Readings: Isaiah 11: 1-10; Psalm 71; Romans 15:4-9. Matthew 3:1-12
Grace and peace to you my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. We light the candle of peace and pray for God’s peace in the world, in the Church, in our families and in our own hearts.
I would like us to reflect on all the readings of today because they carry a powerful and united message of hope, harmony and fruitful repentance.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 11:1 -10
Isaiah prophesies that a shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. By the time Isaiah delivered this prophecy in the eighth century before Christ, the royal line of David looked like a tree that had been cut down. David’s descendants had become weak. They were trusting foreign alliances rather than trusting God. They were failing morally and spiritually. The Assyrian Empire was rising and had already invaded the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah lived in daily fear. It seemed as if the promise made to David had collapsed. The glorious tree of David had become a stump.
Into this darkness Isaiah announces a message of incredible hope. From the stump a new shoot will rise. This shoot is the promised Messiah who will bring a kingdom of justice, righteousness and peace. He will be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, with wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge and fear of the Lord.
My dear friends, this is a message for someone today. Perhaps your life feels like the stump of Jesse. Maybe your situation feels hopeless, your joy is dry, your dreams have died or you carry a silent grief that no one understands. You are discouraged, overwhelmed or mourning someone dear. The Lord says to you today through Isaiah, “I will bring life where you see death.” A shoot shall come out of your stump. God will bring a new beginning from the place that looks finished. Saint Augustine said, “God is always doing something new in the soul that trusts Him.”
It is not over for you. It is not over for your family. Advent tells us that God can bring resurrection out of ruins.
SECOND READING: ROMANS 15:4-9
To understand this passage we must remember the historical context. The Christian community in Rome was made up of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. They struggled to accept one another. They disagreed about food, holy days and cultural practices. Five years earlier, Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. When they returned, the Church was now led mostly by Gentile believers. Jewish Christians felt displaced and Gentile Christians began to think that Israel was no longer important in the plan of God.
Saint Paul writes to heal this tension. He teaches three important truths.
First, Scripture was written to give us encouragement, endurance and hope. Saint Paul says “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4). The Word of God feeds every believer, Jew and Gentile.
Second, Christ came to make us one family. Paul commands them to live in harmony, to glorify God with one voice and to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed them. If Christ has embraced you, you must embrace your brother or sister, even when they are different in language, culture or temperament. Saint John Chrysostom said, “The surest sign of a Christian is the love that binds us together.”
Third, Christ serves both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel, yet through His mercy He has opened salvation to the nations. In Christ there is one family.
What does this mean for us in Advent? God calls us to seek peace, unity and reconciliation. Just as Isaiah describes wolves and lambs living in peace, union with Christ should make us peacemakers. God does not delight in division. Only the devil benefits from malice, unforgiveness and hatred.
The candle of peace we lit today is not a decoration or mere liturgical ritual, it is a message on mission. The Lord sends us to light the candle of peace wherever the darkness of division, anger or resentment is found.
GOSPEL: MATTHEW 3:1-12
John the Baptist appears with a strong message. He calls everyone to repentance. He warns the Pharisees not to claim Abraham as their father and assume automatic salvation because of their spiritual heritage. Repentance is not a family inheritance. It is a personal decision of the heart.
The same message is for us today. There is no alternative to repentance. Long prayers, generosity, good works or even the prayers of others cannot replace repentance. Saint Paul says, “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). John teaches that true repentance must produce good fruit. It is not enough to feel sorry or to confess. We must change our behaviour.
If we repent of pride, we must bear the fruit of humility.
If we repent of sexual immorality, we must bear purity.
If we repent of anger, we must bear patience.
If we repent of bitterness, we must bear forgiveness.
If we repent of greed, we must bear charity.
If we repent of backbiting, we must bear kindness.
If we repent of idolatry or divided loyalties, we must bear complete trust in God.
Good fruit is the evidence of true repentance. Saint John the Baptist is teaching us that God wants to bring a new stock of glory out of our old stump of sin.
This is the call of Advent. This is God’s call for us today.
May the Lord make us people of hope, people of harmony and people who bear good fruit.
May He bring life out of every stump in our lives and prepare our hearts to welcome His Son at Christmas.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka Gukena Okami on December 7, 2025