- Isaiah 11:1-10: Romans 15:4-13: Matthew 3:1-12; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
This is a diptych; two icons
put together with a hinge in the middle so they can close like a book. Usually, the two images share meaning or a
connection meant to enhance the viewing of the two icons as one piece.
Our Old Testament reading from
Isaiah is a diptych of sorts. The first five verses paint the image of Justice
and the last five verses paint a scene of Peace---in fact, this is often
referred to as the Peaceable Kingdom.
It begins with a sign of
hope: from what seems to be just a dead stump that once was the royal tree of
King David, there now shoots forth something new. This new something is not only growing, it
will have descendents. This is a bit hard to hear in our translation, but the
Hebrew reads: “And a branch comes from the slip of Jesse and a scion from the
roots of him and he shall be fruitful.”
So first there’s a branch that comes forth from the seemingly dead tree,
but also referred to as a scion—a living portion of a plant that is grafted on
to another plant---and there will be fruitfulness. More generations to come.
It brings to my mind Chapter
15 of the Gospel of John—Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. Through baptism we are grafted into the life
of Jesus.
But back to the
diptych---starting with a sign of hope---a new something, a new life where once
there was just a dead thing. And not just a new something---but a very unusual
something---from the once royal tree of David comes forth a new kind of
king. A King of Justice.
The Spirit of the
Lord---referred to as a “she” in the Hebrew---rests on this new growth, this
new life, this new King. And the Spirit
gives gifts. It’s all about giving in
this Kingdom, and it begins here. The
King is given “wisdom and understanding,” two characteristics often put
together. In Scripture, we see this wisdom and understanding to mean at least
one particular thing: the ability to face reality and deal with reality fairly
and justly. Like Solomon, who in the first book of Kings prays for the wisdom
to lead for the good of the people---not just for his own good. Solomon prays for the ability to lead as God
would have him lead. With righteousness.
Righteousness in Scripture
means to be aligned with God. Too often we let ourselves believe there are
varieties of “righteousness.” We ask ourselves:
what is right? There are different opinions out there.” True, there may be different opinions, but we
have been been given Jesus. Scripture makes it clear: righteousness is being
right with God. Jesus is righteousness. If we want to know what is right, what
is good, we must know Jesus. How does Jesus live, choose, act? This is
righteousness. Righteousness is integral
to Justice.
A second gift given by the
Spirit of the Lord is one of “counsel and might.” We might refer to this as
diplomacy. Might comes second; counsel
comes first. This also incorporates how
one uses authority. Is it used for one’s own good or for a greater good?
And then we have the gift of
the knowledge and fear of the Lord. This is not fear that is about fright or
terror. This is awe; this is reverence; this is recognizing that God is
God---knowing one’s place in the scheme of things, and our place is not the
throne. Knowledge of the Lord; this is an intimacy, not just head knowledge.
This is knowing the divine as family, the kind of knowledge that comes from
time spent together, history shared, like dance partners who know one another’s
steps. And this King with these
characteristics of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and
reverence---this King acts with righteousness, in alignment with God; this King
acts with equity in order to put an end to wickedness. We see Jesus in this
King---even though Isaiah never met Jesus in this lifetime, from this prophet’s
mouths and in these prophet’s words, we see and hear our Lord and Saviour, our
Messiah, our King. The embodiment of Justice.
The second image of the
diptych is the Peaceable Kingdom---a consequence of the Justice enacted by our
King. The Peaceable Kingdom is a result
of how the King lives, a consequence of the King’s actions. A Kingdom where predator and prey—although
still predator and prey---they find ways to live together without destroying
one another. They lie side by side without enmity---making room for one
another. The hostility, the death, the
despair that once marked these relationships has been wiped away. A new Kingdom has been inaugurated.
We want that, don’t we? We
long for it.
But, do we believe in
it…..truly? Really believe? I have a
button, a pin, that says “Imagine
Peace.” A teacher friend I once worked
with and admired saw it one day when I was wearing it and said: “Never
happen.” This friend was a faithful
Christian. “Never happen.” Do we believe?
Believe. A word of faith. Believe like John the Baptist who pointed to
the New Something Kind of King and said: “This is the One.” Prepare the way
within you and around you for this One to be King. John who understood that
belief meant taking action, not just giving lip service.
Believe like St. Nicholas who
lived a life of giving instead of getting. A life of giving instead of taking.
He had riches; he had authority----one might say “counsel and might,” and St.
Nicholas used it for the benefit of others---particularly for those who were
weak or poor or who might have been considered “undeserving.”
Beloved, here’s the thing
about this Peaceable Kingdom. It requires our participation. You see I believe Jesus was the branch that
came forth from Jesse’s stump. And we are that next generation, that scion that
has been grafted onto the root of Jesus.
Jesus the Christ has left this earth, but Jesus the Christ called
us----called us forth to keep the Kingdom growing, and blooming, and coming up
in unexpected places. None of us are
particularly qualified for the job. But the spirit of the Lord rests upon us—as
the Living Body of Christ---and she qualifies us, she sanctifies us, she gives
us what is needed to do the job. To face
our reality and deal with it—and the people and situations in our
reality---with justice and equity.
Meeting the needs of the poor, loving our enemies, healing the wounded,
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving water to the thirsty,
befriending the lonely, seeing the invisible, walking with the blind.
The Peaceable Kingdom is a
consequence of the Living Body of Christ living out the characteristics of the
King. Embracing these characteristics
leads to the reshaping of our minds, our hearts, our hands and our feet so that
we become doers, growers, and midwives of God’s Justice. Justice leads to peace. This is our narrative.
You know, on a diptych there
is a hinge that holds the two images together.
In this diptych of Justice and Peace, Isaiah tells us the hinge is “knowledge
of the Lord”---knowing the Divine.
Making room for God within our hearts, making room for God in our
calendar and schedule, making room for God in our everyday lives, living a life
of discipleship---gathering, growing, and going forth. Not just with whatever time and energy we
have left over—but as our first priority, our first commitment, our first
loyalty. Our primary identity is as a
citizen of God’s Kingdom—this Kingdom of Justice leading to peace. This is our narrative. This is the life we
are called to live; this is the life we are to ask our legislators and leaders
to strive for; this is the life that ends the warfare, the injustice, the
oppression, and the inhumanity that often holds reign around us.
As citizens of God’s Kingdom,
we shall not passively agree with the narrative of our media, our culture, or
our demographics. The narrative we see in the news, hear from the mouths of our
leaders, and that is blasted into our movies, our graphics, our music---the
narrative that tells us some do not deserve our compassion, some are not worthy
of having enough, that we are to be afraid of one another, wall out one
another, label and register one another so we know who to keep out and who to
let in. This is the narrative of an entirely different diptych. The diptych of Hate and Violence whose hinge
is Fear. This shall not be our
narrative. We can choose another.
In fact, we have promised to
choose another---to believe a different storyline:
This narrative of Justice
that begets Peace.
This narrative of Hope that
begets Joy.
This narrative of mercy and
delight that begets Love.
It all hinges on Knowledge
of the Lord.
So, Beloved: Prepare the
Way; turn and re-turn to Jesus; Make room within. Our Christ is drawing near.
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