Old Testament for March 24, 2024 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression, he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4 tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 2, 2023 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression, he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4 tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

1st Gospel for April 10, 2022 (Liturgy of the Passion)

This stained glass window is in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. [photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 19:28-40
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The Final Act of the Salvation Drama opens with a somewhat spontaneous parade.  I say somewhat spontaneous because Jesus is obviously orchestrating events in a very intentional way.

Jesus and his disciples have been on a journey from Galilee and the northern regions, through Jericho, and now they approach Jerusalem from the logical access point just to the southeast — Bethany and Bethpage, just two miles away from the Holy City.

This is logical because of the road that wound through the hills of Judea from Jericho to Bethany.  Pilgrims could then turn to the northwest and make their way toward Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives, and through the Eastern Gate, also known as the Beautiful Gate.

This gate would be the appropriate place for a triumphal procession.

It is interesting to note that Bethany features prominently in all four of the Gospels as a place where Jesus has received hospitality from various sources — it is the home of Simon the Leper (Matthew 26:6), and the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha (John 11:1), where Jesus is a welcomed guest.  In Bethany Jesus was anointed with oil and symbolically prepared for the events about to unfold in Jerusalem.

Jesus is keenly aware of events that are about to unfold.  He tells two of his disciples:

“Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Astonishingly,  once the disciples explain why they require the animal, the owner consents!  This might lead us to speculation.  Did Jesus already have a prearrangement with the owner of the colt?  Or was he simply confident that the request that The Lord needs it would open the heart of the owner?

Note that he refers to himself as Lord. At that time Lord  is regarded as a political title — used as a title for the Roman emperor, for instance. But it is also a title used by the Jews to describe God.

In any event, Jesus knows exactly what he is doing.  He is obviously aware of the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

When he rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, he is aware that he is declaring himself to be the king.  The response of the citizens of Jerusalem makes this identification quite clear.  The people of Jerusalem spread their cloaks on the road as a sign of homage to Jesus.

And Luke makes it clear that it is the whole multitude of the disciples who praise God for all the mighty deeds they have seen Jesus perform.  Apparently, this multitude of disciples includes not only the twelve, but many others who have been following Jesus. It would seem that the cue to praise Jesus as king comes from those who know his power and are convinced that he is the Messiah:

“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”

Despite the acclaim Jesus receives from the people and his disciples, there are those who dissent:

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”

Are they upset because of the lack of decorum as the holy festival of Passover approaches? Are they critical of the claims that Jesus is the Messianic king? Or do they fear Roman reprisal against a political rival of the established order?  They don’t say.

But Jesus makes it clear that this praise is appropriate:

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

APPLY:  

Jesus is not manipulating events.  He doesn’t need to. He is the Messiah.  Still, he is very consciously fulfilling the prophecies of the Scripture.

We are reminded as this week begins that Jesus is not a victim.   He is not passively being dragged to his own slaughter. Rather, he is very clearly aware that this has been the divine plan all along, so that he might save the world.

As Jesus declares,  he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his flock:

 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father”  (John 10:17-18).

While we know what awaits him at the end of the week, Jesus is very clearly aware of his divine prerogatives.  He is worthy of praise, and we do well to shout and praise him.

RESPOND: 

I have heard preachers over the years point out the dramatic irony that Holy Week begins with shouts of “Hosanna”, and ends on Good Friday with cries “Crucify him!”  Usually we hear the rhetorical flourish that “the same people who praised him on Palm Sunday demanded his death on Good Friday!”

Well, maybe not.  According to Luke’s Gospel, it was the:

whole multitude of the disciples

who were shouting joyfully and who recognized Jesus as their king.

Luke describes those who shouted for Jesus’ death as:

the chief priests, the leaders, and the people (Luke 23:13).

It may be a little subtle, but the disciples didn’t call for Jesus’ death.  True, one betrays him, another denies him, and the majority abandoned him.  But it is too much to say that the same folks who wished to crown him also wished to crucify him.

