The Ideal King is Here; Blessed Are Those Who See Him.
December 3, 2024 - Tuesday, Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Luke 10:21-24
Isaiah 11:1-10 offers a striking vision of an ideal ruler. This leader, from the root of Jesse, is filled with the Spirit of the Lord, executing justice with righteousness and faithfulness. Isaiah dreams of a world where peace reigns, where predators and prey live in harmony, and where creation is restored to its original innocence. The passage calls for a daring hope in a future of peace that feels almost too good to be true. This vision invites us to ask: what kind of leaders do we long for today? In our world, where corruption, division, and selfish ambition often mark leadership, Isaiah points us to an ideal beyond what human rulers can achieve on their own.
Psalm 72 builds upon this theme, focusing on the qualities of a just and righteous king. The psalmist prays for a ruler endowed with God’s judgment, one who defends the poor and rescues the needy. Like Isaiah’s vision, this psalm emphasizes justice for the oppressed, a reign that brings peace for all the earth. In many ways, Psalm 72 mirrors the messianic hopes of Isaiah, where the king’s rule extends "from sea to sea," and his care for the vulnerable is central to his authority. Yet, history shows us that even Israel’s greatest kings, like Solomon, failed to meet these ideals fully. The psalm points forward to a greater king — Jesus — whose reign transcends borders and whose care for the poor and outcast embodies the heart of God’s justice.
The Gospel reading from Luke 10:21-24 brings this vision of the kingdom into sharp focus. Jesus rejoices in the Father’s revelation to "the little ones" — those whom the world overlooks. Unlike earthly rulers who seek power, Jesus embodies humility, revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the humble, the childlike, and the poor in spirit. Jesus’ praise of the Father for hiding these truths from the "wise and learned" challenges us to consider where true wisdom lies. The kingdom of God, as Jesus teaches, is revealed not through worldly knowledge or status, but through a childlike openness to God’s will. The disciples are blessed, Jesus tells them, because they witness what prophets and kings longed to see — the coming of the kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, the ideal ruler that Isaiah and the psalmist anticipated has arrived.
In these readings, we see a powerful contrast between the world’s expectations of leadership and the kingdom of God. Where the world values power, status, and might, God’s kingdom is revealed to the humble and the lowly. Jesus, the promised Messiah, is not the warrior king riding in triumph but the humble servant, the one who associates with fishermen, tax collectors, and sinners. His reign is one of justice, mercy, and profound peace.
As we enter Advent, these readings remind us that we, too, are called to embrace this upside-down kingdom. In a world that often prizes ambition and self-reliance, we are invited to become like the "little ones" who trust in God’s power to heal and transform. Like the ideal ruler in Isaiah, like the king described in Psalm 72, and like the disciples blessed by Jesus, we are called to seek the kingdom of God with hearts open to His surprising and transformative grace.