G. Archer Frierson
Austin Seminary Board of Trustees
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Advent Devotional for December 5
• Matthew 21:33-46
Jesus has arrived. He stands in the temple in Jerusalem and teaches God’s message to those who surround him. Those in charge approach him and ask him who has given him authority to teach. He evades their question and then goes on to tell a series of parables. None of the parables are flattering to the men in charge of the Temple.
In today’s parable, Jesus compares God to a landowner who has leased the land on which is vineyard grows. When the landowner sends slaves, and even his son, to collect the fruit, his tenants betray him and kill those whom he has sent. Jesus warns those in religious authority that they only have the kingdom of God because of God’s pleasure. What is important is not pedigree, but the fruits of the kingdom. Will those in charge of God’s kingdom welcome the people God sends?
Being open to God is harder than it sounds. Devotion easily turns into control. Those people in charge of the Temple considered themselves devoted to God, but they weren’t prepared for God expressed through Jesus Christ. We can have a hard time seeing Jesus, too. We get fixated on doing things in church a particular way, our way, and forget to think about the bigger picture. Years ago, I interned in a church that was having an argument about whether or not to bring an upholstered chair into the sanctuary, so an ailing parishioner could join the congregation for worship. The outcome ended up being negative. Having only matching pews in the sanctuary became more important to the congregation than welcoming one of their own. Imagine if God had sent a stranger into their midst!
Today, take an inventory of the places in your life where devotion has turned into control. Are you ready to let go? Practice seeing Jesus in the unexpected.
The Reverend Sarah Gaventa
Dean of Students
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?
• Students in our masters-degree programs receive up to 85% need-based tuition aid.
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