What I do know is that if the disciples had not shouted his praises, then the stones of the temple itself would have cried out.  Even all nature is compelled to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.

We are reminded that when the storms threatened to capsize the boat holding Jesus and his disciples, Jesus calmed the wind and the waves with a word.  And the disciples posed a question that has only one answer:

They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”(Luke 8:25).

The answer for them, and for us, is the same — Jesus is God in the flesh.

Lord, I love to shout Hosanna on Palm Sunday, although I know what the Man of Sorrows experienced in his Passion.  But I am so grateful that on Easter Sunday I will shout with unrestrained joy, “Christ is risen!”  Thank you for enduring the cross, despising the shame, and finishing the work on our behalf!  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Hosanna!” by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 10, 2022 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for March 28, 2021 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 5, 2020 (Liturgy of the Passion)

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Holy Week Bible Study book.

Go and Find a Donkey is the latest installment of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

• Scripture passage (World English Bible)
• Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
• Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Use them on the suggested dates, or skip around.  Designed to be used during Holy Week, this nine-day Bible study takes you from Palm Sunday through Easter Monday.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the breakfast table.

Order Go and Find a Donkey  today to prepare your family for this year’s Easter season!
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Kindle book of Go and Find a Donkey.
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Paperback of Go and Find a Donkey.

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and  Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

1st Gospel for April 14, 2019 (Liturgy of the Passion)

This stained glass window is in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. [photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 19:28-40
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The Final Act of the Salvation Drama opens with a somewhat spontaneous parade.  I say somewhat spontaneous because Jesus is obviously orchestrating events in a very intentional way.

Jesus and his disciples have been on a journey from Galilee and the northern regions, through Jericho, and now they approach Jerusalem from the logical access point just to the southeast — Bethany and Bethpage, just two miles away from the Holy City.

This is logical because of the road that wound through the hills of Judea from Jericho to Bethany.  Pilgrims could then turn to the northwest and make their way toward Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives, and through the Eastern Gate, also known as the Beautiful Gate.

This gate would be the appropriate place for a triumphal procession.

It is interesting to note that Bethany features prominently in all four of the Gospels as a place where Jesus has received hospitality from various sources — it is the home of Simon the Leper (Matthew 26:6), and the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha (John 11:1), where Jesus is a welcomed guest.  In Bethany Jesus was anointed with oil and symbolically prepared for the events about to unfold in Jerusalem.

Jesus is keenly aware of events that are about to unfold.  He tells two of his disciples:

“Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Astonishingly,  once the disciples explain why they require the animal, the owner consents!  This might lead us to speculation.  Did Jesus already have a prearrangement with the owner of the colt?  Or was he simply confident that the request that The Lord needs it would open the heart of the owner?

Note that he refers to himself as Lord. At that time Lord  is regarded as a political title — used as a title for the Roman emperor, for instance. But it is also a title used by the Jews to describe God.

In any event, Jesus knows exactly what he is doing.  He is obviously aware of the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

When he rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, he is aware that he is declaring himself to be the king.  The response of the citizens of Jerusalem makes this identification quite clear.  The people of Jerusalem spread their cloaks on the road as a sign of homage to Jesus.

And Luke makes it clear that it is the whole multitude of the disciples who praise God for all the mighty deeds they have seen Jesus perform.  Apparently, this multitude of disciples includes not only the twelve, but many others who have been following Jesus. It would seem that the cue to praise Jesus as king comes from those who know his power and are convinced that he is the Messiah:

“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”

Despite the acclaim Jesus receives from the people and his disciples, there are those who dissent:

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”

Are they upset because of the lack of decorum as the holy festival of Passover approaches? Are they critical of the claims that Jesus is the Messianic king? Or do they fear Roman reprisal against a political rival of the established order?  They don’t say.

