My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour – She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour hat we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery. 1:51 He hath wrought strength with his arm – That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah. He hath scattered the proud – Visible and invisible. 1:52 He hath put down the mighty – Both angels and men. 1:54 He hath helped his servant Israel – By sending the Messiah. 1:55 To his seed – His spiritual seed: all true believers. - Philippians 4:4-7
4:5 Let your gentleness – Yieldingness, sweetness of temper, the result of joy in the Lord. Be known – By your whole behaviour. To all men – Good and bad, gentle and froward. Those of the roughest tempers are good natured to some, from natural sympathy and various motives; a Christian, to all. The Lord – The judge, the rewarder, the avenger. Is at hand – Standeth atthe door. 4:6 Be anxiously careful for nothing – If men are not gentle towards you, yet neither on this, nor any other account, be careful, but pray. Carefulness and prayer cannot stand together.In every thing – Great and small. Let your requests be made known – They who by a preposterous shame or distrustful modesty, cover,stifle, or keep in their desires, as if they were either too small or too great, must be racked with care; from which they are entirely delivered, who pour them out with a free and filial confidence. To God – It is not always proper to disclose them to men. By supplication – Which is the enlarging upon and pressing our petition. With thanksgiving – The surest mark of a soul free from care, and of prayer joined with true resignation. This is always followed by peace. Peace and thanksgiving are both coupled together, Colossians 3:15 . 4:7 And the peace of God – That calm, heavenly repose, that tranquility of spirit, which God only can give. Which surpasseth all understanding – Which none can comprehend, save he that receiveth it. Shall keep – Shall guard, as a garrison does a city. Your hearts – Your affections. Your minds – Your understandings, and all the various workings of them; through the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus, in the knowledge and love of God. Without a guard set on these likewise, the purity and vigour of our affections cannot long be preserved. - Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)
1:39 A city of Judah – Probably Hebron, which was situated in the hill country of Judea, and belonged to the house of Aaron. 1:41 When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary – The discourse with which she saluted her, giving an account of what the angel had said, the joy of her soul so affected her body, that the very child in her womb was moved in an uncommon manner, as if it leaped for joy. 1:45 Happy is she that believed – Probably she had in her mind the unbelief of Zacharias. 1:46 And Mary said – Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand. 1:47 My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour – She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour hat we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery. 1:51 He hath wrought strength with his arm – That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah. He hath scattered the proud – Visible and invisible. 1:52 He hath put down the mighty – Both angels and men. 1:54 He hath helped his servant Israel – By sending the Messiah. 1:55 To his seed – His spiritual seed: all true believers. (Wesley’s Explanatory Notes).
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