Thursday, December 9, 2010 Twelfth Day of Advent

Thursday, December 9^th

Isaiah 35:5-6    http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=158554046

The Radical Inclusion of the Kingdom of God

Isaiah describes the day of the Lord to be a day of freedom and healing.  When the Lord restores the Hebrew people and fulfills all of His promises, Isaiah tells us, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lame will walk.  In other words, Isaiah tells us that when the Lord comes to save his people, the Lord will look out for the most marginalized in society.  This was Jesus’ ministry.  He even described himself to John the Baptist using this very passage from Isaiah (see Matthew 11:4-5). Jesus came to bring freedom and healing to those caught in the cycle of sin and suffering.  He came to bring hope and validation to those who were rejected by society.  Jesus cared for those whom society deemed unimportant, eating with “sinners”, touching lepers, and loving the unlovable tax collectors.  And so Jesus’ mission was to bring the Kingdom of God to earth, gathering together a community of healed and forgiven people united by the love of God.

I invite you today to imitate Jesus’ ministry by looking out for neglected and ignored people in your families and communities.  You might offer kind words to a colleague who is often ridiculed, or befriend a neighbor who is usually avoided.  My prayer is that the vision of Christ’s misfit Kingdom may so shape our daily lives that our community may look like the Kingdom of God Jesus came to establish – that we might be a misfit group of healed and forgiven people united by God’s love.

Kid Challenge: Jesus was friends with everybody, especially people who were unpopular and made fun of.  Jesus was able to see the good in them and love them no matter what.  Your challenge today is to make friends with someone who is unpopular or uncool.  Try to look at all people through Jesus’ eyes – find what makes each person special and love them no matter what.

Advent Blessings,

Laura

This Christmas, give the gift that only you can give,

                                  ...give yourself this Christmas!  (Peter Mayer)