Presented to 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto a.m. service
on the third Sunday of Advent, 17 December 2017
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Our Isaiah reading in the lectionary today is one very
familiar to us all: Isaiah 61:1-4 & 8-11
61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is
upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to
the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and release to the prisoners;
As Christians who are waiting to celebrate Christ’s arrival
as a baby in a manger 2000+ years ago and as people waiting to experience
Jesus’ return any day now; he has called each of us, as God anointed Isaiah, to
share the Gospel of Salvation with the oppressed. Do you know what this means?
This means that to any of us who are having difficult times
we are to share the Good News that when Jesus comes back, any day now, all the
bad stuff will end, everything will be okay AND this means that since he came
in a manger 2000+ years ago we can help each other through the difficult times because
Jesus is with us to do just that.
We can comfort one another when our hearts are heavy; we can
comfort each other when we are trapped; we can share the good news of release from
prison bars, from addiction, from abuse – we can share the good news of release
from it all when Christ returns at the eschaton and we can share the good news
that Jesus will walk with us until then.
61:2 to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Jesus will comfort us now in our mourning and we are to
comfort each other now as life is sometimes very difficult. Some of this
comfort is honestly in the fact that Jesus is coming back and then everything
will be okay. This verse speaks of the day of vengeance for our Lord. The days
of economic systems that see one person fly to the moon as a tourist, another
own houses around the world, while people are starving to death, will end with
a vengeance. Political systems that see people ruling based on popularity
contests and encouraging us to the sin of the book of Judges where we each do
what is right in our own eyes will end with a vengeance. Political systems that see us spend
billions and trillions of dollars on killing people when just a fraction of
those resources can clothe and shelter everyone in the whole world, will end with a vengeance.Justice systems that see people of certain races or income levels incarcerated
in place of the rich and the privileged who walk free, will end with a vengeance. All the
corruption and injustice inherent to the socio-political-economic systems in
our nation and our world will come to an end.
61:3 to provide for those who mourn
in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead
of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be
called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
Stay strong my friends. Our troubles here and now will be
replaced with garlands and gladness in the future as we continue to serve to
Lord and experience his righteousness
61:4 They shall build up the
ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair
the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
We have applied this verse to our neighbourhood. This
neighbourhood is actually a real life object lesson for us. Just as the old
buildings here have come down (some of which we love because of the memories
they hold) so the ruins of our societies that are now walking away from God
shall be torn down and built anew as the whole world will be rebuilt, restored and renewed.
61:8-11 For I the LORD love
justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their
recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known
among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them
shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments
of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its
shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD
will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
When the heavens open up and Jesus returns with the New
Jerusalem, there will be no more wrong-doing on the whole earth. The Covenant
of Salvation will be celebrated forever. We citizens of heaven living in the
earth made anew will be filled with the Lord’s righteousness. Instead of being
covered with the troubles, sadness, hardship, difficulties, and sorrow of this
world today; when the Lord returns we will rejoice in the Lord for he will
clothe us in his garments of salvation, his robe of righteousness, and his love
forever more.
This is the Good News of Salvation and this is what we celebrate
and we anticipate in advent: the coming of Jesus in a manager and his return,
any day now, as Saviour when all the wrongs in the world will be set right and
all the hate will be replaced by love and death shall be overcome by life
instead of the other way around. This is what Christmas is all about: Emmanuel,
Christ with us and the Salvation of the whole world for evermore.
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