FROM TODAYS DAILY REFLECTION: Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. - Luke 23:50-51 The verb translated here as waiting can also mean welcoming or looking forward to. It suggests an eagerness to receive the kingdom of God. The form of the verb emphasizes the ongoing duration of Joseph’s expectation. He was waiting and waiting and waiting for the kingdom. Now you see the connection to Advent. This season of the Christian year emphasizes waiting, hoping, longing. We put ourselves back into the place of people like Joseph of Arimathea and imagine what it was like for him to wait for the kingdom. And we get in touch with our own waiting for Christ to come again, when he will establish the kingdom in all of its fullness. We long for the day when God will reign over every facet of life, when the hungry will be fed, when violence will be abated, and when all people will flourish in the shalom of God. A PRAYER: Thank you, gracious God, for the faithfulness of Joseph of Arimathea. Though we don’t know much about him, we see his commitment to Jesus and are thankful for the risk he took in order to make sure Jesus was properly buried. Today, I am particularly grateful for Joseph’s Advent mindset. He waited for your kingdom. He longed to welcome you as king. May I imitate Joseph during the season of Advent. May I also long for your kingdom. And may I welcome your kingdom even now as I seek to live under your reign in every part of life. Reign over me, Lord, at work, at home, in my relationships, in my finances, in my public life, and in private. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:54:55 +0000
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