- Isaiah 42:1-9
- Isaiah 49:1-7
Early Thoughts: Why are we here? What is our purpose?
These passages from Isaiah are from what are often called the "Servant Songs". They tell of one who is called to serve the Holy One of Israel in some very specific ways. Another one of the Servant Songs (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) is read on Good Friday each year and talk of how the Servant is struck down, wounded and suffers as a result of service to the Holy One. It is unclear who Isaiah saw the servant as, but plausibly Isaiah saw the nation as the servant. In the early years of the Jesus-movement the people reflected on these passages and on the life/death/resurrection of Christ and saw the Servant as Christ.
As I read these passages again it strikes me that I am reading a job description. This is particularly true of the Isaiah 42 passage. And so I have to wonder. If the community of faith is the Servant of the Holy One. And if these passages tell us what the Servant is supposed to be about. Then how would our performance appraisal go? When we compare how we are the community of faith against this job description what do we see?
And so I invite you all into a discussion of why we are here, of what we are all about.
--Gord
I think you've given me just the right taking off point for my musings for sunday. I hope you don't mind if I head in the same direction. thanks.
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