In anticipation: peace among us now.

Today's texts: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19.



We’ve just finished the first week of Advent. All the lectionary readings clearly relate somehow to Jesus’ coming, except for one: Romans 15:4-13. Isaiah is a messianic prophecy; Matthew has John the Baptist preparing the way for the Messiah; and the Psalm is a royal-messianic blessing. But the Romans passage appears to be simply about Christians getting along with each other. The passage makes reference to hope and the Isaiah passage, but otherwise it seems rather unAdventy.

But perhaps we need to remember that all of the Bible in one way or another points to Jesus’ arrival, whether his first or second. When we keep that in mind, perhaps this passage makes more sense for Advent.

“Peace on earth” is the refrain for this time of year. It comes from the angels’ announcement to the shepherds and from prophetic passages like Isaiah 11:1-10—the lion and the lamb lying together, infants with cobras. Peace, in other words, is one of the basic expectations we have of the coming Messiah.

So maybe the point for us in this passage in this season is this: Jesus the Messiah who has come and will come again will establish peace on earth. We know this and we hope and wait for this. So why not, as evangelism and as anticipation, live together as the body of Christ in a peaceful manner befitting the kingdom that Jesus will establish?

This week's readings: Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11; Psalm 146:4-9.