January 13th Reflection - The Servant - by Bill Lynch

Isaiah 49:1-7
Listen to me, O coastlands,
   pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
   in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
   and my reward with my God.’

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—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
   to raise up the tribes of Jacob
   and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Thus says the Lord,
   the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
   the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
   princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
   the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

Reflection - The Servant
Who is this that has been called before birth? Who is this that has been given purpose before the coming from the womb? Who is this?

This is God's servant. Yes, one who is to serve the Lord God. This passage is often referred to as the 'Second Servant Song.' This Servant will be to Israel first of all. This is a person that is trained by God in advance for a purpose and to carry out a mission. This is a person called by God to save Israel, from and in Israel.

Oh, how this Servant seems to be Jesus. But, also; oh how this servant seems to be any and all of God's Children. God surely gave Jesus a calling. Jesus was before, during and after. We all need Jesus and the Father was prepared for our need of a Savior even before, yes during and surely after our fall into sin. Jesus was there for us and will always be there to be with us as the One chosen by the Father and gifted by the Spirit to save all creation and all God's people.

But, likewise, God has given you and me a purpose and a mission as well. But, what? We are placed into this time and space as God's servants, saved by Jesus, to tell those God gives to us of what God has done for all the people through Jesus. The Father sent the Son, Jesus, to die and rise again that we all may live in unity with Jesus in his Kingdom forever. Yes... forever.

This is a clear calling to you and to me. But God graciously gifts us through the Holy Spirit with unique gifts to carry out this call. God approaches this message from as many angles as there are children of God. So, the message... the Gospel... is declared into this world by each and by all of us in many and various ways by each and by all of us as God's servants in God's Church.

Yes, Jesus was called and we are called, gathered and enlightened to carry out the call of God as a Church and as God's servants through all space and time. Wow! God has it all together! Thanks be to God for this wonderful opportunity to be God's servant throughout all time. Thanks!

Prayer
Lord, make it clear to me and show me the times and the places that I am to act out your will and your way to and with those you give to me each moment of this day. For I am your servant... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen