Lectionary: Isaiah 11 Ephesians 2:10-22 St. Matthew 5:1-10 Isaiah 11
Dearly beloved, It is the way of the church to continually ponder the sacred mysteries of Christ, as we look longingly towards the goal in heaven. The Christian church lives and breathes out her existence in humble expectation for the joys promised to us through the ministry of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 11 paints for us an interesting picture of the incarnation of Jesus and what His very descent to the earth means for its inhabitants. The entire prophesy of Isaiah is set within the context of great irony. Isaiah prophesies in the midst of the unfaithfulness on the part of Israel towards the Lord and Savior. Our vantage point for this evening’s meditation takes us to chapter 6, where God tells Isaiah that he will prophesy to a people who have grown fat and no longer are able to hear the word of God because they have been distracted by the cares of this world and their idols. Isaiah asks God how long it shall be that God’s people shall suffer in their unbelief. The Lord responds to Isaiah’s question by saying: “Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land”(Isaiah 6:11-12). In other words, the house of Judah and all involved must fall and become as though dead. But at the end of Isaiah 6, God tells Isaiah: “And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains standing when it is felled.” Then Isaiah tells us, “The Holy seed is its stump.” God speaks to Isaiah of Judah as being a great oak tree that is cut down. All that is left is a stump. God speaks of His chosen people of the tribe of Judah. But as that stump sits as only the remains of a once great tree, and while it appears dead, dry and without life, there shall spring forth from this stump of Jesse, a branch that shall grow forth, suddenly and unexpectedly. Jesse was the father of David, and the Davidic family line is represented by the stump. All that is to be left of David’s kingdom shall be this dry stump, but out of it shall come the holy seed, Who is Jesus. The great irony of David’s kingdom was that it had to be destroyed, whereas the people of Israel thought that it had to remain great. Yet, while it is dead, there shall spring forth from David’s royal line an even greater blessing that would establish an even greater kingdom, the eternal kingdom of God in heaven. It is this ironic and unexpected blessing in this unlikely branch that the gifts of the Spirit would spring forth--that of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. It would come to pass in this magnificent branch that the poor shall be relieved, the meek of the earth shall be well-cared for, and the wicked shall be slain. Herein lies the content of the Beatitudes. Jesus, the branch that shoots forth quite unexpectedly when it looked as if all hope had been lost, opens up a kingdom for all. Isaiah 11:10 tells us that the root of Jesse will be a banner to all the nations; him the nations shall seek, and his dwelling shall be glorious. This speaks of you as recipients. It had to come to pass that the earthly kingdom of David would have to fall in order for the glorious kingdom of Jesus to come forth. This kingdom is not confined to space and time, geographic region or people with a certain blood running through their veins. Jesus, the root of Jesse would be for all people. Isaiah spends the rest of chapter 11 developing the argument that the kingdom of Jesus will spread to all four corners of the world. Outcasts of Israel, the dispersed of Judah, the Gentiles, and the forsaken shall all be brought near by the coming of this root of Jesse. More irony exists, of course. In the Old Testament men battled for position, for the right to be called holy. Nation fought against nation. People fought against people. The Old Testament, what withal its accounts, is the very demonstration of the turmoil that has ensued because of the sin in the Garden of Eden. No longer would the wolf and lamb get along, but one would be seen as food. But with the coming of Jesus, there is a way out for sinners. Suddenly, the wolf and the lamb shall lie together in peace. The calf and the lion shall no longer see themselves as adversaries in the hunt of life. In Jesus, sinners shall be reconciled. No longer will we struggle over our salvation. No longer will we fear what exists before us in the world. The fighting, hate, division and anger of the world is pushed aside for something more substantial and long-lasting. There is a rest for the people of God. St. Paul speaks of this when he writes to the Ephesians: “...now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility...”(Ephesians 2:13-14). In Christ, we are all one. Whether nation, whether people, whether culture or language may differ, Jesus brings us all near through His redemption on the cross. His banner is His crucifixion, and as He is raised up for all to see he shall draw all men to himself (John 12:32). Christ is our peace, and we are shown a new way of living and confessing, as we are led forth in love, in holiness, and in the forgiveness that that has sprung forth from this root of Jesse, our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
