The Second Week of December

Isaiah 35:1-10

1 The desert and the dry land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus. ² They will burst into bloom, and rejoice with joy and singing.They will receive the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.They will see the Lord’s glory, the splendor of our God. ³ Strengthen the weak hands, and support the unsteady knees.⁴ Say to those who are panicking:    

“Be strong! Don’t fear! Here’s your God, coming with vengeance; with divine retribution God will come to save you.”

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be cleared.⁶ Then the lame will leap like the deer, and the tongue of the speechless will sing.Waters will spring up in the desert, and streams in the wilderness.⁷ The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground, fountains of water.The jackals’ habitat, a pasture; grass will become reeds and rushes.⁸ A highway will be there. It will be called The Holy Way. The unclean won’t travel on it, but it will be for those walking on that way. Even fools won’t get lost on it;⁹ no lion will be there, and no predator will go up on it.None of these will be there;    only the redeemed will walk on it.¹⁰ The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads.Happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and groaning will flee away.

Psalm 146:5-10

The person whose help is the God of Jacob—    

the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—    

is truly happy!

⁶ God: the maker of heaven and earth,    

the sea, and all that is in them,God: who is faithful forever,

⁷ who gives justice to people who are oppressed,    

who gives bread to people who are starving!

The Lord: who frees prisoners.

⁸ The Lord: who makes the blind see.    

The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.    

The Lord: who loves the righteous.

⁹ The Lord: who protects immigrants,        

who helps orphans and widows,        

but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!

¹⁰ The Lord will rule forever!    

Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!

Praise the Lord!

James 5:7-10

⁷ Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth. ⁸ You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹ Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so that you won’t be judged. Look! The judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of patient resolve and steadfastness.

Matthew 11:2-11

² Now when John heard in prison about the things the Christ was doing, he sent word by his disciples to Jesus, asking, ³ “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”

⁴ Jesus responded, “Go, report to John what you hear and see. ⁵ Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them. ⁶ Happy are those who don’t stumble and fall because of me.”

⁷ When John’s disciples had gone, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A stalk blowing in the wind? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in refined clothes? Look, those who wear refined clothes are in royal palaces. ⁹ What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ He is the one of whom it is written: Look, I’m sending my messenger before you, who will prepare your way before you.

¹¹ “I assure you that no one who has ever been born is greater than John the Baptist. Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

We read…

In this third week of Advent, we read of God’s promises for restoration and provision as well as the struggle of waiting for these promises to materialize. The passage in Isaiah sets the tone for these promises giving us a vision of a desert becoming a garden. What is usually seen as a location of emptiness and death is now a place of abundance and life. In this great reversal, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, the mute sing, and the lost are brought home. 

As we move to Psalm 146, we discover similar promises. God is the creator of the universe, who keeps every promise. Those who follow God are joyful because God promises to provide for us in our needs. That includes justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, protection for the foreigners, and care for the orphans and widows. 

These are lofty promises, and James reminds us that God does not operate in our timing. While we can look eagerly to the fulfillment of these promises, we must pray for courage, patience, and grace in our waiting. James calls us to look at the prophets as examples of patience in suffering. 

This kind of patience and faith is then embodied for us in the person of John the Baptist. John had been imprisoned and sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus does not answer John’s question directly, but instead tells his disciples, “Tell him what you have heard and seen, the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Jesus essentially tells John’s disciples, the promises of the great reversal are being fulfilled, the kingdom of God is here. 

We think…

• What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
  

• How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or in the church?
  

• What are you considering?
  

• What questions come to mind?
  

• The season of advent is about waiting for Jesus to return and for the kingdom of God to come in its fullness to redeem the world. In our waiting, it is sometimes easier to focus our attention on the brokenness around us. John the Baptist was stuck in prison and could not see past his own struggle. And yet, God gives us space to cry out and ask for help. It is through John’s willingness to send word to Jesus that he hears about the ways God is fulfilling the promises of old. John’s question becomes an invitation to see the kingdom of God breaking into the present. 
  

• What questions do you have about Jesus? And how might they help you see God’s movement in your present? 

We feel…

• What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
  

• Where have you seen God today or this week?
  

• What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, maybe a friend or adult that cares for you)?
  

• What has God made new in your life? In your heart? 
  

• There are many images provided in these passages. Images of drought, brokenness, suffering, as well as abundance, provision, and life. How would you describe the places of drought, brokenness, and struggle in your life and community?
  

• What would a great reversal look like in your situation?

• What might God need to do to bring life and wholeness to your situation? 

We believe…

The season of Advent reminds us that we live in the already-not yet kingdom of God. To use some of the metaphor of James, if we were to say that the coming of the kingdom of God is like a harvest of grain; we might say that while the harvest is not here yet, the seeds have been planted and the sprouts are showing. Because we live after the resurrection of Jesus, we believe that the promises of God to bring redemption and wholeness are starting to be fulfilled. God is bringing wholeness and healing to people. Salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven, it is an invitation into God’s redemption of the world. Sharing the gospel is also more than just saving souls, it involves how we see the world, how our bodies function, and how we might bring safety and encouragement to those struggling in our world. In one sense, the kingdom is already, and we are called to point out the places where heaven is breaking into earth. 

That said, Advent is also about leaning into the struggles of waiting in the not-yet. While the kingdom is breaking into our present, we still experience the brokenness of sin. In the church, we have not always made space for people to verbalize these struggles or to ask good questions about God, Jesus, faith, and our lives together. Often we think faith is only being positive or that if we ignore these issues, we won’t have to deal with them, but part of what it means for us to follow the way of Jesus is our commitment to being honest. Brad Griffin and Kara Powell like to say, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith, Silence is.” It is in sharing those questions and doubts and frustrations with the brokenness around us that we often discover a deeper faith and hope than we thought possible. Our questions, doubts, and frustrations can become an invitation for God to meet us where we are and give us courage and strength for the journey. Even for John the Baptist, it was in verbalizing his frustration and doubt, that Jesus was able to draw him beyond his present struggle to see the ways God was at work in the world. 

We practice…

Any farmer will tell you, it takes a lot of faith to plant a seed. We bury seeds into the dirt and we don’t know if they are growing until they poke through the dirt and sprout. And yet, any farmer or gardener will also tell you, that growing any kind of plant from a seed takes work. While there is an element of faith and waiting that takes place, it also includes tilling the ground, pulling weeds, and watering. In a similar way, the growth of the kingdom of God can only come about through the work of the Spirit. We cannot make the kingdom of God break through the soil of the earth. Yet, God invites us into the work of cultivating the kingdom of God in our world. Sometimes this looks like being the answer to someone’s prayer (providing encouragement to those struggling, providing food to the hungry), and sometimes this looks like growing in your walk with God (reading scripture, prayer, worship). 

This week, find a small pot, potting soil, and some herb seeds. As you plant the seeds, think about the places of brokenness and struggle you identified from your life and community. As you cover the seed with dirt and water it, pray that God would bring life and abundance into those places of death. As you continue to water it, and you begin to see growth, pray that God would open your eyes to the ways God is already answering your prayers.