The Community of Promise: Repair, Rebuild, & Reveal

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus quotes a passage from the scroll of Isaiah to express who he is and what he is doing. Reading aloud from the scroll he said,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 3:18-19, cf. Isaiah 61:1-2).

That passage is a fantastic declaration of Jesus’ calling, but do you know the rest of Isaiah’s passage? Aha, I didn’t think that you did. The passage goes on from this prophecy about the servant of the Lord who would save Israel to a people who will follow his way. Isaiah writes,

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:3-4).

To remember that we believe Jesus was foretold about by the book of Isaiah almost 600 years before he arrived is certainly cool. To be reminded that he came to proclaim “good news to the poor” gives us pause as we try to follow his way and heed is message. But to realize that the prophet also wrote about us leaves me empowered and humbled in a way that’s hard to articulate through words and ink. As I write this, the steady stream of news too horrifying to compute continues to pour out of Haiti where the death toll from a recent earthquake has left the country “devastated” with “ruined cities” and a death toll that will almost certainly be the “devastations of many generations.” It was for such events as this that you and I were promised by Isaiah to be a “planting of the Lord” that repairs and rebuilds, revealing the glory of God who cares for all. As we begin the new year will you join me in declaring this to be the year of the Lord’s favor as we seek to send ripples of kindness and grace (that were promised so long ago) out into our communities and wider world. Join with me in reading aloud Isaiah 61:3-4 so that we can express who we are and what we are doing and say like Jesus, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 1:21). Let them hear this prophecy in Haiti, on State Street, on Westmont Road as well as the West side and around the world, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.