But Jesus makes it clear that this praise is appropriate:

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

APPLY:  

Jesus is not manipulating events.  He doesn’t need to. He is the Messiah.  Still, he is very consciously fulfilling the prophecies of the Scripture.

We are reminded as this week begins that Jesus is not a victim.   He is not passively being dragged to his own slaughter. Rather, he is very clearly aware that this has been the divine plan all along, so that he might save the world.

As Jesus declares,  he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his flock:

 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father”  (John 10:17-18).

While we know what awaits him at the end of the week, Jesus is very clearly aware of his divine prerogatives.  He is worthy of praise, and we do well to shout and praise him.

RESPOND: 

I have heard preachers over the years point out the dramatic irony that Holy Week begins with shouts of  “Hosanna”, and ends on Good Friday with cries “Crucify him!”  Usually we hear the rhetorical flourish that “the same people who praised him on Palm Sunday demanded his death on Good Friday!”

Well, maybe not.  According to Luke’s Gospel, it was the:

whole multitude of the disciples

who were shouting joyfully and who recognized Jesus as their king.

Luke describes those who shouted for Jesus’ death as:

the chief priests, the leaders, and the people (Luke 23:13).

It may be a little subtle, but the disciples didn’t call for Jesus’ death.  True, one betrays him, another denies him, and the majority abandoned him.  But it is too much to say that the same folks who wished to crown him also wished to crucify him.

What I do know is that if the disciples had not shouted his praises, then the stones of the temple itself would have cried out.  Even all nature is compelled to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.

We are reminded that when the storms threatened to capsize the boat holding Jesus and his disciples, Jesus calmed the wind and the waves with a word.  And the disciples posed a question that has only one answer:

They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”(Luke 8:25).

The answer for them, and for us, is the same — Jesus is God in the flesh.

Lord, I love to shout Hosanna on Palm Sunday, although I know what the Man of Sorrows experienced in his Passion.  But I am so grateful that on Easter Sunday I will shout with unrestrained joy, “Christ is risen!”  Thank you for enduring the cross, despising the shame, and finishing the work on our behalf!  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Hosanna!” by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 14, 2019 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder — these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and  Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self-sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for March 25, 2018 (Liturgy of the Passion)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the Songs of the Servant.  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel suffered oppression and persecution even before they were conquered by Assyria and Babylon, and up to the present.  However, these words describing beating and cruel torment can also be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder: these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish Messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the New Testament writers are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the servant of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head(Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and  Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants personally dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self- sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for April 9, 2017 (Liturgy of the Passion)

Start with Scripture:

Isaiah 50:4-9a

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is one of four oracles in Isaiah called the “Songs of the Servant.”  The Jewish interpretation of these passages has long been that they apply to Israel as the servant of God.  However, for traditional Christian interpreters, the servant of God is Christ.

Analysis of the passage certainly seems to confirm a Christ-centered understanding of these verses.

The oracle is written in the first person, and the narrator declares that the Lord God has done three things for him:

• The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught
     that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary.
  [The Servant can teach because he has been teachable, which he explains further in the next verse.]
• The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
  and I was not rebellious.
  I have not turned back.
• For the Lord Yahweh will help me.
  Therefore I have not been confounded.
  Therefore I have set my face like a flint,
  and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
  

The Servant credits the Lord with giving him the ability to speak words of comfort; the ability to listen to the Lord’s guidance and to obey him; and divine help even in the face of opposition and suffering, vindicating the Servant and his mission.

The message the Servant is given to speak is the teaching of one who sustains the weary.  This illustrates the Lord’s compassion for those who suffer.

The Servant knows what to say because he listens consistently to the voice of the Lord:

He wakens morning by morning,
he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Listening is not merely hearing what the Lord God has to say, but obeying it:

The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious.
I have not turned back.

What makes this obedience all the more poignant is the cost to the Servant.  As he obeys, he suffers:

I gave my back to those who beat me,
and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair.
I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.

