Advent 2
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
-- Isaiah 11:10
The Messiah that was awaited would be from the family line of Jesse. That Messiah would be of benefit to more than just his own Jewish people. He would be a symbol of hope for all the peoples. Now, for us, the Messiah has come, and we have been invited to share the hope he established. The messianic community, or Christians, continue Christ's mission. Advent is an appropriate time for the church to reflect on how it can be a signal of hope for others. Isaiah's picture of the peaceable kingdom was one of natural enemies living together in harmony and leadership coming from the most vulnerable members of society. Children were normally seen as investments for the future but hardly as leaders. When Jesus said, "Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3), he was totally reversing the natural order. We wait for children to become like adults rather than the other way around. An adult would know better than to put his hand on the den of poisonous snakes, but a child might act out of innocent trust. Only a child could picture a wolf and a lamb lying down together or a cow and a bear grazing together. In our attempt to take control of our lives, we have grown suspicious and wary of all the dangers about us. We are skeptical and cautious about expecting anything unique coming out of Christmas. A child approaches Christmas with a sense of wonder and hope. Children believe in the impossible. Isaiah's vision is a vision of the impossible that stirs wonder and hope. It is only realistic if we trust in God who can offer us wonder and hope. If a Christian community lives in response to the hope of God, can they not become a signal of hope for the world?
-- Isaiah 11:10
The Messiah that was awaited would be from the family line of Jesse. That Messiah would be of benefit to more than just his own Jewish people. He would be a symbol of hope for all the peoples. Now, for us, the Messiah has come, and we have been invited to share the hope he established. The messianic community, or Christians, continue Christ's mission. Advent is an appropriate time for the church to reflect on how it can be a signal of hope for others. Isaiah's picture of the peaceable kingdom was one of natural enemies living together in harmony and leadership coming from the most vulnerable members of society. Children were normally seen as investments for the future but hardly as leaders. When Jesus said, "Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3), he was totally reversing the natural order. We wait for children to become like adults rather than the other way around. An adult would know better than to put his hand on the den of poisonous snakes, but a child might act out of innocent trust. Only a child could picture a wolf and a lamb lying down together or a cow and a bear grazing together. In our attempt to take control of our lives, we have grown suspicious and wary of all the dangers about us. We are skeptical and cautious about expecting anything unique coming out of Christmas. A child approaches Christmas with a sense of wonder and hope. Children believe in the impossible. Isaiah's vision is a vision of the impossible that stirs wonder and hope. It is only realistic if we trust in God who can offer us wonder and hope. If a Christian community lives in response to the hope of God, can they not become a signal of hope for the world?
