Isaiah 50:4-9a (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 50:4-9a on biblegateway.com
Verse 4The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. Verse 5The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. Verse 6I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. Verse 7The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; Verse 8he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. Verse 9It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
Devotion
I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near, the speaker in Isaiah declares confidently. During this week we mark Jesus' earthly ministry as it draws near its end. Soon he will be riding a donkey triumphantly into Jerusalem—on the way towards his crucifixion. This is the climax of all the teaching he has done for the past three years. He’s healed the sick, recruited a successful ministry team, preached compelling sermons and now he’s riding a donkey towards his death. This reading from Isaiah fits well with our understanding of the Messiah. The speaker is confident. He's aware of all the shame and violence and ridicule heading his way, just as Jesus was fully aware as he headed through the gates of Jerusalem on that donkey. He knew what was coming. But like the speaker in Isaiah, Jesus knew his value came from God—not from the naysayers who surrounded him. This week, let us remember that because God has accepted and vindicated us, shame has no hold on us.
Prayer
Jesus, in the midst of change, heartache, and embarrassment, continue to remind us of your eternal love and acceptance. Amen.