Kingdom Building

November 11, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 65:17-25; 12

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
   they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
   they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
   and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
   or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
   and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
   while they are yet speaking I will hear.
 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
   the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
   but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord. –Isaiah 65:21-25

The above selection is a song of hope for the oppressed in the world where their labors support the well-being of others but not their own. We live in a world where children are being killed in the cross fires of greed and lust for power whether by gang members or governmental leaders who are more concerned about assuring the rich get richer than about everybody having enough. This song of hope describes peace even among predatory animals and their prey.

Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God was surely fostered by his reading of the Psalms and the prophets of old.  He never lost that vision even through the cross and he called us to continue establishing the changes in our world needed to make such a dream possible in real time.

Prayer: Thank you God for the gift of hope that even in the bad times we can see a glimpse of your vision unfolding. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.