18 October 2015
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We have to tread lightly as we pause to consider the meaning of Isaiah 53:10, the opening verse of today’s reading. At first glance we might see in this line a sadistic pleasure on the part of God toward his servant. We might wonder: In what exactly is the Lord pleased? Certainly not in “crushing" his servant in infirmity, as one might think at first glance. More likely, God delights in the willingness of his servant to suffer on behalf of the People of God. In the servant's affliction many will be justified and the servant will receive glory.
This brief excerpt comes from Isaiah's fourth and final Suffering Servant song, the most extensive description of the servant’s suffering and its purpose. We proclaim the longer version of this song on Palm Sunday. The extended text describes how the Lord’s servant silently endures rejection, physical suffering and unjust condemnation.
Although written with another situation in mind (more than five centuries before Christ) it is of course the life and death of God's Son and Servant, Jesus, who most completely fulfills Isaiah’s ancient prophecy.
One commentary offered perhaps the best explanation of Isaiah 53:10: God was “pleased” to with joy the salvation of humankind.
The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, the Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.
