Advent Week 2 Day 1
To understand this day’s reading; Isaiah 11: 1-10, is to understand J.C.’s mandate, as expressed in the stories told in Matthew, John and elsewhere in the New Testament. What stands out most here is the long exposition of how many different animals will just be cold chilling with animals which normally are their predators. In addition to this, the reading suggests, that dude coming will make really great judgments, “…and he will not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”
What’s happening here is that what we expect as law shall no longer be law. J.C. is not going to be judging the way the rest of the world judges things. All we think of as natural law shall be subverted, “…the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;” Jesus, as we’ll see in Matthew and John, does not care about what laws exist already when he makes judgments on stuff. When the Pharisees try to ride him about how his disciples aren’t washing their hands before they eat, he reminds them that the problem is not what’s going into his disciples’ mouths, but what is coming out of theirs (the Pharisees’). When they bring him the adulteress to comment on her stoning (testing him really), according to Moses’ law, he suggests that whomever amongst them is without sin, should commence with the pelting. When no one does, he simply tells her to ride out, and try not to fuck around anymore. All these laws are just dust to J.C.
This particular reading of the advent also concludes with the idea that the Gentiles will seek this sign. Again, it is a sign for all people and with everything that J.C. is concerned, there is that warning, both overt and subtle that rich people ain’t have shit to get. He’s going to “…reprove with equity the meek” and big it up for poor people.
Again, if we’re to understand that the Advent is for the preparation of this great opportunity, the coming of the Lord or for the possibility of God in your heart, then it is astonishing how often the message is about relinquishing what you already believe to be true, including what you think about those who are lesser than you. Understand, that this is not just about material wealth either. This is also about what we think of intellectual usefulness, how we value different kinds of intelligence; and ideas about class. Jesus’ we are being reminded does not give a fuck about any of that. He’s about his people, other people, any people willing to open their hearts to that God that is due them.
So what about this “rod out of the stem of Jesse?” I’m about to be on my research horse to figure out what Jesse’s deal is. Meanwhile, dig this; you want to be ready for God, then you have to start throwing away what you think you already know about this world’s hierarchies. Who is smarter? Better? More worthy based on class, color, intelligence, piety, lawfulness, education? Don’t matter brotherman. All of it – dust.
To understand this day’s reading; Isaiah 11: 1-10, is to understand J.C.’s mandate, as expressed in the stories told in Matthew, John and elsewhere in the New Testament. What stands out most here is the long exposition of how many different animals will just be cold chilling with animals which normally are their predators. In addition to this, the reading suggests, that dude coming will make really great judgments, “…and he will not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”
What’s happening here is that what we expect as law shall no longer be law. J.C. is not going to be judging the way the rest of the world judges things. All we think of as natural law shall be subverted, “…the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;” Jesus, as we’ll see in Matthew and John, does not care about what laws exist already when he makes judgments on stuff. When the Pharisees try to ride him about how his disciples aren’t washing their hands before they eat, he reminds them that the problem is not what’s going into his disciples’ mouths, but what is coming out of theirs (the Pharisees’). When they bring him the adulteress to comment on her stoning (testing him really), according to Moses’ law, he suggests that whomever amongst them is without sin, should commence with the pelting. When no one does, he simply tells her to ride out, and try not to fuck around anymore. All these laws are just dust to J.C.
This particular reading of the advent also concludes with the idea that the Gentiles will seek this sign. Again, it is a sign for all people and with everything that J.C. is concerned, there is that warning, both overt and subtle that rich people ain’t have shit to get. He’s going to “…reprove with equity the meek” and big it up for poor people.
Again, if we’re to understand that the Advent is for the preparation of this great opportunity, the coming of the Lord or for the possibility of God in your heart, then it is astonishing how often the message is about relinquishing what you already believe to be true, including what you think about those who are lesser than you. Understand, that this is not just about material wealth either. This is also about what we think of intellectual usefulness, how we value different kinds of intelligence; and ideas about class. Jesus’ we are being reminded does not give a fuck about any of that. He’s about his people, other people, any people willing to open their hearts to that God that is due them.
So what about this “rod out of the stem of Jesse?” I’m about to be on my research horse to figure out what Jesse’s deal is. Meanwhile, dig this; you want to be ready for God, then you have to start throwing away what you think you already know about this world’s hierarchies. Who is smarter? Better? More worthy based on class, color, intelligence, piety, lawfulness, education? Don’t matter brotherman. All of it – dust.
Labels: Real Talk Bible
1 Comments:
There was a progressive nun (yep, I said it) at my Catholic all girls' school who offered that Jesus came to earth to show us how to be human. Au audacious offering from a person of the cloth, but I liked it then. A lot. Like it still 25+ years later.
The biggest bigotry is to assume oneself superior, to draw a line between oneself and those deemed lesser. To this, I say call me gay, colored, immigrant, sinner, whore, weak, illicit, extraneous. Call me this so I can say, as Jesus did...'eat my colored, sinful, immigrant dust.
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