The Hopeful Promise of Judgement

The Hopeful Promise of Judgement

The Hopeful Promise of Judgement

Jubilee Preaching Aid for December 7, 2025

The second Sunday of Advent is about the promise of judgement. Make no mistake; it is not the threat of judgement, but the promise. The shoot coming out of the stump of Jesse is a common Advent image; it appears in multiple hymns and even occasionally as a visual in church décor. It is remembered as the foretelling of Jesus, a prophecy that links the child with a lineage, marking him as the long-awaited hope. How often do we, in Global North comfort, remember that the same passage from Isaiah foretells that “with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth” (Is 11: 4)?

First let’s consider who is the One who is foretold. It is clear in the beginning of this passage from Isaiah. For a fresh understanding, I encourage you to look at the whole Isaiah passage in the Bible translation, The Voice.

² And on this child from David’s line, the Spirit of the Eternal One will alight and rest.
By the Spirit of wisdom and discernment
    He will shine like the dew.
By the Spirit of counsel and strength
    He will judge fairly and act courageously.
By the Spirit of knowledge and reverence of the Eternal One,
³     He will take pleasure in honoring the Eternal. (Isaiah 11: 1-3a, VOICE)

In the Spirit of wisdom, discernment, counsel, strength, knowledge, and reverence of the Eternal One, he, Jesus the Christ, will judge fairly, and this will honour the Creator, the Eternal, God.

What do you think Jesus, born in a stable at the time of a census for taxation, would say in his wisdom and fair counsel, about our current global financial system? 2025 has been named a year of Jubilee and with that it has been a year to Turn Debt into Hope. We have heard the stories of market swings or drying riverbeds or failed infrastructure projects that can start a debt cycle in any country and then have also learned of the economic injustice that forces some to pay exorbitant interest without relief while others collect that as income. Zambia’s financial woes began when the bottom fell out of the copper prices in the 1970s, structural adjustments that followed in the ‘80s only made matters worse and the problem continues to grow.¹ Egypt is the second highest borrower from the  International Monetary Fund (IMF), struggling to make ends meet as the Nile recedes under climate change and farmland turns to desert.²  The stories of Zambia, Egypt and many other countries convince us that the Shoot of Jesse would rule against the current economic system.

The Psalmist writes, “May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice,” but the “he” in this passage is not the Shoot of Jesse. Why was Psalm 72, clearly about an earthly king, matched in the lectionary with the Isaiah’s prophesy about the Shoot of Jesse, but to emphasise the theme of justice, defense for the poor.

What about us? Are we supporting the current global financial system or working to support the 40% of the world who live in countries that spend more on debt servicing than they can on health, education or climate mitigation? Some companies are starting to talk of a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. The global Jubilee movement calls for people and planet beforeprofit. You can join that call by signing the petition and then telling your community about it.

May [our leaders] defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. (Psalm 72:4)

Shannon Neufeldt received an MDiv from Emmanuel College and is a member of Toronto United Mennonite Church. Her work as the Member Relations and Network Coordinator has her coordinating the Jubilee work at KAIROS this year.