Opening Prayer
Gracious God, I put myself before you in this moment with waiting heart, expectant desire. Open my eyes that I may see your promise fulfilled; open my ears that I may hear your word whispered to my deepest being.
Amen.
Passage
Isaiah 11:1-3, 6-10
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of theLORD.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Reflection - Mac McCarthy
Not too long ago I watched a docuseries on bear hunting in Alaska. In one of the episodes a bow hunt-er stalked a giant grizzly bear, but the grizzly ends up sniffing the hunter out. The hunter went from being on the prey to being the prey. The bear charged and the hunter barely escaped. It was terrifying! My hands are still sweaty!
Isaiah describes a time when animals will exist at peace with one another. The wolf and the lamb. The leopard and the goat. The calf and the lion. Isaiah is painting a picture of the kind of kingdom the promised Messiah will establish. It will be a kingdom of peace, of shalom. A kingdom where every curse is lifted and every division destroyed, where righteousness and faithfulness reign.
Jesus is the promised Messiah who is establishing God’s kingdom of peace. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to join God’s restorative mission of peace right now. Where do you notice the need for God’s peace? Where is God inviting you to join in?
Closing Prayer
My Lord, may all that I have seen of you and all that I have heard from your word now enflesh itself in me. Send me from this place as the incarnate promise of life to all whose life I will touch this day.
Amen.