January 6, 2021
Dear friends,
Listen to Isaiah’s description of Jesus, many hundreds of years before his birth:
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
‘I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them'” (Is. 42:1-9).
On January 6th, our churches have traditionally celebrated Epiphany, the revelation of God’s mercy to all the nations of the world as the wise men from the East came to worship Jesus. Although the 12th day of Christmas is past, the uncovering of God’s glory goes on as we learn who Jesus is and what he’s about.
But what’s uncovered is what was foretold by the prophets. Isaiah tells us that the Lord’s chosen will come to bring justice. He will intercede for the meek and lowly, the blind and the prisoners. He will redeem his children from all their iniquity, breathing life again into a people who have wandered away like sheep.
The peace that Jesus brings is never the peace that this world aspires to. His justice is higher and better than the justice of this world. No manner of democratic process, nor civil adjudication, nor protest, nor violence can ever bring about the peace that passes understanding nor finally remedy the injustice that plagues this world.
For that, something else is needed. For that, a tender-hearted Jesus is what we need, who does not break the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick, who does not cry aloud even as he is marched before kings and governors in a mockery of justice, who relinquishes his spirit to give life to his murderers.
Fix your eyes on him, your morning star, your light shining in darkness.
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
PS — we’re back to our normal schedule now! Come to church on Sundays at 9am or Wednesdays at 7pm. Bible Study and Sunday School follow church on Sundays, and Bible Study on Wednesdays is at 10am. Don’t miss out!