For Sunday, December 7, 2025: Readings: Isaiah
11:1-10, Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13,
Matthew 3:1-12
A
shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord. [Isaiah
11:1-2]
Give
the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King’s son…to
defend the needy…[and] rescue the poor. [Psalm 72:1, 4]
May the
God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one
another...May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:5a, 13]
In those days John the Baptist
appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke
when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way
of the Lord, make his paths straight...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire.'" [Matthew 3:1-3, 11b]
The beautiful prose of this passage of Isaiah
begins this week's readings with: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Having not grown up
with a "Jesse Tree" tradition, the reading would usually zip through
my ears with no particular impact until I decided to look deeper into this hint
of family history.
There's
been a serious uptick in the field of genealogy over the last several decades with
online access to family records and DNA kits that allow one to explore both
lineage and geographical heritage. Discovering the branches of
one's family tree is fascinating, even addicting, and can also be frustrating
when one limb is missing or the records stop short of fully revealing the
information sought. Yet even the smallest detail can add depth and
connectedness to the relationship with those who have gone before us. And so it
is with the family tree of Jesus. Thankfully, I have several family
members on both sides who have done and continue to do exhaustive family
research, saving me the $ and the time. One piece of information solved part of
a mystery in family lore, and given so much more information about generations
of memory and long past. And the history of Jesse is ours as much as those of
our blood.
Jesse
was the grandson of Ruth (of “whither thou goest, I will go”) and her
husband, Boaz. We first hear of Jesse in the Book of Ruth [Ruth 4:13-18] as the son of their son, Obed. Jesse grows to be a farmer
with eight sons, the youngest of which is David who becomes King of the
Israelites [in a another twist of Biblical proportions
~ see 1 Samuel 15 & 16]. It is through Jesse’s family tree that this root, this Branch,
ultimately flowers as Jesus. The coming of Jesus is the reason we
contemplate in Advent, celebrate at Christmas, and cogitate in Lent.
The
secular spectacle of christmas [intentional lower "c"] has, for so many, replaced the spiritual
celebration and worship in Christ's Mass with the frenzy of over-shopping,
over-eating, garish outdoor decorating with clashing colors of blinking or
static lights, and inflated cartoon characters on lawns that go flat in
the morning in a metaphorical anti-climax. Yet even in this environment Isaiah
tells us that this...root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples...
Paul wants us to abound in harmony with one another ~
especially necessary in these trying times. He also wants God to grant us hope
and peace in our faith, and, indirectly suggests we need to actively seek that
and harmony with others for ourselves and each other.
The Gospel of Matthew brings us the very
direct and un-shy voice of John the Baptist.
This is
the first appearance of John, cousin to Jesus, with his prophesying voice
in the wilderness. In his own time he was unconventional in many ways,
and then, as now, his message is at once compelling and disturbing.
Nonetheless, it is John who ushers in the public ministry of Jesus and takes
the Pharisees and Sadducees to task for their faithless presumptions of
self-importance. Calling them vipers was more than just rebuke, it was a significant
slur! Likening people, especially those in power to animals in those times was akin to calling them
heathens or pagans and, as we know from the later story, can result in deadly consequences. While his warnings are dire, our hopeful understanding is
that the possible unquenchable fire will only be for those who
deem any form of remorse as unnecessary in their lives ~ and while easily instantaneous
for many of us, the final judgment is not ours to make. Our merciful God
of steadfastness and encouragement knows all our hearts and gives us
every opportunity to adjust our intentions to bear fruit worthy of
repentance however well we accomplish or fail in our life’s mission,
perhaps even at the moment of death.
And so
we light the second candle of Advent ~ the candle of Love. New Testament
scholar, theologian, and author Marcus Borg tells us that Advent…is a season
of anticipation, yearning and longing for a different kind of life and a
different kind of world. In this second week of Advent, one way to prepare
the way of the Lord is by contemplating: What kind of life, what kind of
world am I longing for? Where is God, where is Jesus, in my family tree?
Am I too far out on a limb or can I decorate my branch with hope, peace, joyful
anticipation, and, of course, unending Divine Love? Jesus is indeed the
reason for the season; the reason for our Christ-mas ~ our act of
worship of the One we call Messiah, the Anointed Son of God, the very
embodiment of Love itself. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard
shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them… [Isaiah
11:6]
Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save,
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!*
*O come, O come, Emmanuel, verse 4, Hymn 56, 1982 Hymnal, Church Publishing, Incorporated, New
York
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of Steadfast Hope, we
restlessly await the bloom of the Branch that shall come again from the root of
Jesse. Open us to hear and heed the wilderness voice, as we prepare the way
within ourselves, bearing the fruit of worthy repentance.
Present
and Coming Christ
RESPONSE:
Bind us together in
peace
~ O God of Steadfast Hope, instill justice and righteousness deeply
into the hearts of all who govern, in this World, this Nation, and this
Community, that they may make compassionate decisions with equity for the meek,
defense of the needy, and rescue for the poor, and us all, without oppression
and evil. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Present and Coming Christ
Bind
us together in peace
~ O God of Steadfast Hope, relieve pain and distress from all
who are ill or downhearted, and strengthen all who give them needed care. We
now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Present and Coming Christ
Bind us together in peace
~ O God of Steadfast Hope, help us to be calmly present with
those who mourn, as our hearts also rejoice for all who live again in Your
Eternal Glory. We pray especially for… add your own
petitions
Present and Coming Christ
Bind us together in peace
~ O God of Steadfast Hope, we pause in this
moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
Present and Coming Christ
Bind us together in peace
~ O God of Steadfast Hope, enfold and guide those who lead Your
Church as they walk in faith with us, into always uncertain, ever-changing
tides and times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Present and Coming Christ
Bind
us together in peace
The Celebrant adds: God of Encouragement and Peace,
grant us the harmony and hope to turn us toward You again, to follow the
Way of Truth and Mercy. Fill us with all the joy and peace of believing in the
glory that is and is to come. We ask through Jesus, our Living Redeemer; and
the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith; who together with You are One God, now
and forever. Amen.
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