Historically, the nation of Israel has suffered oppression and persecution, since before their conquest by Assyria and Babylon, up to the present.  However, as a literal application, these words can be applied to the treatment of Jesus upon his arrest in Jerusalem.  Just a reminder: these words were written perhaps 500 to 700 years prior to the events of Holy Week.

Finally, the Servant finds his vindication through the help of the Lord.  Despite abuse and oppression,  he expresses his utmost confidence that the Lord God will overcome his oppressors.  Therefore, the Servant is able to face his circumstances with firm resolve:

 I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
 He who justifies me is near.
Who will bring charges against me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?

The contrast between the Servant and his adversaries could not be more clear.  The Servant will prevail, but of his enemies he says:

Behold, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moths will eat them up.

This vivid image represents the transient nature of evil in the face of God’s enduring goodness.

APPLY:  

There is a kind of “theological correctness” that has crept into Biblical interpretation over the past century or so.  On the one hand, there is great merit to this effort.  Biblical scholars have reminded us that we must view Biblical passages in their original historical context, and not simply superimpose Christian presuppositions on the Old Testament.

On the other hand, however, the New Testament writers themselves view the Old Testament as their book, and they see Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises of God to the people of Israel.  Jesus himself is the Jewish messiah, and is very aware of his connection with the Old Testament.  The majority of the writers of the New Testament are Jewish, and make a considerable effort to point out the connections between Old Testament prophecy and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Acts 3:13 Peter calls Jesus the “servant” of God.   When Jesus is arrested, he is subjected to abuses that are described in Isaiah 50:

Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him (Matthew 26:67).

 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head(Matthew 27:30).

So, when we as Christians read Isaiah 50:4-9, it is virtually impossible for us not to see Jesus in these lines. And this should give us great comfort.

Isaiah 50:4  tells us that this Servant speaks comforting words to the weary.  Jesus says:

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Isaiah 50:5 tells us that this Servant does not rebel.  Jesus listens to the voice of his Father, and obeys him, even unto death.  Paul says of Jesus:

So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.  For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).

And finally, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 directly as he describes the help of the Lord:

Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says,
“At an acceptable time I listened to you,
in a day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

RESPOND: 

I enjoy watching historical dramas that portray life in Victorian and Edwardian England in the 19th and early 20th century — for example, Victoria and  Downton Abbey.

One aspect of life in those eras, at least in England, was very clear — there were definite class distinctions between the aristocracy and their servants.  Servants dressed their lords and ladies, made sure all their whims were met, and even became their confidants.  But servants were never regarded as the social equals of their employers.

This is what may make it difficult to understand how Jesus, the Lord of all Life, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Incarnate God — could be a servant!  We might rationalize it and say that Jesus is the Servant of God the Father.  And yet Scripture and Christian doctrine teach us is that Jesus is equal with God the Father — that though he is distinct in person, he is nonetheless of one being with the Father.  Yet he willingly humbles himself in order to serve:

[Jesus] existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).

The real mystery here is the reason Jesus took the form of a servant.   Jesus, the divine Son of God, washes the feet of his disciples to illustrate his servanthood and encourages them to follow his example (John 13:3-17).  But his servanthood also means that he is completely and absolutely self- sacrificial:

Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:27-28).

Servanthood, for Jesus, means that he came to die!

Perhaps a mother can understand the sacrifice involved in offering her own body for the life of her child in childbirth; or a soldier who is willing to lay down his life for a comrade in battle.  But Jesus has served and given his life for all who will turn to him in faith.

The Lord of lords and King of kings humbles himself in order to lift us up.  This is a miracle!

Lord, your suffering as the Servant of the Lord God has made it possible for me to be reconciled with you.  Thank you for doing for me what I could not do for myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Isaiah 50 verses 4 to 9 SERVANT” uses this photo:
“crown of thorns” by .brioso. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.