“Don’t you forget it!”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Isaiah 42: 5-12 (Forward, p. 44) CEV p. 735
I’m afraid that I get easily confused at times. In our present case, it has to do with the choices made by those who composed our present lectionary. In limiting the reading to verses 5-12, it leaves out the introductory part (verses 1-4) which describes the Lord’s servant, and not even bringing him up until verses 6-7, and thereby doing so with absolutely no preamble or any such thing. And then, including verses 10-12, which is a hymn of praise to the Lord and makes no mention of the servant at all. This radical change of subject and voice is made quite evident in its use of pronouns. Whereas the passages about the servant only refer to God as ‘I’, that is, in the first person, the hymn of praise only refers to God as ‘him’ or ‘his’, or as ‘the Lord’. As I said, I can get confused at times.
However, as I read this passage over once again, I realized that all of it was saying one thing, and one thing only, namely that God is the Lord, that He is in charge and will order all things as He sees fit:
-His servant, His chosen one, will do exactly as God wills, namely to
bring justice to the entire world (see verses 1,3,4).
-God is the one who has made all things, the heavens, the earth, and
all living creatures that reside upon the earth (verse 5).
-God is the one who orders all things, even to the point of predicting
it, announcing it ahead of time (verse 9).
-God, and God alone, is the one to be praised (verses 8, 10-12).
So, to me, what all this is saying is that God is in charge, that He is working out His sovereign plan, and that we should not ever forget it. Which means that we should not only praise Him and give Him honour and glory, but also trust Him and do as He requires.
Forward notes: “I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations (verse 6b).
“Woven into today’s readings is the thread of being sent. Israel, God’s chosen servant, is the bearer of God’s new covenant with all nations. In the gospel, Jesus commissions the disciples as they are sent, ‘As you go, proclaim the good news.’ And in Acts, after Stephen’s death, persecuted believers scatter to faraway cities, spreading the gospel.
“I have a favorite mantra, ‘Why not?’ Why not take a risk, be adventuresome, and be open to whatever comes? So, when the thought, ‘Go visit other churches,’ came to mind, my response was, ‘Why not?’ At first, I visited other Episcopal churches and then broadened to several mainline and nondenominational churches.
“A common thread appeared. After worship, in whatever church and in whatever words, the congregations were sent into the world to spread God’s word, to proclaim the good news. It was enlightening that despite differences, in Christ, we are all one body, sharing one mission.”
Moving Forward: “Proclaim the good news! Why not?”