How God meant the world to be

Today’s readings are a feast of wonder and delights.

The Gospel (Luke 10:21-24) has Luke’s account of these simple and joyous word’s of our Lord:

I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
that thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes:
even so, Father;
for so it seemed good in thy sight.

(I find these words especially comforting when my wisdom and prudence fails – which is often)

The first reading (Isaiah 11:1-10) begins with the classic Old Testament description of what the Holy Spirit gives:

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.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

(Come, Holy Spirit)

But the most amazing part of today’s readings is the last part of the passage from Isaiah and its description of messianic peace that is very familiar and yet still astounding:

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
and the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall feed;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.

It is a wonderful, beautiful prophecy – very much in contrast to the world in which we live.

The year now approaching its close began with the aftermath of a tsunami and continued with hurricanes, earthquakes, and ongoing human-inflicted disasters from which millions still suffer.

Despite the misuse of the term “acts of God,” however, this is not how God meant the world to be, but he will make all things new.

We also see men and women compelled to do all manner of things: sometimes in the name of “love” and sometimes even in the name of “God.”

Despite the misuse of the words “love” and “God,” however, this is not how God meant the world to be, but he will make all things new.

God will indeed bring about what Isaiah’s prophecy describes, in his own way and in his own time.

In the meanwhile, we can make a start – in our own puny ways and within our brief time – by doing what we can to fill the earth (and ourselves) with knowledge of the Lord – through prayer, through study, and most especially through the gift of his Holy Spirit.

Come, Lord, do not delay.
Make all things new!
Forgive us and restore us.
Let all things be as you meant them to be.
Let there be peace, within ourselves and with all.
Fill us with knowledge of you
as water fills the sea.

Come, Lord Jesus!