COMMENTARY

Old Testament: Isaiah 43:16-21
Yahweh promises to do a new thing for his people in exile. The "new thing" (v. 19) Yahweh promises is a new exodus from bondage in Babylon. The "former things" (v. 18) refer to the exodus from Egypt. As in the first exodus, Yahweh will make a way through the wilderness and provide water as the people cross 600 miles of desert from Babylon to Jerusalem. A third exodus is the sacrifice of Christ who redeemed us from the bondage of sin and who now provides food and water in the Sacrament of the new covenant.

Epistle: Philippians 3:4b-14
Paul forgets the past as refuse and presses forward toward Christ. In the church at Philippi certain "enthusiasts" felt they were perfect because they received the Sacraments. In contrast, Paul holds to a theology …