Christmas
January 2, 2017

Scripture Reading: 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

Envisioning a person of peace bringing about justice seems an oxymoron. Years after Isaiah penned his works Rome pursued peace through power mostly held together by actual violence or the threat of violence. Violence was in vogue in Isaiah’s time as the world powers of the day procured land and other sources of wealth by force. Violence and force rarely, if ever, result in justice. Oppression may result in peace defined as lack of war. The Hebrew scriptures speak of shalom* defined as completeness, soundness, welfare, peace not only the absence of war.

Jesus heeded the call to this broader definition of peace which can never stem from violence. He changed hearts and minds and did not foment anger or hatred. He called people of faith to accept responsibility for living God’s way setting an example that has stood the test of time. Is it no wonder that Christians look back over the centuries and see Jesus in the writings of Isaiah? Perhaps Jesus understood his purpose partly from reading Isaiah.

Living for Jesus, living like Jesus, and striving to attain justice as he did require the synergy of oneness coupled with the wholeness that comes from our relationship with God and the support of our Advocate the Holy Spirit. Like Isaiah and Jesus, if we want peace through justice, we need to reconsider our priorities and refocus our oneness.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in finding Shalom and making it the standard for all nations. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/hebrew/7965.htm

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.