Isaiah 11:1-10
A prophet may have offered the original Emmanuel oracle, verses 1-9 of this reading, on the
occasion of a coronation. Scholars debate whether Isaiah 11:1-9, the Emmanuel oracle, is pre-exilic. If the Emmanuel oracle is pre-exilic, then the oracle refers
to the monarchy covenant with the LORD. The Spirit of the LORD is one of the
commitments to the House of David.
The stump of Jesse
in verse 1 means the Faithful are in exile, torn away from Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah expects a
rebirth from the coming Messiah. Isaiah is not thinking centuries down the line
as Christians, reinterpreting Isaiah, do. What Isaiah prophesied did not
happen. Not all First Testament prophecies were fulfilled.
For the Faithful, this means that God is paying attention, even when he does
not seem to be listening. Jesus shows
the Faithful how God does listen, by taking on human identity.
Isaiah describes the people of Israel,
and by extension the Faithful of today, as plants, sometimes a tree, sometimes
a vine planted on the mountain
of God, that can be
uprooted and replanted. Not only does the metaphor apply to Israel, but also to
righteousness and peace (Isa 5:1-7, 6:13, 11:1, 10, 60:21; 61:3, 11; Exod
15:17; 2 Sam 7:10; Ezek 17:22-24; Amos 9:15; Psalm 80:7-13; Jer 1:10).
Jesus, then, saw himself as a misfit,
looking for a place to strike down roots, much as do many of the Faithful.
The ancient Jews took the
spirit of the LORD in verse 2 as a permanent endowment upon the root of Jesse.
Implied is the idea that the Messianic King needs no other counsel than the
Spirit of the LORD.
Christians take this same spirit as the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy
Spirit not only invigorates Jesus, but
He also invigorates the Faithful in earthly endeavors. The Faithful and Jesus have the
spirit of the LORD in common.
Knowledge of the Messiah and fear of the LORD are parts of
the covenant with Israel.
Verse 2 and verse 3 both mention fear of
the LORD. Knowledge is often linked with fear of the Lord (cf. Psalm 19:10) that leads to worship and
obedience (Isa 11:2; 33:6; Prov 1:7, 29; 2:5; 9:10).
Is the fear of the Lord the beginning or the culmination of wisdom? Both? Therefore,
like the Faithful, the Messiah, Jesus,
also nurtured fear of the Lord.
In verse 4, the Messiah shall
judge the poor with justice. What Isaiah had in mind was himself as poor. As I see it, through the eyes of Jesus,
is relative to my own judgments about the poor. The Faithful judge the poor
with justice. Such judgment is an ongoing task, especially evident in democratic
elections in which the Faithful participate. Isaiah does not have in mind a
reward for voluntary poverty, but rather a reversal of unfortunate conditions.
Poor from the
Greek can refer either to Israel
(and Isaiah) as oppressed and humiliated or to the humiliated status of the
poor within Israel.
Mary had low status. God uses her low status
to make his own point about Christmas love.
Isaiah 11:4 portrays the Son of David as the ideal king, like David, arising from the ranks of the poor; then caring
about the poor as well. The Christ does not satisfy
elite expectations, but does satisfy the expectations of the poor and lowly.
In verse 4, the rod of
his mouth and the breath of his lips,
I consider fraternal correction. Such fraternal correction is something the
hierarchy owes not only to the Faithful, but also to their clergy. As something
fraternal, correction also moves in the opposite direction, from the Faithful
back up the hierarchy. Such is the relationship between John
the Baptizer and Jesus. John says, in all four Gospels, that he only baptizes
with water, but that Jesus will
baptize with the Spirit. In other words, Jesus
will correct the repentance of sins through John’s
baptism with water. The repentance of sins through Jesus
will be through the conviction of the Spirit of God Himself. The Faithful, in
turn, offer such correction to one another.
With a little child to
guide them in verse 6, Christians interpret as the Nativity Christ child.
This prophecy brings out the little child in the Faithful. Here Isaiah suggests
a childlike trust in the Almighty, a trust Jesus
models for the Faithful.
In verse 9, my holy
mountain, refers to Jerusalem,
a Christian metaphor for the souls of the Faithful. Political confounding, to
the point of crucifixion, does no harm to the soul of Jesus,
or to the souls of the Faithful, as it turns out. Knowledge of the LORD
emanates from Jesus and the Faithful
to fill the earth.
Verse 10, a signal for
the nations, is a sign that Jesus
has come to rule politically. Such rule in a democracy can only happen through
the Faithful who participate. Jesus is
also a signal for the Church, a signal not to be mocked. That is the message of
Isaiah and through Isaiah to Jesus to
the Faithful.
Psalm 72
The Lectionary also uses Psalm 72 for the Epiphany.
Reading Page verses Responsorial
Sunday
4 A 19-20 1-2, 7-8, 12-13,
17 (cf. 7) Advent 2
= Today
20 ABC 118 1-2,
7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (cf. 7) Epiphany
The Responsorial antiphon about justice and peace is about
the rule of Jesus in the hearts of the
Faithful. Peace only happens because someone is strong enough to impose it. Jesus has such Divine strength, and, through Jesus, so do the Faithful. In other words, even in
exile, the Faithful can worship God and through that worship find peace for
themselves and all the global community.
