“The Root of Jesse, Day 9” (3 panels)
Isaiah 11:9
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restThey shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord,
as water covers the sea.
The Root of Jesse, Day 8
Isaiah 11:8
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
The baby shall play by the viper’s den,
Isaiah 11:8
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
No Fear on Mount Zion
In the New Jerusalem, fear will have no corner to lurk where there is no night and no darkness (Revelation 21:25).… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 7
Isaiah 11:7
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
The cow and the bear shall graze,
Isaiah 11:7
together their young shall lie down;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
Universal Harmony
For Isaiah’s audience, the image of a cow and a bear feeding together signified a new harmony transcending purity laws.… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 6
Isaiah 11:6b
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
Isaiah 11:6b
with a little child to guide them.
Restoration of the Divine Order
On the mountain of the Lord, adam (humankind) will reclaim their role as caretakers of the Garden of Eden.… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 5
Isaiah 11:6a
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
Isaiah 11:6a
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat.
Kingdom of Shalom
Isaiah’s vision of universal peace and harmony among the beasts points to a kingdom not of this world.… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 4
Isaiah 11:5
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restNot by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Yeshua at the Jordan River
A reflection on Matthew 3:1-12
Second Sunday of Advent (Year A)
©️2022 by Gloria M. Chang
… Read the restIn those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It
The Root of Jesse, Day 3
Isaiah 11:2b-3a
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
Isaiah 11:2b-3a
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Counsel
The Hebrew word etsah (counsel, advice, guidance) is cognate with etsah (trees), from the parent root ets (tree, trees, wood).… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 2
Isaiah 11:2a
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
Isaiah 11:2a
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding…
Wisdom
In Hebrew, wisdom (chokmah) encompasses both sagacity and skill.… Read the rest
The Root of Jesse, Day 1
Isaiah 11:1
©️2020 by Gloria M. Chang
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
Isaiah 11:1
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
Decay of the Davidic Dynasty
Over three hundred years after the reign of King David, his dynasty had decayed to a stump.… Read the rest