"The Little Child"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, December 9, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "The Little Child"

Famous child leaders:

• King Tut – known ultimately for having a tomb that was left untouched by grave robbers until discovered in the 1920s ("Now when he was a young man – he never thought he’d see . . . people stand in line to see the boy king . . . .King Tut . . . )
• Pu Yi – the last emperor of China – lived the later years of his life as a gardener.
• You have Kings Joash and Josiah from the Old Testament. Joash (2 Kings 11 and 12) became king at age 7. His servants killed him when he was 30. Josiah (2 Kings 22 and 23) became king when he was 8. He had quite a go as King – being described like this: (2 Kings 23:25 NRSV) Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. He was killed by the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco when he was 39.

There are stories of child leaders throughout history – most often, if no always associated with people who became leaders because of a family line.

If you want real child leaders you have to look at TV and movies.

• There’s the kid, Kevin, from "Home Alone." He single-handedly foiled the attempt of burglars in the house.
• How about Tommy Pickles – the leader of the Rugrats?
• Jimmy Neutron – the genius who often saves the world – from space aliens or from his inventions gone awry?

I’m sure we could find plenty of child leaders from movies and television over the years. We may have laughed with them, but we usually think that in the "real world," children don’t rise up as leaders of everyone.

And this week’s reading for the second week of Advent from Isaiah 11:1-10 turns one of our ideas around, once again.

There are some familiar images from our reading a few weeks ago from Isaiah 65 about animals that don’t spend lots of time together becoming buddies – and this time another idea comes up: "a little child shall lead them."

I love that part. We hear the phrase "a little child" and I think we start to think about Jesus. And if anything gentle and kind reminds us of Jesus I think that’s great. But I’m not so sure the image of Jesus in a manger is intended here. The notion of a child leading – as upside-down as that seems, is intended, I think. But there’s more in this passage.

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots."

The verses that come right before this one say:

"Look, the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts, will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the tallest trees will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. He will hack down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon with its majestic trees will fall."

And then from one of those stumps a new branch will grow. The people who wrote about Jesus birth remembered these verses. They showed how Jesus earthly ancestry came from Jesse – through King David—who may have been the one these verses originally applied too – Jesus becomes the ultimate David – the ultimate anointed one.

And there’s still more:

"His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; {4} but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked."

This coming anointed one will be fair and just

His words – not his sword will be enough to wipe out what is wicked.

Did you catch that?

He’ll strike with his mouth – his breath will kill the wicked.

Words instead of weapons!

And then the unlikely pairing of animals

• The wolf and the lamb
• The leopard and the goat
• The lion and the calf
• The bear and the cow
• A snake and a baby

Everything’s completely out of order!

What everyone thought was "the way things are" isn’t!

• Peace instead of war
• Nature NOT doing what is . . . natural
• A little child leading the whole thing!

This is what Advent is about – anticipating the coming of one who changes "What is."

And what is – for us today? What is happening as we hope along the way?

• Violence
• War
• Poverty
• Disease
• Anger
• Racism
• Bigotry
• Selfishness
• Greed
• Self-importance
• Self-righteousness
• Rejection

And this morning’s Bible reading reminds us of the hope for a new way of being and thinking and living

• Helpfulness
• Peace
• Prosperity
• Health
• Kindness
• Acceptance
• Sharing
• Generosity
• Humility
• Acceptance
• Welcome

In today’s reading there’s an invitation for more getting ready. There’s anticipation -- looking forward to what God is doing – what can be in the world. Can we look forward and prepare to celebrate with hope?

• Hope coming from destruction
• Unlikely allies
• And all of this happening as we are led by the little child.

Close with prayer.

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