Today I want to show you a new way of thinking about Isaiah 61: 1-3; 10-11:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn;
To provide for those who mourn in Zion -to give them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My whole being shall exult in my God;
For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
In Luke, chapter 4, Jesus reveals that he is the person spoken about in Isaiah 61.
This is a different Messiah that is in other passages described as the Prince of Peace. This is someone who is more counter-cultural, more revolutionary. He will deliver God's justice in a spirit of righteousness. Not everyone is getting peace. This is consistent with what Jesus tells us we should expect when he comes again. Perhaps this is why we should have at least some penitential attitude toward Advent. Jesus comes to bring peace and joy, but he also comes to bring "the day of vengeance of our God." Things will change. Are we ready for change? Are we ready to be revolutionaries?
It seems to me that given what is happening in the world and our own country, the time is coming soon or might already be here. We need to be ready to espouse joy, but with a sense of righteous change.
CC
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn;
To provide for those who mourn in Zion -to give them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My whole being shall exult in my God;
For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
In Luke, chapter 4, Jesus reveals that he is the person spoken about in Isaiah 61.
This is a different Messiah that is in other passages described as the Prince of Peace. This is someone who is more counter-cultural, more revolutionary. He will deliver God's justice in a spirit of righteousness. Not everyone is getting peace. This is consistent with what Jesus tells us we should expect when he comes again. Perhaps this is why we should have at least some penitential attitude toward Advent. Jesus comes to bring peace and joy, but he also comes to bring "the day of vengeance of our God." Things will change. Are we ready for change? Are we ready to be revolutionaries?
It seems to me that given what is happening in the world and our own country, the time is coming soon or might already be here. We need to be ready to espouse joy, but with a sense of righteous change.
CC
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