The Second Sunday of Advent
Year A 

A Shoot from the Stump, or an Axe at the Root

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 

The prophet Isaiah speaks.  Although the kingdom of Judah is under terrible threat, his message is one of deep hope.  He prophesies that a shoot will come from what appears to be a dead tree. 

Such things happen.  When I was a child, a bolt of lighting struck a beautiful crabapple tree that graced our backyard.  It scattered pieces of wood all over the yard.  All that was left was a stump about three feet high.  Someone from the church was supposed to come and remove the stump, but it didn’t happen.  Two or three years later we noticed shoots coming up out of the stump.  Eventually the tree grew and blossomed once more. 

Isaiah knew that it is so with God.  God takes what appears to be dead and useless and brings it to life.  And so he gives us a vision of a leader, one who will come not only from David’s line, but also of David’s heart.  The leader will be committed to justice, righteousness and peace.  He paints a picture of a realm of peace where even a child will be able to wander safely.  God’s judgement will permeate the entire world.  People will not need to fear; they will understand that God’s judgement is just.

Paul too speaks prophetic words.  Paul found great hope in that message of Isaiah.  He looks at it from his perspective as a Christian.  He understands Christ as that root of Jesse.  He sees the purpose of Scripture as giving us hope.  Hope, he knew is the great gift of faith.  Even in the dark days of his life, times when he is imprisoned for the faith, he experiences such great hope.  He is able to hold fast to that faith because he understands that God’s love is demonstrated in Christ.  He may not always feel it, but if he can find praise in his heart, then hope, he knows, will manifest itself.   

The prophet John speaks.  He lives in troubled times, to be sure.  But his words do not appear to be words of hope; they are words of deep challenge.  There is no shoot springing up to life.  Instead he sees the axe lying at the root of the trees.  Destroy the roots and there is no hope that the tree will survive.  He writes off the world as it is.  “You will not escape the retribution that is coming,” he proclaims. 

I want you to know, John is not speaking to terrible people who have perpetrated unspeakable atrocities.  The “brood of vipers” are good, upstanding, synagogue attending folk who have followed this wild man into the wilderness seeking spiritual renewal. You must be very hungry for God to do that, especially when they get the response they do from this fiery preacher.  He doesn’t tell them to go and pray.  He doesn’t tell them to offer sacrifices.  “Repent! Change your lifestyle,” he demands of them.  “That is the only way to escape God’s retribution!”

In this day and age we don't have to look far for examples of evil at work in the world.  It is difficult to pick up the paper without reading articles about violence.  This week there was yet another murder-suicide in our city.  Coming up shortly is the anniversary of the Montreal massacre where a young man burst in and shot and killed eleven young women.   We live in a world under constant threat of terrorist acts.  A colleague commented that to understand the preaching of John the Baptist we only have to take a look at the bad people in our world – the deranged, the wicked, the evil, and then look inside ourselves at how we have fallen short of the glory of God.  How true that is!

The thing is that when we consider our own culpability in the scheme of things we can come up feeling pretty good about ourselves.  We wonder whether there is any relevance for us in the message of John the Baptist.  The deeds that disturb John are not the works of darkness, of people who never go to church, who know nothing of the faith.  They are the self-destructive behaviours of those who do.  “Demonstrate to me,” he is saying, “that you really are repentant.”  Ask God for forgiveness.  Stop cheating in your business dealings.  Reconcile with someone you haven’t spoken to in twenty years.  Take your commitment to God seriously. Look after the poor and those in need.  Give evidence that you have really changed your life. 

And isn’t that the way that we will arrive at Isaiah’s vision of hope?  What an amazing vision! “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.”  God’s kingdom of shalom will be achieved. 

Reconciliation with nature and trust among power structures are within the realm of possibility.  There are many signs of hope in the world today.  We do not have to have a vision of destruction.  We are not helpless spectators.  We are stewards and instruments of God.  We are in relationship with God.  We are part of the process of redemption. 

It begins, of course, with an understanding of our own contribution to the evil that we see in the world.  We need to recognize the sinfulness in our own lives.  And we need to come before God and seek God’s forgiveness.  The wonderful thing about it is that we have a God who wants so badly to forgive. 

We cannot fathom the wickedness that is in the world.  We cannot fathom what possesses mass murderers or terrorists or rapists.  But we do know the secrets of our own hearts and our need for forgiveness. 

Let us hear those words of John speaking to us across the ages.  “Repent! Change your lifestyle! Demonstrate in your lives that you really are repentant.” 

Advent calls us to exactly that.  Commit your life to God knowing the power of Christ to forgive.  Reflect that power to forgive in your own dealings.  Reflect the love of Christ in your life.  Seek the love of Christ in those you meet.  Participate in the ushering in of God's peaceable kingdom.  Shalom!