Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 - 1st Week of Advent - Tues
[Isa 11:1-10 and Luke 10:21-24]A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a Spirit of counsel and of strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the feat of the Lord. [Isaiah] Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. [Luke]
During this season of Advent, I am giving a four-part series of presentations to a local parish here in Lufkin, TX, where I serve as chaplain to the cloistered Dominican nuns at the Monastery of the Infant Jesus. The title of the series is "What are you waiting for? - An Intentional Advent" The scriptures from Isaiah give us a good picture of some of the expectations and hopes of the Jewish people for a Messiah. These expectations were by no means uniform. Some were more militant than what we see in today's passage from Isaiah. I imagine those expectations may have varied even among the closest disciples.
In the passage from the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus tells the disciples how blessed they are to see and hear in his regard. Jesus personifies the gifts of the Spirit that Isaiah spoke of. He is the one they were waiting for!
What are OUR expectations of Jesus? In Advent, are we only expecting a "baby Jesus" and not the adult one we are reading about today? We will have various images of Jesus in his life and ministry during Advent. Do any of these images match whatever expectations and hopes WE may have? What do we "see" and "hear?" AMEN