Daily Readings - Tue Dec 05 2017
First Reading - Isaiah 11.1-10
Isaiah
1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: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 of the fear of the LORD;3And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Gospel - Luke 10.21-24
Luke
21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.23And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s plan and the way He reveals Himself to us. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear of a future where God’s Spirit-filled leader will bring justice, harmony, and peace to the world. This leader, rooted in Jesse’s lineage, will not judge by appearances but will side with the poor and the meek, creating a world where even predators and prey live in peace. Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a world transformed by God’s justice and wisdom, where the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
In the Gospel, Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit, thanking the Father for revealing divine truths not to the wise and powerful, but to the simple and humble. Jesus emphasizes that the Father and the Son share a unique relationship, and that the Son has been entrusted to reveal the Father to those He chooses. Turning to His disciples, Jesus blesses them for being eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of God’s promises, something that many prophets and kings longed to see but did not. This passage underscores the theme of divine revelation and the privilege of faith.
These readings remind us that God’s ways are not our ways. He often works through the unexpected and reveals Himself to those who are humble and open to His grace. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God’s plan, even when it doesn’t align with our expectations. Like the disciples, we are blessed to have the gift of faith, and with that gift comes the responsibility to live in a way that reflects God’s justice, compassion, and love. Let us strive to be simple of heart, open to the Spirit, and attentive to the ways God is working in our lives and in the world around us.