A foretaste of what is to come – justice and peace (Isa 11:3-9)

When I was a volunteer working for a mission in my twenties, I was hosted by a local family. It turned out to be an awkward living arrangement, where the head of the household generously offered his home, while his wife was unhappy about having another woman in her kitchen. As part of my contribution for living with them I was supposed to help with household cleaning (again, the husband’s idea). After scrubbing the bathroom until it gleamed and sparkled, I was feeling pleased with my efforts and thought that it would help dissipate the wife’s resentment that I was a nuisance in her house. After she had sheepishly thanked me, however, I realised that she felt shown up by me as untidy. That was not my intention, but it is how it came across to her. Especially when there are tensions in a relationship, it is easy for people to misjudge us and in turn we probably misjudge others.  

As we continue reflecting on Messiah, the fruit of His reign is described as justice (Isa 11:3-5) and peace (Isa 11:6-9). He will not misjudge people’s intentions and actions and, as supreme judge of His kingdom, He will protect the needy and vulnerable and punish the wicked. While we do not yet see this realised in its fullness, Jesus’ earthly ministry gives us a foretaste of it. He denounces the hypocrisy of the powerful and religious, their grasping for influence and prestige. Status and authority are not wrong, in themselves, rather, certain attitudes are deplored. Jesus consistently sees through the superficial piety of those who try to entrap Him, and His questions and wisdom reveal people’s true motivation. He also sees beyond appearances when He recognises the longing and seeking of those whom others condemned, whether a Roman collaborator and tax collector (Matt 9:9), an unclean bleeding woman too embarrassed to do more than touch Jesus’ cloak (Mk 5:25-34), or a Gentile centurion who has absolute trust in Jesus’ power to heal from a distance (Matt 8:8-9).

The second feature of Messiah’s kingdom is the peace that He will establish, and this is not only an absence of conflict and war (Isa 9:4-5), but harmony and well-being in relationships. While our passage uses imagery from the created world (Isa 11:6-8), it is a reflection of true peace that extends both to the human and the animal realm. Peaceful interactions will be based on trust that the aggressive and powerful will not harm the weak. Such relationships will grow out of a knowledge of God (Isa 11:9). Those who truly appreciate God’s character as they engage with Him will be motivated to emulate His example. Once again, this is a far cry from reality today, but we can experience a foretaste of it as Christians through the peace Jesus has brought in reconciling us to God. Moreover, this peace is to be worked out in relationship to each other, an example of which is given in the early church’s life in the incorporation of Gentiles into the community of faith (Eph 2:14-18). Incidentally, such acceptance is the result of judging rightly, by God’s standards, rather than by our perceptions. Thus, the traits of justice and peace truly belong together.

Our passage is both an encouragement of what we already have, as well as a future hope. It also entails a challenge for those of us who have come to know and are in relationship with the living God. We are part of His kingdom now and need to follow in the footsteps of our King. Are we stuck in judging people by how they seem to us? Do we misjudge the words and motivation of others? Are we impressed in others by the things that matter to us, whether status, education, wealth, social or ethnic background? Do we write off or ignore others who do not live up to these standards? Do we seek to live at peace with others? As we approach Christmas, may we remember the precious gift of our Lord Jesus Christ: He offered grace and peace to us. May we, too, be people who judge others rightly and who extend the peace received from the Lord to others.

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