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Journey to Bethlehem Day 8

Sunday, December 8 Isaiah 11:1-5


1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.


That’s not fair! How many times in your life have you thought that? Probably more than a few. That’s because life isn’t fair. Or said differently, life is not just.
One doesn’t have to look far to see injustice. Poverty, war, crime, refugees, hatred, persecution. These are not simply words or concepts. These are people, people being treated badly, people suffering. Each of these people was created in the image of God. Each has a name, a face, a story. And, each is forced to accept injustice as a given, a way of life. That’s not fair.
As Christians, we should seek to reverse injustice. Unfortunately, the problem is bigger than we are. This problem needs divine intervention.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of a day when injustice would be addressed. He described it this way…
…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.
Who is this judge? Who will make wrong things right? Isaiah knew only in part. The one who would bring about justice would be “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.”
Today, we know this is Jesus. Jesus is the one who will bring forth righteousness. Upon his return, Jesus will judge the living and the dead. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Then, things will change. Then, “justice (will) roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:24) Then, life will be fair.


Lord Jesus, we long for justice and we wait eagerly for your return. Amen.