Day 1 Advent: Hope and Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:1-11, Psalm 25:1-11

Isaiah 11:1

There shall come forth a shoot 
from the stump of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

     Upon reading this scripture, the first image that popped in my mind was a real “throw-back” one- from the 1960’s, when my Dad drove us on South Highway 27, through Clermont.  Then, the rolling hills were covered with acres and acres of orange trees.  The bottom of the trees we saw closest to the highway looked a little “scrufty.”  My Dad, an avid orchid grower, told us why.

       He explained that the rootstock (the root system and the lower stem or trunk) was a different plant than the top of the tree!  This was quite intentional, and for very good reasons.  The rootstock was tolerant of unfavorable soils, pests, diseases, and cold, but would not produce edible fruit.  (The rootstock  we were describing as somewhat “scrufty” were likely sour orange, or rough lemon.)

     A grower would graft a different plant  ( called the scion)  into the rootstock, incorporating more desirable characteristics into a single tree.  To start with a seedling of a sweet orange, it might take 10 or more years to produce fruit, and that is if the fragile seedling survived. If propagated, a hardy rootstock could produce fruit in 2 or 3 years, with a plant identical to its parent type.

   Perhaps we can draw an analogy of our propagated  orange tree  to the stump of Jesse.  Some of the stories we study from our Old Testament roots may seem to be harsh, bitter or even inedible.  What we see is that a strong, stalwart foundation is essential, from which the sweet fruit of (Jesus) can grow and  flourish. And all is made possible by the Creator, our God!

 From the Stump of Jesse (King David’s father) comes the branch, bearing fruit, our Messiah!

~Mary Beth Mutarelli

Reflection Questions:

Am I bearing the sweet fruit of the Kingdom of God?

What areas of my life need to be ‘grafted’ into the hope of God’s story in Christ?

---