Lectionary blog for Nov. 30, 2025
First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122;
Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
I hope you’re ready! Advent has rolled around once again. It is time to prepare ourselves for the (re)birth of Jesus into the world and into our hearts. How do we get ready? Shopping for presents? Maybe. Finishing final papers or work reports before the end of the year? Probably. Stocking up supplies of eggnog? I hope not. (Yuck!) But there’s a different kind of preparation that Jesus is looking for, and the lectionary texts point us that way.
First, Jesus wants to make sure we all know that, even before his murder by the Romans, he is not leaving us alone—he is coming back. Jesus sets the tone for his return, and it is not a pleasant one. He says the return of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah: people then were living life, eating meals and getting married, until the flood took them all away (Matthew 24:39). Understand, the “taking away” here is not the good outcome, contrary to a “Rapture reading” of the text. So, if you’re in a field or sitting and grinding meal, being “taken away” is the same outcome as it was for those outside of Noah’s ark. Therefore, Jesus says, because the possibility of being caught unaware and taken away is so bad, we should be on alert (24:42). But how do we practice alertness?
Paul has some ideas about how to get ready for the dawning of that day when Jesus will return. As nights are getting longer for us in the Northern Hemisphere, Paul says to remember to act in the night like you would in board daylight. Don’t get drunk and act the fool. Don’t bring shame on yourself and the church with sexual sins. And whatever else, definitely don’t stir up fighting or jealousy of others (Romans 13:13). When we go looking to start conflicts or to make people covet something our neighbor has, we aren’t following the way of Jesus.
It is time to prepare ourselves for the (re)birth of Jesus into the world and into our hearts.
So, if Paul tells us what to avoid in order to be ready, what should we seek out and practice? The psalmist has a suggestion. In one of my favorite Psalms of Ascent (122), the psalmist tells of the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Tucked not so subtly into the psalm is the reminder that this yearly practice of climbing to a place of praise and thanksgiving is an ordinance and a testimony for Israel (122:4). God chose to reside in Jerusalem, and thrones were set up for the dispensing of justice (122:5). Therefore, the people were (and are) to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, so that it will continue to be a place of dispensing justice and wisdom.
Finally, we turn to Isaiah, who furthers the psalmist’s message that the best way to get ready for God is to seek wisdom and justice. In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord, Zion, will be lifted up as chief of the mountains. The logical response for everyone, Jewish or otherwise, is to stream to Jerusalem to learn about God’s laws and God’s ways (Isaiah 2:3). God will act as a judge between the nations and as a national mediator. God will punish those committed to injustice and harming their neighbors. And God will provide restitution to those who have been harmed by aggressive nations and bullies on the world stage (Isaiah 2:4). At that time, everyone will see the utter stupidity of attacking neighbors, and weapons will be turned into tools that help, rather than hurt, fellow humans.
The closing invitation, to the house of Jacob, is to walk in the light of the Lord (Isaiah 2:5). As we’ve already seen from this passage though, many peoples and folks from all nations are invited to wisely walk in the light of the Lord. So, what does this look like?
1. Let’s get rid of mistaken beliefs that call “bad” good and “good” bad. There is no Rapture coming—no one knows when the last day is coming. (Not even Jesus.) Being “taken away” on the last day is a bad thing. 2. Let’s act honorably, not getting out of control or preying on human tendencies toward lust, violence or envy. 3. Let’s reorient ourselves, bodily, toward pursuing what is good, and praying for justice and peace. If you’re going to Jerusalem this year, first, invite others to come along, and second, learn the ways of peace. 4. Let’s learn to be a country—made up of many nations—that urgently desires to learn the ways of justice, and put away the tools and ways of violence against neighbor. These are the ways that God is calling us to prepare to welcome Jesus’ rebirth into the world.
