1 The Lord God’s spirit is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release for captives,
and liberation for prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and a day of vindication for our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for Zion’s mourners,
to give them a crown in place of ashes,
oil of joy in place of mourning,
a mantle of praise in place of discouragement.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
planted by the Lord to glorify himself.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore formerly deserted places;
they will renew ruined cities,
places deserted in generations past.
Reflection
The heading for this scripture in the CEB translation is Joyful Proclamations. Quite appropriate for this week as this past Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, we lit the pink candle because the third Sunday is known as Rejoice Sunday, or in the traditional Latin, Gaudete. This is the Sunday when traditionally we are invited to take time out of our Advent Preparations to rejoice.
Many years ago, Advent was known in the church as a little Lent. Just as Lent is a time to prepare spiritually for the festival of Easter, Advent was always a time to prepare spiritually for the festival of Christmas. A season about watching, waiting, our need to repent and prepare the way of the Lord. In these special seasons, we can and should rejoice. So, the church set this Sunday aside in our Advent season to be a joyful one.
When we read Isaiah’s words we can see that it is not always easy to rejoice. You may be feeling overwhelmed with stress today or struggling to keep it all together. You might be hiding behind your smile, pretending that this really is the most wonderful time of the year, even though you don’t feel that way. Perhaps being told to rejoice today may be adding to your cares, not taking them away.
If that is the case for you, remember that joy is not the same thing as happiness. It is true that circumstances, often out of our control, cause us to be happy or sad. But euphoria, or happiness, is not the same as joy. Just as optimism is not the same as hope. And intellectual belief is not the same as faith. And affection is not the same as love. As Christians, our lives are not always happy. But we can always have joy. Dutch Christian writer, Henri Nouwen, describes it this way:
“We are inclined to think that when we are sad we cannot be glad, but in the life of a God-centered person, sorrow and joy can exist together.”
We know, even when life gets us down, that our God loves us and promises to be with us. And this can fill us with joy, even in the midst of our sorrow. But Nouwen goes on to say more:
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.”
Joy is our way of looking at the worst this world can offer and seeing it in the shadow of the cross. And the cross is God’s way of reminding us that God’s love for us, and our world, is stronger than any unhappiness that we will ever find in this world. Perhaps joy, in many ways, is the key to the Christian life. Along with faith, and hope, and love.
For Pondering and Prayer
Pastor Joe has spoken of Presence for this time. In Psalm 16:5-11 David speaks of the great joy that comes from God’s presence:
“You, Lord, are my portion, my cup; you control my destiny. The property lines have fallen beautifully for me; yes, I have a lovely home. I will bless the Lord who advises me; even at night I am instructed in the depths of my mind. I always put the Lord in front of me; I will not stumble because he is on my right side. That’s why my heart celebrates, and my mood is joyous; yes, my whole body will rest in safety because you won’t abandon my life to the grave; you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit. You teach me the way of life. In your presence is total celebration. Beautiful things are always in your right hand.
When Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue in Nazareth and proclaimed, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled,” can you feel God’s presence today?
Do you think it is easier for us to sense God’s presence and power today than for the Jewish people when Jesus first made his proclamation?
Can you explain why or why not?
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we forget your promise to be with us always. Renew us with the power of your ever-present love and strengthen us to proclaim your justice throughout the world. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
