Be Light in the World
Scripture
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:1–9)
Reflection
How different this passage is from what we experience today. A quick look at the headlines reveals that there is no peace in God’s creation. A few years ago I went to the library and looked at a newspaper from a hundred years earlier. I was not terribly surprised to find that the headlines read like something that could have been written today: international conflicts between great powers; turmoil in the Middle East; economic inequity and uncertainty; and, locally, rampant crime. The situations were different, but the conflicts were eerily the same. Some things never change—or so it seems.
That, however, is not what God purposed for his creation. He planned better for us; he wants to fellowship with us in safety, life, love, and peace.
That’s what we wait for. Jesus came to destroy evil, sickness, and death itself. The message of the cross is that the victory is won. His resurrection is the promise of the Father that his faithful people, too, will rise and live in the restored creation that Jesus came to rescue.
Between the Lord’s first and second coming we are to wait, watch, and prepare. In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, Jesus tells us that we must be prepared to light the way for his return with acts of righteousness: acts that reflect the light of God. In a world of greed and selfishness, we are to live lives of generosity and service. In a violent world, we are to be peacemakers, and in an unjust society, we are to honor truth and justice. We are not to wait passively, rather, we must be light in the world through our commitment to being the presence of Christ in our world until he comes again in glory.
Prayer
Father, you promise a day when the earth will be filled with knowledge of your goodness, justice, and love—the day when Jesus returns. As we wait for that day, let us be the light of the world as Jesus told us we must be; make us peacemakers when there is strife and open our hearts to the needs of the poor and suffering all around us. Help us to help them, in the name of Jesus, and to love in concrete ways.
Activity
Write a note to an elderly relative or friend who you may not have seen for a while; in the note tell them that you love them and remind them of God’s love and provision in Christ.
Watching and Waiting For the Lion of Judah: Advent Day by Day
Rev. Richard Hasselbach