Advent Reflections
An Advent Dialogue
by Robert and McCrae Finley
December 5: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22; Isaiah 3:8-15; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; Luke 20:41-21:4
McCrea: I think the whole verse is interesting.
Robert: You mean the whole passage?
M: I think 21:1-4 is more important. Like, people judge other people by how much they give and how they look on the outside.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
R: Do you think people can help doing this? Don’t you think most people automatically do this?
M: I think most people try to make it a contest, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s like a math equation. Jesus is saying that the woman is giving a little, and it doesn’t say how much they gave, but she gave two mites, and he was saying that it was equal because it was proportional to her income.
R: I like the first part. The footstool and enemies part.
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:41-44)
M: Of course you do.
R: Wanna know why?
M: Sure…
R: Well, I’m into furniture.
M: Oh, gah. (But only if it’s Shaker…)
R: No, really. I’m into eschatology.
M: What’s that?
R: Ooh! That’s when we talk about the stuff that all happens last. Or in the future, right?
es·cha·tol·o·gy (sk-tl-j) n.
1. The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind.
2. A belief or a doctrine concerning the ultimate or final things, such as death, the destiny of humanity, the Second Coming, or the Last Judgment.
I love thefreedictionary.com.
So that’s what that is. Eschatology.
M: Yay, death! Me and all of my friends agree that death isn’t scary. We’re scared of the pain associated with death.
R: This little piece isn’t really about death. It’s about what happens at Christmas. This guy is born who will destroy death. Death: that’s the last enemy. Jesus comes to do away with it. I like to think that enemy has a bone in this footstool.
M: What else do we need to put in?
R: “The End”? Ha!
