Daily Readings - Fri Dec 01 2017

First Reading - Daniel 7.1-14

¹In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said²I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea³And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea⁴The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it⁵And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: "Arise, devour much flesh.⁶After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it⁷After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns⁸I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn rose out of the midst of them. And three of the first horns were rooted out by its presence. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking unnatural things⁹I watched until thrones were set up, and the ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire¹⁰A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened¹¹I watched because of the voice of the great words which that horn was speaking, and I saw that the beast had been destroyed, and its body was ruined and had been handed over to be burnt with fire¹²Likewise, the power of the other beasts was taken away, and a limited time of life was appointed to them, until one time and another¹³I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the ancient of days, and they presented him before him¹⁴And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted

Gospel - Luke 21.29-33

Luke

Chapter 21

²⁹And he told them a comparison: "Take notice of the fig tree and of all the trees³⁰When presently they produce fruit from themselves, you know that summer is near³¹So you also, when you will have seen these things happen, know that the kingdom of God is near³²Amen I say to you, this lineage shall not pass away, until all these things happen³³Heaven and earth shall pass away. But my words shall not pass away

Sermon

In today's readings, we are presented with vivid imagery from Daniel and a parable from Luke, both pointing us toward the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom. Daniel's vision, set during the Babylonian exile, describes four beasts symbolizing the rise and fall of earthly empires. The fourth beast, with its terrifying appearance, represents oppressive power, but it is ultimately destroyed. This vision culminates with the Ancient One, a symbol of God, judging the beasts and granting dominion to the son of man, a figure representing the Messiah and God's people. This vision reassures us that despite the turmoil of history, God's sovereignty will prevail. In Luke, Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree to teach about recognizing the signs of the kingdom of God. Just as leaves signal the approach of summer, certain events will herald the nearness of God's kingdom. Jesus emphasizes the enduring nature of his words, which will outlast even heaven and earth. This parable invites us to stay vigilant and attentive to the signs around us, trusting in the fulfillment of God's promises. Both readings converge on the theme of God's kingdom and our response to its signs. Daniel's vision calls us to trust in God's ultimate triumph over earthly powers, while Luke's parable encourages us to remain faithful and attentive, knowing that God's word endures. As we navigate our daily lives, let us stay rooted in faith, recognizing the signs of God's presence and trusting in the eternal nature of His word. May we remain vigilant and hopeful, awaiting the full realization of God's kingdom.