Swords into Plowshares

Advent 1 – November 30, 2025

Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44

In the courtyard of the United Nation’s building in New York is a sculpture that was influenced by today’s text from Isaiah. It is of a person beating a sword into a plowshare upon an anvil. The sculptor who fashioned this was mirroring the hope of nations that the UN would bring about a time when there no longer were any wars. That certainly was a highly optimistic hope on their part which has proven to be a difficult, if not impossible, task. The Israelites had this hope as well. Unfortunately, for them, their nation was on the crossroads between mightier nations than themselves and were often caught up in the wars around them. That is, in part, the reason God called Isaiah. The Israelites were trying to direct their own future in the war between the Babylonians and Egypt by making a deal with Egypt. Unfortunately, Egypt came out the loser. Now, to be truthful, Israel would never have been able to hold their own against Babylon – nobody was able to. But if they had remained neutral and were patient they probably would not have undergone the captivity. Isaiah preached that they should rely upon God and not on any other nation for their deliverance. They did not take his advice and thought that they were cunning enough to play the great nations off against each other, losing in the end.

We must note that this text also appears in Micah (4:1-5) and there is a debate about which prophet said it (some think it was neither of them but added to these books by a later hand). That it appears in two different books indicate that it was a well-known and much loved prophecy about the future of the world in God’s hands. That is why we have read it today. As Israel’s impatience drove them to take matters into their own hands they made matters worse for themselves. This prophecy was to remind them that God’s time is different than theirs. That they were to rely on God to take care of things in God’s way. Now, this is not to say we are to sit around and wait for God to do what we desire. It is a recognition that God is the creator and ruler of the world and that we have been called into a special community and role by God. Just as Isaiah was called to proclaim God’s word to God’s people, we are also called to do the same. Unfortunately, we are more like the Israelites than we would admit. We are impatient and selfish, want our own way, and hate to wait for anything. In our impatience we take the situation into our own hands and, usually, muck it up. Just like the Israelites did in their time.

We do have an advantage over the Israelites and that is the light of Jesus. For us he is the image of God – the guide for our lives. Jesus is certainly the best guide for us in this time. We so often get caught up in the compartmentalization of the season or trying to recreate a Christmas time lodged in our memory. The first is a corruption of what the season is about, the second is just not true. God is merciful and allows us to remember the good part of any event while we are able to forget the bad. Besides, there are so many emotions and people involved we cannot begin to make all things work out perfectly. Instead, remember Jesus and how simple that first Christmas was. It was not easy for Joseph and certainly not for Mary. But that left everything in God’s hands. That is our calling. To remember what it is about – the love of God. A love so great that God gave Jesus to us. That is our model. We are to follow Jesus in this time and to share God’s love with the world. It may be a kind word to someone who is struggling or help with a task. It is our calling not only to remember what this season is about but we are called to share that gift of love with the world. Pray that, when the opportunity occurs, you will be able to step in and be the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of Jesus showering God’s love on others.