GOD KNEW WHAT HE WANTED
God made His saving power present in an infant, Jesus - an act which
appears to be folly in the eyes of the wise of this world of ours.
Today's first
reading: tells of Jacob's vision that the tribe of Judah would rule over the
other tribes. Jacob was right. The dynasty of David, a Judahite, lasted almost
half a millennium. But Jacob would have been astounded at God's vision. A new
and different King would arise from the tribe of Judah and the line of David,
the family tree of God, and this King would be God Incarnate. Even the
psalmists who painted a magnificent portrait of the King, could not have
imagined how true his image was. "Justice shall flourish in His time, and
fullness of peace forever."
God knew what He
wanted. Yes, He chose the tribe of Judah, the Jews, and from within that tribe
He selected the house of David. He insisted that through David and His
descendants the scepter, the ruling power, would never depart from Judah. In an
eminent degree the prophecy of today's scriptures was fulfilled in the person
of Jesus Christ, born of the house of David as the Messiah-King.
God not only knew
what He wanted; He also knew what He was doing. He was making it clear that He
alone was our Heavenly Father. He did not have to rely on mighty armies to
conquer evil in the world. God made His saving power present in an infant,
Jesus - an act which appears to be folly in the eyes of the wise of this world
of ours. God choose to pour out that salvation upon all human-kind through His
Son's blood on a Cross - an act which seems to be weakness in the eyes of the
powerful. God did this because of His love for us and it didn't happen by human
efforts but as a Divine Gift.
Points to Pray and Ponder: May we kindle again the wonder in our hearts at
the loving marvelous deeds of our God!