Isaiah's Dream

Monday, December 22, 2008 -- Week of 4 Advent; Year One
St. Thomas the Apostle (transfered from 12/21)

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 938)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) 112, 115 (evening)
Isaiah 11:1-9
Revelation 20:1-10
John 5:30-47

We all dream of a time when things are set right -- when the society and its various authorities promote justice and peace, when we ourselves are centered and whole, when the whole earth lives in harmony and health.

Isaiah 11 speaks of these hopes for all of us. The specific setting of this oracle is at a dark and lost moment. The Babylonians had removed Zedekiah, the last of the line of kings from the family of David. His nephew, the former king, Jehoichin, is a prisoner, taken in chains in the exile to Babylon. The nation and its people have been ravaged.

Isaiah dreams of a "shoot [that] shall come out from the stump of Jesse." (Jesse is David's father.) He dreams of a future ruler who will be righteous and just. He lists the qualities of this one on whom the spirit of the Lord will rest (we'll get back to that in a moment). Isaiah describes the kind of government this good leader would institute -- a policy of advocacy for the poor and "equity for the meek;" his power will be the power of his word, rather than sword; righteousness and faithfulness will support him. Don't we all dream of such a just government? Especially when things seem ruinous.

But more than a renewed and reformed political hope, Isaiah dreams of a day of universal peace, when violence has ended not only between nations and peoples but also throughout the natural order, between wild and domestic animals. He imagines a new earth, without violence and disorder? Don't we all dream of such a cosmic peace?

Yet, tucked into this picture of hope is the seed of a personal dream as well. Isaiah's list of virtues that will characterize this ideal king from the stump of Jesse, are picked up by the early church in Paul's essay on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Twelve centuries later, Thomas Aquinas would develop this list of virtues into the Church's teaching on the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit with their correspondence to the seven Capital Virtues.

Wikipedia nicely summarizes Aquinas' description of these gifts that are infused by the Holy Spirit.
* Wisdom (sabidura) - The gift of wisdom perfects a person's speculative reason in matters of judgment about the truth, Aquinas writes.

* Knowledge - The gift of knowledge perfects a person's practical reason in matters of judgment about the truth, Aquinas writes

* Judgment - The gift of counsel perfects a person's practical reason in the apprehension of truth and allows the person to respond prudently, moved through the research of reason, Aquinas writes.

* Courage -The gift of Courage allows people the firmness of mind [that] is required both in doing good and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult, Aquinas writes.

* Understanding - Also called "Common Sense." The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known, Aquinas writes.

* Piety - Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes.

* Fear of the Lord - This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Also known as knowing God is all powerful.

Don't we all wish to live with such authenticity and character?

At a moment when the royal dynasty has been removed, a nation overwhelmed, and peoples' spirits shattered, Isaiah dares to dream of a new reality. Christians see much of Isaiah's dream being fulfilled in Jesus, the shoot and branch from Jesse's stump. We see Jesus as the ideal ruler. Now we are invited to internalize this dream and these virtues, that we may reclaim for God our small part of the world and foster again the peaceful kingdom.

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas