Episode 16: 1/14/09

Readings:

Psalm 12
Isaiah 41:1-16
Ephesians 1:15-23
Mark 1:29-45

Sermon:

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
The Book of Isaiah 49:1-7

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

He just didn’t know…

Promises had been made. For centuries, generation upon generation, the children of Israel waited, their faith placed in a Redeemer God had foretold of even as man was cast from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). The words of the prophets would be littered with references to the advent of this Messiah; stories would be passed down from father to daughter, from mother to son, songs would be sung, and yet so many of them would never hear his voice, or sit at his feet learning from his wisdom.

Yet the images would be drawn, a King of kings, the rod of Jesse, the staff of David, a prophet, a conquering hero of the children of Israel. Now here he was shown in a different light.

Called upon to save the nation of God, it would not just be a promise for the children of Israel but a promise for the Gentile. Redemption would come not just for one people or one nation but for all people, for all nations. In the words of St. Paul, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

For the Jewish people it perhaps was not the easiest concept for them to understand. After all, they had always had a closed faith. They did not evangelize amongst the gentiles, nor did they seek to convert them. They saw them, and rightly so, as idolaters, not prone to worship at the feet of the Living God, but to bow before the statues of God with the eyes that could not see and ears that could here. To imagine a Messiah who would be called to save not just the children of Jacob but the gentile nations would be a hard one for them to picture.

And yet, from the words of their prophet there would come the image of just that.

It would not be an easy journey or a simple path, yet from the moment of his conception, from the moment of his birth he would be called upon to restore righteousness and bring salvation. Despite the idea that seemed to arise that he would be a King of epic proportions sent to unite the divided kingdoms and to smite the foes of Israel, Isaiah would talk of a prophet sent without military or political victory, sent to free the captive soul.

There is where we find our Savior.

Born in a manager in Bethlehem, the son of a carpenter, the Christ did not come as the child of an earthly king, robed in gold and silk. He did not come as the son of a great general with a sword of steel in his hand and a breastplate upon his chest. He came in meager estate with little pomp, a bed of straw, as animals fed around him.

Yet from this child would come the salvation of nations, the path of restoration for the children of Israel, and a light of redemption for the gentiles. Perhaps his birth and his life would not be as those who waited faithfully for his coming had hoped for, but from him would God’s plan be made perfect. Though there would be those who would persecute him and seek to silence him, through him God’s will would be done for all people in all places, the Lord would, regardless of what the world threw at His Holy One, would be victorious through him who He had sent.

But then we have to remember, sometimes God’s plan doesn’t make sense to us or to the world that we had always pictured, the life we had always dreamed of. Perhaps, in hearing His promises we envisioned something different than that which He had intended. In those times, in those moments, its not hard for us to abandon that which He has given us, believing that He either was not faithful to His word or that this could not be what He had sent for us. But in it all God is present and just because it’s not the way that we had imagined it does not mean that it’s not God’s will working through us and for us.

God is faithful and true to His promises, and though his wisdom might be foolishness to man, it is made perfect in His grace that brings to those with open eyes to a sense of peace in His divine will.

Do not, dear brothers and sisters, close your eyes to God plan just because its not as you had always expected. Look for His presence and His fulfillment in all that is around you in the understanding that He works His will in mysterious ways. Perhaps it doesn’t make sense to you right at that moment, but with time He will reveal all that it is that you need to know. It is only through this knowledge, this discernment that you may not miss the wondrous and miraculous deeds that He does for you and your salvation.

The peace of the Lord that transcends all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus even unto life everlasting. Amen.