Romans 15:4-9
In verse 4, Paul
observes that whatever was written
previously was written for our instruction. In other words, Christians have
a right to interpret Sacred Scripture with the understanding of Jesus. Paul,
here, is not concerned with sin, disagreement, and lack of order. Paul is simply excited about the ability to put on Christ and live the life of Jesus.
Paul appears to let the governing of
the Church to Peter all the while he
takes advantage of that government to preach the Good News.
In verse 5, Paul
prays that the Faithful may with one
voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just before that,
however, Paul explains in verses 4 and
5 that endurance and encouragement
brings the Faithful together. Jesus
exemplifies endurance and encouragement; endurance of political disfavor from
both religious and secular authorities; encouragement through his role as the
promised Messiah, someone who teaches the Faithful to control their own souls.
Romans develops a “debt theology,” whereby the Faithful owe
their own good behavior to God because of the good behavior of God to them in Christ Jesus.
Just as Jesus welcomed the Faithful for the glory of God (Rom 15:7), so are
the Faithful to welcome one another for the same glory.
The grace of God in Romans balances the need for fruitful repentance in Matthew below.
Verses 8 and 9 explain that Paul
is writing to Gentile Christians,
so that the Gentiles might glorify God
and I will praise you among the Gentiles.
Paul is explaining that the rule of Jesus, the Messiah, resides in the hearts of the
Faithful. That residue offers hope for peace.
Luke 3:4, 6
Make straight his
paths refers to the thought and soul patterns of the Faithful.
Matthew 3:1-12
Matthew 1:1—4:16 portrays Jesus
as both the Messiah and the Son of God.
The Advent season is about Jesus as
Messiah and Son of God through grace entering the souls of the Faithful. Advent
is not an unadulterated Christmas season, however.
John the Baptist
calls for repentance in verse 1, something not found in the section in Romans
that Christ saves everyone. Repentance, a turning
away from sin, is what John the
Baptist offers. When John says the kingdom of God
is at hand, he means at hand in the hearts of the repentant Faithful.
Matthew writes that John had
a leather belt around his waist at the same time the Lectionary in
Isaiah 11:5 proclaims that for the Messiah justice
shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
The Lectionary intimates that justice and faithfulness require
repentance. When one considers the struggles in justice between organizing
society according to principles of socialism or capitalism, there is plenty of
room for repentance for all. Socialism is good theory that does not work;
capitalism is bad theory that does work. Socialism is good theory because
socialism cares about the poor. Capitalism is bad theory because capitalism
does not care about the poor.
Even Sacred Scripture exaggerates a little, for example all Judea…were
going out to him (Matt 3:5).
This exaggeration means that the Faithful are supposed to use common sense to
understand the Scriptures brought into the discussion by Paul
in Romans 15:4. The function of Sacred Scripture is to guard and to guide (Rom
15:4; 1 Cor 10:11; Gal 3:22-25).
This function also means that the teaching Magisterium of the Church has a
legitimate role to play explaining Scripture.
Mentioning roots brings to mind the 1974 book, Roots,
by Alex Haley, a book I finished reading ten years
later, in 1984. Matthew mentions root
in verse 10, that even now the ax lies at
the root of the trees, bringing to mind that root of Jesse
from whom the line of David and Jesus will arise. Psalm 72 is about hope for an ideal
king from the line of David.
Relating the root of Jesse to the root
of Alex Haley does offer segue into the sin of
racism.
So long as I noted exaggeration about all Judea in verse 5, I feel
impelled to note that I am not claiming exaggeration for unquenchable fire in verse 12, with reference to hell. That noted, John (Matt
3:7) calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood
of vipers. Since Jesus was likely
a follower of John the Baptist, Jesus probably had the same opinion of the Pharisees
and Sadducees as John did. This
opinion would help account for Jesus
driving the moneychangers out of the Temple
and so irritating the religious establishment that it eventually crucified him.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RICA) proclaims
the neophytes elect. In verses 8-10, John proclaims that election is insufficient without
the fruit of repentance. The Covenantal relationship alone is insufficient.
First Isaiah, used above, highly regards the covenantal promises to David.
The Covenant is not a one-way street whereby the love of God requires no
response. The mission of Jesus to the
religious establishment was a failure, explicitly stated by Matthew 11:20. The
Jews did not repent.
Repentance has an impact of order, community, and transformation as its fruit.
All four Evangelists quote John
to the point that he is unworthy to untie the sandals of Jesus,
the Messiah. The Lectionary uses Matthew 3:11 here; Mark 1:7 also in the Second Sunday of Advent, but
Cycle B; Luke 3:16 for the Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle C; and John 1:27 for
the Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle B. This commonality by the Four Evangelists lends
authenticity to the original portrayal.
These readings offer the Faithful an opportunity to enter the
mind, soul, and heart of Jesus. Isaiah
offers a promise unfulfilled at the time it was made, but reinterpreted as
fulfilled in both Jesus and the
present hearts of the Faithful. Psalm 72 portrays Jesus
with royal dignity, a dignity inherent in the lives of Jesus
on his Cross, the first Christians fed to the lions, and present-day Faithful
as well. Romans 15:5 tells the Faithful to think
in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus.
Jesus would never have been crucified
had he thought in harmony with the religious magisterium of his day.
Contemporary Catholics often do think out of harmony with the true Magisterium,
for example with regard to the sexual abuse scandal, but in harmony with Christ Jesus.
The mind, soul, and heart of Jesus
rest in the Holy Spirit, who blows where he will.
For more on sources see the Appendix file.