First Week of Advent, Tuesday – 5th December 2023 – Isaiah 11,1-10; Luke 10,21-24
Forthcoming Messiah
The first reading speaks about the certain characteristics of the Reign of God. This messianic poem describes the principal features of the coming Messiah: he is of Davidic stock; he will be filled with the spirit of the prophets who went before him; and he will establish a society reflecting peace and harmony of God himself. The reading brings out beautifully the portrait of Jesus, although he was not in the mind of the prophet when this was written. Instead, it is a description of a future kingdom of peace. Jesse was the father of David, and Jesus came through the Davidic line. He was endowed with the beautiful gifts of the Spirit – the Spirit of God is seen operative throughout biblical history. The Spirit came down on Jesus as he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan. With Jesus, the new Reign will be as great or even greater than at the ‘perfect’ time of Adam and Eve, when even the animals were not at odds with each other. It will be a time of God’s justice and peace being extended to all nations and to all creation.
