Advent Devotions: Week 2 Sunday

Today's suggested readings: Psalm 72, Isaiah 11:1-10, and Matthew 3:1-12

Today we beginning our second week of Advent, preparing for our celebration of Jesus first coming into the world. Solomon and Isaiah today tell us some of what the Hebrews expected the Messiah to do when he came. He would rule from "sea to sea" and "care for the poor and needy". In this time,

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard lie down with the kid;
The calf, the beast of prey and the fatling together
With a little boy to herd them
The cow and the bear will graze,

That is striking imagery. All of this was known well by those people listening to John the Baptist. Now you understand why John the Baptist was so insistent that we prepare and get ready for Jesus coming. John and the rest of the Jews believed the Messiah was going to let God lead them in War like in the Exodus and throw off their Roman oppressors. He felt they needed to get their hearts and minds purified for the coming so that God would fulfill his promises. But God, through Christ Jesus, had a different plan. Jesus did not come just for the Jews, but to give his message to the Gentiles as well. He came for the all the peoples of the world.

We Gentiles must now prepare our hearts for Jesus in this Christmas season.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, please help us to hearken to John's voice which cried out in the wilderness. Prepare a straight path into the desert of our heart for your Spirit to enter in.

Amen.