Christmas 9. 2 January 2014

image by Carlos Koblischek

by Pastor Eric Thompson

The Year of the Lord's Favor

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;

to grant to those who mourn in Zion---
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
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.

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.

For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.

Isaiah 61, ESV

After so much prophecy of doom and judgment, after years of exile, after the passing of generations spent waiting, how this message must have caused the hearts of God's people to ache in anticipation of restoration. They had known every effect and consequence of sin that can be known in this life. From sickness and disease to the destruction of their homes and their cities, the people of the covenant had suffered much. They had been laid low. Hearing the ancient tales of the Exodus and the Conquest of Canaan, of Moses parting the Red Sea and Joshua leading the march around Jericho must have seemed eternally distant from their present reality.

Slowly, the worship of God had been reestablished after their exile. Yet, the blessings of his presence just weren't what they once were. Hearing promises reminded them that though their present circumstances were tough, God wasn't finished. A new day would come. A new year, which represented a new season of renewal. Hence the title on today's text: The Year of the Lord's Favor.

When Jesus read from this text in one of his earliest sermons recorded in Luke 4, he made clear that this new year has dawned, not a year of 365 days, but an age of restoration. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost people began to speak of the mighty works of God and a new community was established where people began to live out the teachings of Jesus; lives, families, and entire cities were changed.

As a new year just begins to unfold, let us remember the age in which we live. These are the last days--the final age before Jesus establishes the fullness of his Kingdom on earth. This is not a reason to fear but to engage with boldness because of what Christ has already accomplished, with power because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and with love because love is the foremost value of the Kingdom of God.

Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.

Who can you love today? What fear or anxiety in your life can be eased by the reality of what Jesus has done? Where can we begin building a life, or a relationship, or help bring healing by the power of the Holy Spirit?

Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.

Our God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, looking to you gives us great confidence. Nothing breaks your fellowship. Like children with parents who love each other fervently we live in complete security because your love for one another and for us is unbreakable. Nothing thwarts your plans. We can rest in confidence knowing even the hardships brought about by the brokenness of our lives and our world are only but a chapter in a grander story with a certain, glorious outcome. Nothing negates the work of the Spirit in our lives. Though we have failed in the past you are making us your people; each day bringing new opportunities to be your witnesses and reflect your glory in the world. Help me and all of your people now living and following you to make your glory known in 2014, even today.