Isaiah
52:13-15 The
Lord’s Servant, Part 1
See,
my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very
high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him—so marred was his
appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals— so he
shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for
that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not
heard they shall contemplate.
****
This passage – commonly known as
the Suffering Servant passage – is most often heard during Lent and Holy
Week. It seems out of place as we prepare for Christmas. Most of
the images of this season are of barns filled with animals or fields with
shepherds as angels hover overhead (some even include snow!)
Yet, just as both the angels as
well as the star pointed the way to baby Jesus – so too does this passage from
Isaiah. It points to the reason that Jesus was born – marred in his
appearance on the cross to reveal how steadfast and great is God’s love is
for us.
This was not the Messiah that we
were expecting. This is not the kind of king that provides what we think
we need. This Messiah startles us all – born in a feeding bin, in a small
backwoods town (albeit the birthplace of David), waited on by dirty shepherds as
well as foreign kings. This is the Messiah who did not come into our
world of expectations, but turned them upside down.
Advent reminds us – as does this
passage – that God turns our expectations upside down. It is not about
what we think we want or need, but it is about what God provides through the
gift of his every self, born as a baby in Bethlehem.
Reflect on your own expectations
for this day as well as this time of year. Re-examine them. How do
they reflect your faith and trust in the One who turned this world upside
down? How do they point to the One whose love was born in a manger and
died on the cross?
Pastor Jen Boyd is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY
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