New Growth in Faith

Name your stump. Today’s first reading contains that often-quoted, sometimes sung prophecy in Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah, a new branch growing from the dead stump of the tree of Jesse. Jesse was the great King David’s father. Out of this family tree, Jesus was born. The tree of Jesse was a healthy, fruitful family because of their faith in God, which inspired them to be good servants of his kingdom. David became a servant-king 1,100 years before the human birth of Jesus. His reign was strong and branched out into the whole nation of Israel. During much of his son Solomon’s reign, the tree continued to flourish, but then it became diseased. Israel cracked in two, divided and weakened by a civil war after Solomon’s death. Foreign enemies came and cut down the tree, taking the Israelites into captivity. The Jews never again had a king as great as David. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised that the tree of Jesse would spring back to life. In the midst of suffering and loss, God was offering a reason for hope based on faith in him. Think of a chopped-down tree in your own life. What relationship has been cut off? What ministry has died? Has a job been axed? Has a dream withered? Name your stump. The Jews thought that when the new shoot finally grew from the stump of Jesse’s tree, it would be a new king like David and he would rescue them from their human enemies. Of course, we know that Jesus was the Messiah that Isaiah had prophesied, and he was quite a different sort of king. The branch of Christ grew into Christianity and its many branches of Christ-rooted ministries. Jesus rescued us from the spiritual enemy and its weapons of sin. Faith-filled followers serve God’s kingdom, producing many good fruits. Now think of your own tree stump. If we watch for our stumps to come back to life and grow the same old tree, we will fail to see our Messiah. A cut-off relationship cannot be restored unless Christ becomes the center of it and each person’s heart is converted and healed from the cut. A dead ministry will take new shape only when Jesus resurrects it; the roots will be the same, but the new growth will be surprisingly different. Christ’s life is springing forth from the axed job as he points the way down a path that will glorify God. The withered dream will pass through the cross of Christ to be resurrected into a glorified new goal that will be empowered by a Pentecost of the Holy Spirit. When we allow Isaiah’s prophecy to come true for us in our current situations, we hear Jesus say, as we read in today’s Gospel passage, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” Do you have faith to see? Fertilize your tree stump by increasing your prayer time, scripture reading, other spiritual reading, and participation in parish programs. Jesus himself is the new growth that will be born in you, but you have to nurture your soil. For more on this, use our video, “3 Keys in Turbulent Times to Grow Closer to Christ” @ gnm-media.org/3-keys-in-turbulent-times-to-grow-closer-to-christ/. © 2022 by Terry A. Modica