Sunday, December 29, 2024  

Today's Scripture
Hebrews 1:5–12

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” (NRSV)

Reflection

My Advent calendars misled me. You see, my mother kept a tradition of giving a new Advent calendar every year, and I dutifully opened each window on the appointed day — never cheating, never peeking, except that one time, with that one particularly beautiful calendar, when my prevailing sense of discipline collapsed. I had to see what was waiting to be revealed behind the 24th window. It did not disappoint. But here was the problem: the Advent calendars led me to believe that it all ended on Christmas Eve. Sure, a few calendars — bless them for trying — included a window for December 25, but by then, Jesus was in the manger, the star was gleaming overhead, and the Fear Nots had been proclaimed by the angels.

And so we find ourselves in late December, calendar windows and gifts opened, wrapping paper discarded, reading from Hebrews chapter 1. Depending on which Bible edition you might consult, you’ll see this passage subtitled as “Christ coming to us from the Father, is preferred above the angels” (1945, KJV); Jesus as the “Exalted Son” (1989, NIV); or, far less humbly, “The Superiority of the Person of Christ” (various Ryrie Study Bibles). But wait, isn’t there something wrong here? Superiority? Just four days ago we celebrated the humble origins of a life lived out in faith, service, and salvation. Superiority seems … arrogant. Especially when we are talking about Jesus.

Maybe today’s verses best serve as a logical roadmap — a pathway to the great “therefore” of Hebrews chapter 2, as in, “Therefore we must pay heed to the proclamation of salvation.” Sure, we may feel we are in lull time. But remember, the Advent calendar did not tell the full story. Advent continues through the Feast of Epiphany — a date that coincides, some say, with a sense that the light is returning to the northern hemisphere; it’s the date on which we start to notice the days growing longer, the sun shining that much higher in the sky. Shall we continue our Advent journey, on through Epiphany, by proclaiming the Light of the world?

Prayer
A prayer from the Cardinal Newman hymn (1833):

Lead, kindly Light, amid the gloom of evening.
Lord, lead me on! On through the night! On to your radiance!
Lead, kindly Light!

Amen.

Reflection written by Sarah Forbes Orwig, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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