Reading 1
Is 11:1-10
On that day,
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A Spirit of counsel and of strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
Gospel
Lk 10:21-24
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
Meditation: Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse. (Isaiah 11:1)
Every Advent we hear hope-filled oracles from the prophet Isaiah, words that tell us about what “that day” will be like when the Messiah comes. As we reflect on these prophecies, we can see how they speak not only to the prophet’s own era but also to what life is like now that Jesus has come—and to what life will be like when he comes again in glory to establish his eternal kingdom.
Today’s first reading is a perfect example of these three dimensions. First, Isaiah speaks to the people of Jerusalem who are facing an increased threat from Assyria. Yes, the king of Assyria may come and lay an axe to the tree of Jerusalem, but God will never abandon his people. Even if King David’s dynasty is reduced to the hacked-off trunk of a once flourishing tree, a “shoot” will appear, and new life, vigorous and fruitful, will spring up again.
On the second level, we can see that Jesus himself is this anointed Messiah sent by God. He is the true Son of David (Matthew 21:9), filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), who has inaugurated a new era for his people. Because of Christ, we are already living in God’s kingdom, where redemption has been won, and we have been set free to live in peace.
Still, we know that the world is not yet fully under the reign of God. Sin persists, both in our culture and in our hearts. And that’s where the third level comes in. In addition to giving hope to the people of ancient Jerusalem and painting a picture of the age of the church, Isaiah’s words give us hope for the future. They tell us about the peace, harmony, healing, and justice that we will all come to know after Jesus’ Second Coming. They tell us that this world will eventually give way to a new creation, where every tear will be wiped away and suffering and death will be no more.
So lift up your heart today! Jesus, the promised Messiah, is your peace and your salvation!
“O Root of Jesse, take root in my heart. Come and bring the promises of Scripture to life in me this Advent so that I will be able to rejoice with all the saints on Christmas Day.”
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