“Somehow the message got lost”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, March. 26, 2024
Isaiah 49:1-7 (Forward, p. 57) CEV p. 743
Modern technology frustrates me no end, especially on those occasions when an email post or a text or phone message ‘somehow’ gets lost. (Of course, it couldn’t at all be my fault! Well, almost assuredly, it was. I just pressed the wrong button or something like that.)
However, come to think of it, missing out on messages, losing them, or forgetting them is surely nothing new. This has been happening for years, long before we had technology that we could blame for it.
And certainly, this has taken place in times past as well. Indeed, we see an instance of it in today’s reading. Scholars have long debated just who is being referred to by use of the name ‘Israel.’ In verses 1-6 it would appear to be a person, while in verse 7, it appears to denote the nation.
Verse 7 promises that God will vindicate and rescue His people, who are presently slaves and in exile. Indeed, it indicates that Israel will one day enjoy a place of honour and respect. So far so good.
But what about verses 1-6? Whether this is speaking of a person or the nation, this is where the message has often been lost. It clearly states that this servant of God is destined not just for Israel itself but also for the blessing of the entire world. “It isn’t enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth” (verse 6).
So, was Israel conscious of this mission, this message, during Jesus’ heyday? Did they see this as their calling, whether in the person of their Messiah or in their place as a nation? Almost certainly not: they were bound up mainly in who they were as the people of God and in what they expected God to do in liberating them. Almost totally their mission to the entire world was lost or forgotten.
Here Jesus stands alone. Even though He was fully aware that His first calling was to the children of Israel (see Matthew 15:24), He always fully
aware of His wider calling and frequently included the ‘others’, the outsiders, the Gentiles, in His ministry. And indeed, that was entirely the message of His Great Commission (see Matthew 28: 18-20). They were to be a blessing to the entire world.
So, what about us? Do we, you and I, chiefly see our ministry, chiefly focus our ministry, on what happens within the four walls of our church buildings? Or, do we realize—and take seriously—the world, most of it at least—lies outside of those four walls, and if we are ever to reach them and bless them, we have to go where they are—that is, outside our church walls. So, then, how do we do that? In coffee row, in gatherings of family and friends, in public events? It is a very good question, and one that we are not very good at. But surely, we don’t want to allow this message from God, this mission from God, to get lost even as it did for much of ancient Israel. May God help us and direct us in this endeavour—as only He can. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength” (verse 5).
“Gathering the entire family of God is hard work. From the dawning of the creation story to God’s persistent attempts to unify the people of Israel, God stops at nothing until all the peoples of the world are united to the very heart of God.
“Anyone with a large family knows that family reunions are almost impossible to plan. There are countless details with infinite variables to plan. Even though the reunion planner realizes the inordinate amount of time required to make something happen, they determine that the merits of the endeavour outweigh the cost of time and effort. Reuniting a family is worth it. How much more must it be for God! As Holy Week reminds us to repent and return to the Lord, let us consider how God is urging us to unite with one another to build up the kingdom of God for a hurting world that needs love now more than ever before.”
Moving Forward: “Who is your family? Consider bringing them together for a time of renewal and refreshment.”