Advent Devotions Week 1

Advent Devotional Calendar
Monday, Nov 28 Matthew 21:1-11
The crowds had been waiting for Jesus. Or, more specifically, they had been waiting for the Messiah to arrive…and what they got didn’t look anything like what they had been expecting. A guy, a farmer, a country hick, really, on a donkey…..not on a white steed, not with fan fare and trumpets and weapons…but Jesus. Humble, riding on a donkey.
Advent is a time of waiting. What are you waiting for? Or, rather, who are you waiting for? In what ways does the God who comes to us in Jesus Christ not resemble all of our assumptions about what God is like?
Prayer: Holy God, we are waiting for you. Help us always to receive you as you are, full of humility and grace, and not as we expect you to be. Amen.

Tuesday, Nov 29 Matthew 21:12-22
I’ve always been bothered by this passage. Both the people in the Temple, and the fig tree, were minding their own business—just doing what they needed to do to do business, just trying to grow at the side of the road. And Jesus comes and starts tearing things down. But what I just have noticed, in re-reading, is the word ‘prayer’: “My house shall be a house of prayer, and the tail end of the story, “whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Maybe prayer is the point of the story—not getting on with our lives, doing what we’ve always done—but intentionally stopping, and setting aside the day to day, and praying. In faith.
Prayer: Loving and disturbing God, you came in Jesus to set things right, to knock down the things that get in the way of our life with you. Give us breath to pause, and stop, and be with you in prayer at this busy Advent time. Amen.

Wednesday, November 30 Matthew 21:28-32
In the ancient world, when a word, especially by a parent, even more especially by a father, was said, and was heard, it was to be obeyed. Hearing was obeying. There was no alternative. In the parable, however, Jesus tells of a son who at first says no, but afterwards goes and does the work of his father. He then asks the crowd gathered around him: “Which of these did the will of his father?” Is it our words that make a difference, or our actions? Or both? St Francis of Assisi said “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary use words.” In what actions are we telling the Good News?
Prayer: Holy Father, let my words, my actions, my whole life be a reflection of the goodness you have given to all in Jesus Christ. Amen.


Thursday, December 1 Matthew 21.33-44
This was a typical setting in Roman-occupied Palestine. A wealthy land owner bought some land, prepared it, hired tenants to work it, and then went away to another part of the Empire to attend to other business affairs. “While the cat’s away the mice will play” is another saying. Things take a wrong turn—making this parable sound more like an episode of CSI than something in the Bible. And yet, Jesus twists the story and begins talking about a cornerstone. “Christ is our cornerstone” we sing. In what ways is Christ our cornerstone, undergirding our lives? How do we produce fruit in the kingdom of God?
Prayer: Holy One, you are the foundation of our lives, you are the strength we seek. Give us eyes to see you, and lives that produce fruit for your kingdom. Amen.

Friday, December 2 Matthew 22:1–14
Why are we hearing these stories about weeping and gnashing of teeth, during Advent? Isn’t Advent a time of expectant—and hopeful—waiting? Why all this talk about judgment? One of the things we might wonder about is the man who shows up without a wedding garment. He was just pulled in off the street, for heaven’s sake! Maybe he didn’t have a wedding garment! But ancient tradition was that the slaves who invited the people in would also give them a wedding garment—specifically so they would be arrayed in fine clothes, and so they could come without feeling shame if they had no good clothes to wear. The king was giving them everything they needed to come and feast—and the man who showed up without it was directly insulting the king. God has given us all we need in Christ—in what ways are we refusing God’s gracious gifts, by refusing to use them?
Prayer: Generous God, in Christ you have given us all we need. By your Spirit, let us clothe ourselves as your children, your beloved guests. Amen.

Saturday, December 3 Matthew 22:15–22
“Whose head is this?” (literally, whose image is this?) And whose title? Jesus asks the crowd. What images do we have of Jesus? A little baby? A smart young teacher? A rebel against the Roman occupiers? What titles do we use—Lord? Suffering Servant? Savior? The image we have of God, and the language we use, often grew out of our childhood experience. What are some others ways you can think of, some other images to use, as we travel through Advent?
Prayer: Lord God, we are made in your image. Help us not to confuse our image with yours, but only to worship you. Amen.