Daily Readings - Tue Dec 03 2024
Isaiah
1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.2And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.3And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.5Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.6The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.7The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.9They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.10In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Luke
21In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.22All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."23Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
Sermon
The readings today offer us a vision of God’s plan for humanity and invite us to reflect on the nature of divine revelation and humility. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a beautiful description of the Messiah, who will come from the root of Jesse. This Messiah is filled with the Spirit of the Lord, bringing wisdom, justice, and peace. Isaiah paints a picture of a world where even predators and prey live in harmony, and the earth is filled with the knowledge of God. This is a vision of God’s kingdom, where justice and peace reign supreme.
In the Gospel, Luke shares a moment where Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit. He thanks the Father for revealing divine truths not to the wise and powerful, but to the simple and humble. Jesus emphasizes that the relationship between the Father and the Son is unique, and that the Son reveals the Father to those who are open to receiving this gift. He then blesses his disciples, acknowledging that they are privileged to see and hear things that many prophets and kings longed to experience but could not.
These readings remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and that divine truth is often revealed to those who are humble and open-hearted. Isaiah’s vision of the Messiah and Jesus’ words in the Gospel call us to trust in God’s plan and to approach life with humility. In a world that often values power and knowledge, we are invited to embrace simplicity and faith. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to receiving God’s revelation in our lives? Do we approach God with the humility and trust of a child? May we strive to live in a way that reflects the peace and justice of God’s kingdom, and may our hearts remain open to the Spirit who guides us.