The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Advent
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Isaiah 11:1-10
The book of Isaiah is actually three “books,” each written during a different time in Israel’s history.
Isaiah I: shape up or else; exile is coming 1-39
Isaiah II: Book of Consolation, comfort in captivity 40-55 Deutero Isaiah (suffering servant songs)
Isaiah III: going home 56-66 Trito Isaiah; struggle for a new temple and new leadership
The Jewish notion of what a Messiah would be developed over time. Invaders harassed the Jewish people almost from the founding of the nation. Over time it became increasingly clear that the Assyrians would overtake not only the Northern kingdom but the Southern kingdom as well. It was during the time the idea flowered that God would send a Messiah – an Anointed One – to deliver the people from foreign rule. Because they were accustomed to kings and kingdoms, it was assumed that the Messiah would be a King, defeat the nation’s enemies, and set up God’s reign on earth. Jesus spent his entire ministry reorienting the people to his vision of what a Messiah should be. But here in Isaiah, it is assumed the Messiah will be a great King very much like King David.
Verse 1 looks to the coming of the Messiah.
Verses 2-5 recount the divinely bestowed gifts on the king/Messiah
Verses 6-10 envision a realm of remarkable peace ushered in by the kingly Messiah.
Verse 2 is where Catholics derive the traditional gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Like last week’s Isaiah passage, verse 10 this week strikes a decidedly inclusive note: all nations are impacted by the reign of the Messiah.
Sometimes we hear descriptions of something like this – where there is peace and harmony and everyone gets along – and we sigh and wonder when Jesus is going to break through the clouds and bring it here already. Truth is, we are called to build this kingdom one day at a time. When we pray “thy kingdom come,” what we’re really asking for is the strength and wisdom to bring it about here and now.
Romans 15:4-9
The kingdom that Isaiah describes is full of a lot of different types of people and even animals who, by nature, would be at odds with one another.
Paul writes to a community full of diversity – Jew, Gentile; slave, free; men, woman; Greek, Roman. Paul calls them all to be in harmony with one another (v5).
Harmony, by nature, means that we all sing different notes but they complement each other. The lion lies down with the lamb but the lion is still a lion. He doesn’t become a lamb. The coming kingdom isn’t one of uniformity of thought but rather a blending. It’s a bringing together of diversity. Unity in diversity.
Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist calls us to recognize the One already among us.
John the Baptist tells us that the coming Messiah will be someone truly exceptional. John himself, in contrast, is about as exceptional as a homeless man on the street corner with a sandwich board saying “the end is near”!
It’s interesting that we hear from John during Advent since he doesn’t point to the nativity but rather the ministry of Christ. This might make more sense if we think of the Incarnation as the “whole Christ event” rather than just the annunciation or nativity stories. The Advent of Christ is awaiting the totality of all that Christ said and did.
John preached “Repent!”. The Greek word here is metanoia. It implies so much more than just being sorry for the wrongs we’ve done. Metanoia implies a total life transformation – turning away from wrong, yes, but turning to a Gospel life. Verse 8 refers to the fruits that come from true transformation which connects us back to the Isaiah reading and the fruits of the Spirit.
Matthew will frequently refer to the “kingdom of heaven.” Mark and Luke will both refer to it as the “kingdom of God.” Matthew has a Jewish audience and an observant Jew will not pronounce the name of G*d. Mark and Luke had Gentile audiences and so they adapt to explain what a Jewish person would already know: that the “kingdom of heaven” refers to God’s reign.
Verse 9 is another one of the inclusive messages. Jesus tells the Jews that their heritage, their being Jewish, is no longer enough to guarantee them access to God. Salvation is not hereditary or biological. It’s open to all people. This message is there in the Old Testament but the Jewish people chose to ignore it to a great degree.
We tend to think of Christmas as a sweet baby and angels and peace. This is not a very comforting gospel reading against that picture. The sweet baby grows up to storm through the temple in a fit of rage. The angels are agents of justice. Peace takes on a whole different meaning. The Advent season challenges our expectations in so many ways if we let it.
Questions to ponder
For what or whom are you waiting?
How can you order your days this Advent season to stay awake, be prepared, and truly look for Christ’s coming?
Is there a specific area of your life where you might invite metanoia this Advent season?
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
© 2023 Kelly Sollinger