12th December 2007 [From Desolation to Joy] Isaiah 61:1-9

1. The faith of those who came back

While awaiting Christmas we continue the lecture from the Old Testament. We learned last week about the liberation from the Babylonian captivity, recorded in Isaiah, chapter 52.It revealed the reluctance of the people who were living in exile for fifty years to move. They would not go back to their ruined home-land, Jerusalem. Thus the prophet Isaiah appealed to them: “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing” (Isaiah 51:3)
Those who were persuaded by Isaiah arrived in Jerusalem about B.C. 538, only to find severe, practicality unbearable living conditions. But in the midst of this harsh reality the prophet exhorted the people to rebuild the country by trusting God. The book of Isaiah, from chapter 56, gives us the background to just what happened. And today, we will look for the significance of Christmas by contemplating the faith of the people who came back from Babylon to the ruins of Jerusalem.
The first task the returned people undertook was to reconstruct the destroyed temple as a means to express their gratefulness to God, their rescuer. The foundation stone was laid the first year after their arrival. But the reconstruction was suspended because of sabotages committed by those who stayed there during the period of captivation. They didn’t welcome the returned people. Moreover a severe famine caused by drought came upon the region, which created a shortage of food and other necessities for living. So much so they started grumbling: ” So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows” (Isaiah 59:9 ).
“The promise is not kept. Where is the garden of Eden? We should never have come from Babylon where life was reasonable and less severe,” they complained. Such a situation reminds me of the time when the Japanese were returned from the continent after the 2nd World War. When they were expelled from China and Korea, back to Japan by force, they thought their relatives or friends would help them make a new start and take care of them. But, on the contrary, they were not welcomed back to their home land. Food was scarce and hardship was the dominate force everywhere one travelled. My parents were among those returned Japanese.
As a result of the 50 years of absence, fields and houses of the returned Jewish people were occupied by others, who had remained in Israel. The Israelites of the post exilic community seem to blame God for hardships they are experiencing, accusing the Lord of being too weak to save them and too deaf to hear their pleas. Their faith became unsettled, to which the prophet responds: “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Difficult situations were prevelant because of their own iniquities, so the Prophet compels them to repentance, which they should conclude with the joy.
The prophet speaks and claims to have been anointed by God. He describes a message of consolation and comfort that God has commissioned the Prophet to bring. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1).
Further descriptions of the prophet’s mission. Zion is another name for Jerusalem, the ashes with which the city’s inhabitants are covered are a typical element of mourning. “and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning ” (Isaiah 61: 3). And further: “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations” (Isaiah 61:4).
The prophet continues to say that their suffering in Babylon was a means to become the people of God, and the priests of God: “Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast” (Isaiah 61:5-6). They would not only look after their own salvation but also others’ by spreading the blessing of God. If one feels pain it’s because you seek your own happiness, merely for yourselves. Once you look for the happiness of others God will accord you abundant graces.
The work of reconstruction restarted after a 20year interval, led by Zerubbabel, one of David’s descendants. At the time of captivation in exile, the Jewish people were able to maintain their religious entity, and they kept their faith by reading the Old testament. Eventually, the old testament was translated into Greek, the international language of the time, and read by non Jewish peoples just as Isaiah predicted: “Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed “(Isaiah 61:9) The Jewish people, through the distress of the nation,became servants of gentiles as God’s people, among whom a savior, called Jesus, was born.

2. The declaration of Good News

500 years after the Babylonian captivity, Jesus was born, and started his ministry by reading from the book of Isaiah. In Jesus’ era the Jewish people assembled at the Synagogue on the sabbath day, to read the Torah, listen to the preachers and pray together. A member of the congregation opened the ritual by reading the confession of faith, and a reference to the commandments. These readings were summarized by the preacher. According to Luke, Jesus, as the preacher of the day, chose Isaiah 61:9, which we find repeated here in the Gospel of Luke. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19). What happened then is described by Luke 4:20-21, in today’s invocation verses: “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:20-21).
Jesus interpreted the prophecy of Isaiah as still being current in the hard life of his own contemporaries. As we have already learned, in the time of Isaiah, the Jewish people couldn’t hold much hope for their present situation, and so it was also in the time of Jesus. The ordinary people were so poor, and they could scarcely depend on getting their daily food. Jesus addressed the people who were living such a miserable life and declared that good news would be carried to them; through liberation from poverty, illness and deprivation. And he also declared the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, and the arrival of the Messiah who would free them from the miserable conditions in which they lived.
The salvation in which Jesus spoke was spiritual, of the soul, but the people were expecting him to address their material and physical wellbeing. Jesus would give the kingdom of God, but they wanted an earthly ruling power. Thus His preaching, which had been received with admiration and veneration at the beginning, now turned to rejection and grumbling, even hatred, all within three years.
Furthermore, disappointed people went so far as to kill Him and put him on the Cross. Could we then interpret Jesus’ ministry as a failure ? No, not at all. For God resurrected Him from the Cross and death. That very fact lead witnesses to believe Him to be the long awaited Messiah. And through those believers, Jesus’ ministry spread throughout the land. Just like the liberated people from their captivity in exile carried God’s blessing to neighbors and then the gentiles.
I will conclude today’s speech with this verse as good news to communicate and share with you: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).These words should be realized through us, we as christians, who have been in the darkness, met Jesus and found the light. And those who found the light, must spread such good news to neighbors and friends. It’s not only by words, but also by sharing other’s burdens. Because the act of sharing burdens alleviate our neighbors’ problems and sufferings. Of course, it is not so easy in real life. For example,If an old woman asked if she could stay for the night inside the church it would hardly be possible.
The era of Isaiah was 2500 years ago, and the time of Jesus’ ministry was 2000 years ago. Times and generations changed, but the fundamentals of human life didn’t. We always live with uncertainty, without knowing the real future. Nevertheless, one thing is changed. It means there came to exist those who listened to Jesus’ teachings, God’s words, which tells us not to only to take care of ourselves, but to also think about our neighbors, and be willing to work for others.
For God Himself takes care of us, as Matthew says: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33). So shall we start by doing what we can do? Let’s invite our neighbors and friends and tell them about the good news. Christmas is not only for us to enjoy parties and gifts, but its also a time for us to reach-out to others.

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