Midweek Musings for the Name Day of Jesus

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Mid Week Musings

Reflection by Ken Klassen
Name of Jesus

INTRODUCTION
From the beginning, by virtue of our baptism, we are called Christian. We were "Christ-ened" at the font. Bearing his name, we share the same Father and are invited to address him intimately: Abba! Jesus bears our sins in humble obedience to the will of the Father. Today we pray that the mind of Christ, whose name we bear, would be our own. It is a good way to begin, again, another year.

Name of Jesus
By Jewish law, every baby boy was circumcised and named on the eighth day of life, so on the eighth day of Christmas the church celebrates this event in Jesus' life. The keeping of the covenant as well as Jesus' name are signs of God's salvation given to us through him.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Eternal Father, you gave your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be a sign of our salvation. Plant in every heart the love of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Numbers 6:22–27

God commanded Aaron to say these words, known as the Aaronic benediction, in blessing the people of Israel. We too are marked with God’s name and God’s blessing as we are sent from our assemblies into the world.

²²The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ²³Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
²⁴The LORD bless you and keep you;
²⁵the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
²⁶the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
²⁷So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 8

How majestic is your name in all the earth! (Ps. 8:1)

¹O ^| LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in ^| all the earth!—²you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths of in- ^| fants and children; you have set up a fortress against your enemies, to silence the foe ^| and avenger.

³When I consider your heavens, the work ^| of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have set ^| in their courses,

⁴what are mere mortals that you should be mind- ^| ful of them, human beings that you should ^| care for them? R

⁵Yet you have made them little less ^| than divine; with glory and hon- ^| or you crown them.

⁶You have made them rule over the works ^| of your hands; you have put all things un- ^| der their feet:

⁷all ^| flocks and cattle, even the wild beasts ^| of the field,

⁸the birds of the air, the fish ^| of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths ^| of the sea.

⁹O ^| LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in ^| all the earth! R

Second Reading

Galatians 4:4–7

Paul proclaims the ultimate significance of the nativity: Jesus was born the Son of God so that, because of him, we all may be God's children.

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. ⁶And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" ⁷So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Gospel

Luke 2:15–21

Eight days after his birth, Jesus is circumcised according to Jewish law and given the name announced by the angel before his conception.

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
²¹After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Reflection

I've always been interested in and perhaps mystified by angels. There are many yarns spun about them, outside the Bible and even outside of the Hallmark Channel. While the total angel count is exceedingly numerous, in the Bible only two are significant enough to mention by name, Michael and Gabriel. Angels are messengers used by God. And although they are spirits, power is given them to become visible taking on the semblance of a human form. This is what happens in Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary with a message from God. He tells her she will give birth to a son and will name him Jesus. God's message to Mary was not delivered to her in a dream; it was a 1-on-1 encounter. Did Mary know the significance of her encounter with the angel Gabriel? I think she did because in our Gospel reading for this week, Jesus is born and Mary names the infant Jesus. Mary was obedient to God's message. I believe that God sends messages to us today, but most are not as unmistakable as a 1-on-1 meeting with an angel. Regardless, he expects our obedience.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom and the patience to understand your scriptures. Help us to listen for your voice and obey. We ask that your protecting hand will be on all of those who serve our country and work for peace. Teach us compassion for the sick, the suffering, and those in need.