Daily Scripture: Luke 4:
16 Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read, 17 and he was given the scroll of the prophet Yesha‘yahu. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of Adonai is upon me;
therefore he has anointed me
to announce Good News to the poor;
he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned
and renewed sight for the blind,
to release those who have been crushed,
19 to proclaim a year of the favor of Adonai.”[Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1–2; 58:6]
20 After closing the scroll and returning it to the shammash, he sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He started to speak to them: “Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!”
Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I support,
my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure.
I have put my Spirit on him;
he will bring justice to the Goyim.
2 He will not cry or shout;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
3 He will not snap off a broken reed
or snuff out a smoldering wick.
He will bring forth justice according to truth;
4 he will not weaken or be crushed
until he has established justice on the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his Torah.”
5 Thus says God, Adonai,
who created the heavens and spread them out,
who stretched out the earth and all that grows from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, Adonai, called you righteously,
I took hold of you by the hand,
I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people,
to be a light for the Goyim,
7 so that you can open blind eyes,
free the prisoners from confinement,
those living in darkness from the dungeon.
Reflection Questions:
In the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2. Then he stunned his hometown audience by saying, in effect, “I’m the person Isaiah meant.” His choice of Scripture echoed the message of Isaiah 42. Three times in four verses, that chapter said God’s servant would bring justice. Jesus’ “platform” as the Messiah declared that his mission was to transform the world, to bring spiritual and social good news, healing and deliverance.
Lord Jesus, give me vision and courage to live each day in the present reality of your power. Let your promises become real because you are with me, just as they came true that day in Nazareth because you were there. Amen.Insights from Brandon Gregory
In the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2. Then he stunned his hometown audience by saying, in effect, “I’m the person Isaiah meant.” His choice of Scripture echoed the message of Isaiah 42. Three times in four verses, that chapter said God’s servant would bring justice. Jesus’ “platform” as the Messiah declared that his mission was to transform the world, to bring spiritual and social good news, healing and deliverance.
- Do you think Jesus understood the words he read in Nazareth as just symbolic words about spiritual captivity, or did he, like Methodism’s founder John Wesley, want to help actual “poor, beggared prisoners”? (If you sense God tugging you in that direction, visit www.cor.org/prison to learn more.) What are some other practical ways you can live out God’s concern for justice today?
- Isaiah 42 said God’s servant would not seek justice in the ways we often think of. He would not raise his voice, or use tactics that would break even a bruised reed. In what ways do these words call the life of Jesus to mind? What do they teach us about the best ways for us to go about carrying out Jesus’ mission today?
Lord Jesus, give me vision and courage to live each day in the present reality of your power. Let your promises become real because you are with me, just as they came true that day in Nazareth because you were there. Amen.Insights from Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at the Vibe, West, and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
I have to say, Isaiah is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It’s no exaggeration to say that Isaiah 58 changed my life, and today’s passage (Isaiah 42) isn’t far behind. I didn’t get this message until later in life.
Throughout high school and college, I was a fighter. Coming out of a strict fundamentalist church, I was not afraid to call people out for whatever needed calling out. This led to some amazing breakthrough moments, but it also led to some spectacular failures more closely resembling a shouting match than an enlightened conversation. My conviction was inspiring for those already inclined to believe the same as me; but for those who disagreed, it left no room for civil discourse.
In those days, I saw in Jesus what I saw in myself: someone who called out sin boldly, someone who shouted until he was heard, who wasn’t afraid to get into fights no matter the cost.
But I was only half right. This passage in Isaiah is the one Jesus chose to announce his godhood. Jesus was a messiah who would not break even a bruised reed, would not extinguish even a smoldering wick. That’s not to say he couldn’t raise his voice when needed. But that’s just it–he only raised his voice when needed. It wasn’t his iron will or sharp wit that saved us; it was his love and faithfulness.
A personal hero of mine, Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher, wrote (and I’m paraphrasing, here): What this age needs isn’t another genius–we’ve had our fill of geniuses. What this age needs is a martyr, who would show us how to be faithful, even unto death. What this age needs is awakening.
This is reminiscent of Isaiah’s words in today’s passage: In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice. Remember, while will and wit are useful and worth developing, it is ultimately our love and faithfulness that will save our friends time and time again. Just as Isaiah wrote and Jesus lived out, it’s possible to achieve justice without so much as breaking a reed. Be the one who will show us how to be faithful, even unto death. Be the one who loves fearlessly, beyond human explanation. This will be the change we need in the world today.
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
I have to say, Isaiah is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It’s no exaggeration to say that Isaiah 58 changed my life, and today’s passage (Isaiah 42) isn’t far behind. I didn’t get this message until later in life.
Throughout high school and college, I was a fighter. Coming out of a strict fundamentalist church, I was not afraid to call people out for whatever needed calling out. This led to some amazing breakthrough moments, but it also led to some spectacular failures more closely resembling a shouting match than an enlightened conversation. My conviction was inspiring for those already inclined to believe the same as me; but for those who disagreed, it left no room for civil discourse.
In those days, I saw in Jesus what I saw in myself: someone who called out sin boldly, someone who shouted until he was heard, who wasn’t afraid to get into fights no matter the cost.
But I was only half right. This passage in Isaiah is the one Jesus chose to announce his godhood. Jesus was a messiah who would not break even a bruised reed, would not extinguish even a smoldering wick. That’s not to say he couldn’t raise his voice when needed. But that’s just it–he only raised his voice when needed. It wasn’t his iron will or sharp wit that saved us; it was his love and faithfulness.
A personal hero of mine, Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher, wrote (and I’m paraphrasing, here): What this age needs isn’t another genius–we’ve had our fill of geniuses. What this age needs is a martyr, who would show us how to be faithful, even unto death. What this age needs is awakening.
This is reminiscent of Isaiah’s words in today’s passage: In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice. Remember, while will and wit are useful and worth developing, it is ultimately our love and faithfulness that will save our friends time and time again. Just as Isaiah wrote and Jesus lived out, it’s possible to achieve justice without so much as breaking a reed. Be the one who will show us how to be faithful, even unto death. Be the one who loves fearlessly, beyond human explanation. This will be the change we need in the world today.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
____________________________
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment