In her translation of the portion of Luke’s Gospel for this week, regarding the devil’s statement in verse 10 about God’s own angels, Dr. Gaffney says Biblical Hebrew does not have a word that means simply divine winged being, which is generally translated as angel.
A reflection by Christina Brennan Lee for January 12, 2025.
I’ve looked at a dozen or more translations and paraphrases of this week’s Gospel reading [see Biblegateway.com for your own check] and they all say “angel.” Hebrew, she tells us, uses mal’akh which translates to messenger whether or not they are human or divine. Further, these messengers are distinct from the cherubim and seraphim … and never interchanged. She also says it is the same in the Greek and that there are no winged angels in the Christian [New] Testament.
I vaguely remembered from my Catholic school religious education that there are hierarchies and differing tasks for angels of different “species” and there’s quite a bit of information available, especially from the Jewish Hebrew [Old] Testament notes. Of course we have all been influenced by artistic depictions and perhaps that helps us to differentiate between human and supernatural beings.
All that said, she reminds us that we can be angels to each other when need is noted.
Women and children, as always, are the most vulnerable, especially those who are different than the perceived dominant culture.
As we have entered this still fresh year, we are seeing much political change in areas around the world that have been fairly stable for decades. Those who are different than some artificial/political designation, whatever their color, ethnicity, gender, and life circumstance, may truly be in more peril than ever before. And those of us who think we may be safe from those distinctions may be fooling ourselves.
Whether with those we meet who are strangers to us or those we do know somewhat or very well, we can be wingless angels to those in the wilderness of spirit or health or other circumstance, or in particular danger from any potential or intentional act of violence whether in word or action. And yes, there may be a personal cost in one way or another, yet it is what we are called to by Christ.
Sometimes a wilderness is right in the midst of our daily living within ourselves and/or in our very own neighborhood or the broader area we call home.
In her wilderness, Hagar rose to lift up her child. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, rose from his baptism, returned from his time in his wilderness, in the power of the Spirit. May we feel the Spirit within us and for us, in mind, body, and soul and rise into knowing a Christ-filled well-being for ourselves and each other. May this New Year, fill us all with the continuing Spirit of joy for the birth of our Holy Child.
I, as do we all, love celebrating the Babe in the Manger. Now it’s time for me to be more consciously intentional in everyday life to follow the teachings of our Messiah/Redeemer and expand my wingless ministry. We have fast-forwarded from the Magi’s visit last week to the Man who has now begun his public ministry. We will linger in the season of Epiphany for a few more weeks, and then our forty days of renewed contemplation will begin again.
As Tevye sings to his daughter in Fiddler on the Roof [see YouTube] To Life! let us remember:
To life! To life! L’chai-im!
L’chai-im, l’chai-im, to life!
Our great men have written words of
Wisdom to be used
When hardship must be faced;
Life obliges us with hardship
So the words of wisdom
shouldn’t go to waste.
_____________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Every week, Christina Brennan Lee writes the Prayers of the People we use in our worship services on Sundays. She also leads weekday prayer services and serves on the SsAM Vestry. Click here to see her People’s Prayers website.
