The Wisdom of the Crib

Isa 11:1-10; Psalm: 71; Lk 10:21-24

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, on this Advent journey, the Word of God presents us with a vision so beautiful it seems almost a dream, and then reveals the surprising path to its fulfillment. We are shown a world transformed by the Spirit of the Lord, a peace that defies nature, and the childlike heart that alone can perceive it.

The Prophet Isaiah paints a masterpiece of hope. From the seemingly dead stump of Jesse, a shoot shall sprout. This new Davidic king will be filled with the Spirit of the Lord—a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. His rule will be one of perfect justice for the poor and the meek. Then, the prophet unveils an image of cosmic reconciliation: the wolf as the guest of the lamb, the leopard lying with the kid, and a little child leading them all. This is not merely the end of violence, but the restoration of creation itself to its original harmony. “They shall not harm or destroy on all my holy mountain,” for the earth will be “filled with knowledge of the Lord.” This is the peace that the world cannot give, the ultimate fruit of the Messiah’s reign.

This profound vision finds its key in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus, filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, turns to His disciples and offers a prayer of exultation: “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.” The “these things” that the childlike understand is the very reality Isaiah foretold: the presence of the Messiah and the dawning of the Kingdom in their midst. The “wise and learned”—the Pharisees and scribes with their complicated systems of power and purity—are blind to it. But the humble, the poor in spirit, the disciples who simply follow, they see. They are the ones whom the Son chooses to reveal the Father. This is the divine logic, the “wisdom of the crib,” where God’s power is made perfect in weakness and His truth is entrusted to the simple.

He is the shoot from the stump of Jesse, anointed by the Spirit at His baptism. He is the little child who leads us, not with the sword of earthly power, but with the vulnerable love of the manger and the Cross. The peaceable kingdom begins wherever a human heart, in childlike trust, surrenders to His reign. As St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, taught, “Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude.”

This offers us immense comfort and a clear path. We are not called to solve the world’s problems with our own sophisticated plans, but to first receive the Kingdom with the trust of a child. The peace that Isaiah describes begins internally, when we allow the Spirit of the Lord to rest upon us, guiding our decisions with His wisdom and counsel.

So how do we apply this? We must cultivate a spirit of holy simplicity. We must approach the Lord in prayer not with many words, but with a trusting heart. We must seek the justice of the Kingdom by defending the poor and the meek in our own spheres of influence.

Let us pray for the grace to be numbered among the childlike. May we, with them, see and hear what the prophets and kings longed for: the presence of our God, who comes to us as a little child to lead us into His everlasting peace. Amen.