Lent 2014
April 14, 2014 

Read Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9 

Here is 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 or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. — Isaiah 42:1-4 

Our scripture today is the first of the Servant Songs found in the Book of Isaiah. (See also 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12) Christians have long identified Jesus as this servant. He is kind and gentle and welcomes all even the bruised and spent members of society. Yet he is tenacious, and justice is his cause. He is also a teacher. 

Yesterday we experienced Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Today we become more contemplative, perhaps contrasting the one viewed as leader of the parade yesterday with the one who will do whatever it takes to bring forth justice in the world in his way and in his time. His way has no pontification, no marshalling of armies, no riots, no chariots pulled by strong white horses, and no armor. An apparently defenseless man is the hope of the world, and the one God has selected for this mission. Filled with God’s spirit, he is tasked to bring forth justice to the world. 

In the final analysis, acts of love are the only way that justice can become the way of society. For justice, by definition, eliminates all oppression. We have not yet learned that lesson; however, it is imperative that we the Body of Christ live it. 

That said, tradition has it that today was the day Jesus drove the money changers from the temple with a whip, calling them a “den of robbers”. He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers. –Mark 11:17 I said he was tenacious and a teacher. 

What are we to make of a Servant clearing out the temple in such a dramatic way? At the very least, he got their attention; at the very worst he sealed his death penalty. Jesus was willing to give his very life so that we could have justice. We have seen others emulating the Servant: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, were both special people for special times. While our quest is not as demanding of sacrifice, the same level of commitment to justice is calling us. 

Prayer: O God, grant us the countenance of servant hood through the gift of your spirit. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.