The Peaceable Kingdom

Thursday, December 18, 2014                                                                Isaiah 11:1-9

Scott Baker

In nine short verses of the most stunning poetry ever written, Isaiah paints a picture. Predator and prey will snuggle up. Carnivores will cuddle with well-marbled meals. Toddlers will stick pudgy little arms into snake holes without the slightest fear that a serpent will do what a serpent does. And since the earliest days of Christianity, this passage has been used to point the way to Jesus. "A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse..." This says that a descendant of David, (Jesse's son), will come and do all these things. The messiah was always understood to be in the lineage of David. And what will he come to do? Bring justice and peace, righteousness and faithfulness, wisdom, and understanding.

"... with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth." Justice for the poor? May as well ask a wolf not to eat the lamb next to him.

That's the problem with this vision, isn't it? When we dream about peace and justice here on earth, we say things like, "We should all learn to live together in peace," or, "Can't we all just get along?" But that's not what this vision is saying. That's far too narrow for a dream as grand as the one Isaiah brings. Isaiah doesn't paint a vision of a hard-won victory that we can earn by our efforts. He dreams the impossible dream. A snake doesn't just decide not to bite a child. A wolf won't choose to nurture a lamb. And the powerful will not volunteer to take their foot from the necks of the vulnerable. In Isaiah's vision, our very natures are altered. Jesus will come to do for us that which we cannot and would not do for ourselves. The peaceable kingdom.

Prayer: God who brings peace, give us wisdom and understanding, righteousness and faithfulness. Fill the earth with the knowledge of you, and rest your spirit upon us. Prepare our hearts to embrace your peaceable kingdom, reconciling the wolf and lamb within each of us. Amen.

Daily Challenge: Expect in real ways God's love and grace to be far beyond the limits of your imagination.