Advent Meditation for December 22



Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-9

Often left out when we select Christmas hymns for worship, this hymn is one of the oldest of all. Protestants look to Isaiah 11 as the inspiration for the hymn with Jesus being the “shoot” who comes in the lineage of Jesse, father of David. Surely the prophecy in Isaiah 11 should have brought hope and anticipation to the Israelites and surely that same prophecy brings peace and comfort to those who have seen the prophecy fulfilled. The words of verse five echo the one about whom Isaiah 11 is written.

O Saviour, child of Mary, who felt our human woe;
O Saviour, King of glory, who dost our weakness know,
bring us at length, we pray, to the bright courts of heaven
and to the endless day.

Words to ponder: Reread Isaiah 11:1-9. Verses three and four say that Jesus will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. How does your definition of “righteousness” inform your understanding of these verses? “Righteousness” can mean virtue, justice, morality and certainly we would describe God as one with virtue, who exercises justice and who is moral above all others, but “righteousness” referring to God specifically means “the faithfulness with which God acts.”