Why the Jews — A light to the nation
January 27, 2011
Why the Jews — Listen to me, distant nations; hear this, those who live far
away. Before I was born, the Lord called me by name, and chose me as his own. He made my words as sharp as a sword; and with his own hand he protected me. He made me into a polished arrow, and concealed me in his quiver. He
said to me: `Israel, you are my servant; through you I shall
display my splendour.’ I said: `I have laboured to no purpose;
I have used up my strength, and accomplished nothing. Yet
your hand, 0 Lord, is with me; you will reward my efforts.’
Then the Lord said: `I have a great task for you: I shall
restore you to greatness, in order to make you a light to the
nations. Through you the whole world will be saved.’
These are the words of the Lord, the holy God of Israel,
the saviour of the people. He speaks to one who was despised
and abhorred by the nations, and who is the servant of rulers.
Kings will see Israel released, and will rise to
show their respect; princes will bow
down before her.
Why The Jews — A covenant with all nations
The Lord says: ‘In due time I shall come to save you; I shall
hear your cries for help, and rescue you. I shall guard and
protect you; and through you I shall make a covenant with
all nations. I shall say to prisoners: “Go free!” I shall say to
those in darkness: “Come into the light!” The people will be
like sheep grazing on fertile hills; they will never be hungry
or thirsty, and the heat of the desert sun will not burn them.
They will be led by one who loves them, and he will lead
them to springs of water. I shall make highways across the
mountains; I shall prepare roads on which the people can
travel. They will come from far away, from the north and the
west, and from Aswan in the south.’
The people of Jerusalem reply: `The Lord has abandoned
us; he has forgotten us.’ The Lord answers: `Can a mother
forget the baby at her breast; can she ignore the child she has
borne? Even if a mother can forget her offspring, I shall never
forget you. I have engraved your name on the palm of my hands; I never cease to watch over you.’
Why the Jews — The suffering of God’s servant
The Lord says: `My servant will succeed in his task; he will
be raised up, and highly honoured. Many people were
appalled when they saw him: he was so disfigured that he
barely looked human. But many nations will marvel at him,
and kings will be speechless in amazement. What they have
never known, they will see; what they have never heard, they
will understand.’
God’s servant grew up like a tender shoot taking root in
dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to attract us; there
was nothing in his appearance to draw people. We despised
and rejected him, and he endured great suffering and pain.
No one would even look at him; we ignored him as if he
were worthless.
But he took upon himself our weaknesses, and carried our
suffering. We thought that his suffering was punishment sent
by God. But he was wounded for our sins; he was crushed
for the evil we had done. We are healed by the punishment
he suffered, made whole by the blows he received. We were
like sheep that were lost, each going its own way. The Lord
laid upon him the punishment that we deserved.
Why the Jews — The sacrifice for sin
God’s servant was treated harshly, but did not open his
mouth. Like a lamb being led to the slaughter, like a sheep
about to be sheared, he did not say a word. He was arrested,
sentenced and led off to die; yet no one cared about his fate.
He was put to death for the sins of the people. He was placed
in a grave with the wicked; he was buried with the rich. Yet
he had committed no crime, and had never spoken a lie.
The Lord says: It was my will that he should suffer; his
death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. Yet he will live a
long time, and see his children; through him my purpose will
be fulfilled. After the darkness of his suffering, he will see
light, and be satisfied; he will know that he did not suffer in
vain. My righteous servant, in whom I am well-pleased, bears
the punishment of many; and for his sake I shall forgive
them. So I shall give him the place of honour, the highest
place among the great and the powerful. He freely poured out
his life, allowing himself to be numbered among criminals.
He took the place of countless sinners, and prayed that they might be forgiven.’
Why the Jews — The people’s confession
The people of Jerusalem say: ‘We look for light, but all is
darkness; we look for brightness, but we walk in deep
shadows. Like the blind we grope along walls; we stumble at
noon, as if it were night. We live in the darkness of death.
We growl like bears, and we moan like doves. We yearn for
salvation, but cannot find it; we look for deliverance, but it
is far away.
`Lord, our crimes against you are many; our sins accuse
us. Our offences surround us, and we acknowledge them all.
We have rebelled against you; we have rejected you; we have
refused to follow you. We have oppressed others, and turned
our backs on you. Our thoughts are false, and our words are
lies. We have driven justice away, and righteousness is afraid
to come near. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty
cannot enter. Integrity is nowhere to be found, and innocent
men and women are treated with contempt.’
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Posted by Angelia Kates · Filed Under Religion
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