2nd Sunday of Advent (December 7). Be led by a little child

Prepare to listen.  If using the Advent wreath, light 2 purple candles this week.  The earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
 
Prayerfully Read Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; 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 around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling 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 asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.  9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.  10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
 
Prayerfully Wonder and Reflect
Messiah’s “delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.”  What is your delight in?
 
When Jesus, the root of Jesse, comes, he will restore peace, harmony, and flourishing on earth.  Isaiah paints a vivid figurative picture of what this will be like, listing 10 different animals in pairs of wild with domesticated living peacefully together—the wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, etc.  Remarkably, a little child shall lead both wild and domesticated, and they will peacefully and obediently follow the child.  The scene includes little children playing, unharmed near venomous snakes.  Peace, well-being, harmony in all creation is vividly portrayed.  Picture the scene.
 
The biblical picture of peace and how it comes about is often in direct contrast to what we expect.  We’d never choose a little child, the weakest and most vulnerable member of the human community, to spearhead the road to peace and flourishing.  But God does and we’re called to accept the power that God chooses to wield, power that comes through the weak and vulnerable rather than the rich and powerful (our common choice).  A little child is God’s choice of leader.  We shouldn’t be surprised, therefore, that Jesus said the kingdom belongs to little children and that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Luke 8:16-17).
 
How willing are you to be led by a little child, the weak and vulnerable?
 
Prayerfully Respond
Lord Jesus, give us eyes to see and follow your peaceful ways that often conflict with what we expect.  Help us accept being led by the weak, not the power brokers.  Amen.
 
Live Obediently.  Follow the peacemaker.