Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The calling of Isaiah to be a prophet is recorded in Isaiah 6. There Isaiah saw a vision of God seated on a throne in the temple. In the presence of the holy God Isaiah declared that he was ruined because he had unclean lips and lived among people of unclean lips. God’s angel brought a coal of fire from the altar and purged Isaiah’s lips of his uncleaness. Then Isaiah was able and willing to answer God’s invitation to go spread the news that God gives. In Isaiah 61 we find Isaiah much later in his ministry declaring that God’s Spirit has anointed him to preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, release from darkness the prisoners and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Vs -11 God is identified as loving justice and hating robbery and iniquity. In vss 10 Isaiah again affirms his great joy in serving the Lord and acknowledges that God has prepared, equipped and dressed him for service.
Psalm 126 is a psalm of ascents, which means it was a part of the liturgy for God’s people as they came to worship in the temple. Here they recall how God brought the Hebrew people home from exile.
John 1:6-8, 19-28
As in Mark’s gospel last week, John the Baptist is identified as one sent before the Christ to prepare the way. This gospel is clear in identifying John the Baptist as a witness to the light, but not the light. In vss. 19-28 John the Baptist is both being questioned if he is the Christ and if not, why does he baptize. John clearly affirms that he is not the Christ, but the voice of one calling in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord. Typical of John he announces that he baptizes with water and is unworthy to untie his sandals.
I Thessalonians 5:16-24
Paul in his earliest letter encourages the Church to be joyful and pray continually, giving thanks as is God’s desire. He cautions them to not put out the Spirit’s fire and not to test prophecies with contempt, but to test everything with positive expectations. Avoid every kind of evil and trusting to be faithful in keeping all promises.