Station 11: Root of Jesse

Before reading this poem, take a moment to tune into the Spirit.

Get comfortable where you are sitting. Feel free to light a candle or close your eyes. 

Take a few deep breaths and focus on the movement of the air gently expanding and contracting your lungs. 

Be still and know that this is the Spirit rushing through you.

When you are ready, begin by Meditating on the words of this Poem

Carried into Captivity

This faithful arc

brought to its knees.

We sat down in Babylon and wept.

No horn or zither did play.

Again, our bodies were not our own;

just currency for kings to possess.

Yet, where is our Savior?

We’ve worked for a while now;

sown in land not our own

with seeds not saved for ourselves.

You promised us a King,

whose reign would never end.

Where is the Savior?

Take with You

The Root of Jesse is a metaphor that refers to the coming of the Messiah. Jesse is David’s father. The “root” refers to a future Savior and King that would come from David’s line. 

In Isaiah 11:1, it talks about a “shoot growing out of the stump of Jesse”. Isaiah was writing to the Jewish people in Exile in Babylon. They were scarce in number and now  conquered by another nation. Yet God reveals to Isaiah that even though it looks grim, he hasn’t forgotten about his promise.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we see the book open with a genealogy of Jesus that traces his roots back to David. 

Holding on to hope is a difficult thing to do sometimes. In most cases, it means believing in something despite what it currently looks or feels like. Isaiah calls the nation of Israel in captivity a “stump”. This gives us a picture of a tree that has been chopped down. This Holiday season can be challenging for those who are holding on to a “stump” of their own. Whether that be a relationship, the loss of a loved one, or a difficult family dynamic. It could even be living in the tension of  feeling lonely while being surrounded by the “happiest time of year”. 

But God speaks through Isaiah. He says, “Nothing is impossible with me!” The stump will produce a tender shoot. That shoot is Jesus! He doesn’t just represent restoration, HE IS restoration. Just remember: God hasn’t forgotten you. He sees you and is with you.

(Isaiah 11:10)