Isaiah 54,7-10. Laetare

Isaiah 54,7-10 1923

Laetare 28 

Joseph, Guardian of Jesus

19. März 2023

1. ℣ Rejoice, ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her:

℟ All ye that love her (Isaiah 66,16). 

O Lord Jesus Christ, whose delight is the house of Yahweh; bring peace both to Your Church and to our world, so that we may live and work in the security that we may worship You without fear or coercion.  Amen. (Psalm 122,1.7 Gradual)

2. »„For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid My face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,“ says Yahweh, your Redeemer. „This is like the days of Noah to Me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My merciful steadfast love will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be removed,“ says Yahweh, who has compassion on you.« 

 3. Prior to Isaiah 54, the Prophet speaks of the impending destruction of the temple, Jerusalem and captivity in Babylon. Judah will experience political turmoil and upheaval by the hand of Yahweh through His Servant King. Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27,6). Yahweh humbled sinful Judah. 

4. Isaiah accuses Judah of a number of serious offenses: idolatry, injustice and oppression, pride and arrogance, hypocrisy, unfaithfulness and disobedience. Yahweh disciplines those He loves and chastises every son whom He receives (Proverbs 3,12; Deuteronomy 8,5); He sent 19 prophets over 400 years to call the people to repentance and worship only Yahweh. Prophet after Prophet was rejected, so Yahweh disciplined Judah with the 70 year Babylonian Exile. Through it all — before, during and after the Exile — Yahweh spoke to Israel by His Prophets.  

5. The message of Isaiah is as relevant for us today as it was when Isaiah first proclaimed it 2700 years ago. Idolatry, injustice, pride, hypocrisy and disobedience still plague mankind in the 21. century; Christ’s Church is not immune from these sins. The Church first applies the prophetic Word to herself, repents, returns to the path where she has erred and then call upon every person and nation to heed God’s Word, repent and be absolved. Isaiah consistently and constantly calls upon us to confess our sin and to then amend our sinful ways. Forsake your idols, let truth and justice prevail, humble your narcissism, heed and keep the Word of Yahweh. Some churches, like the Lutheran Church, point us to this attitude of confession each Sunday. Others set aside a time of corporate repentance. Many churches greatly emphasize repentance and right living throughout the 40 days of Lent. Hear these words of Isaiah: »Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Come now, let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool« (Isaiah 1,16-18). 

6. Laetare falls at the middle of Lent; today marks the transition from Lent 22 to Lent 23. This Sunday focuses our eyes and hearts on rejoicing. God never leaves nor forsakes His people, not even in difficult times. God promises restoration and redemption. God is eager to forgive and reconcile. God is faithful: His merciful steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136,1a).  

7. In one of His first sermons as He began His public ministry, Jesus preached on the Prophet Isaiah: »The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. And He began to say to them: „Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.“« (Isaiah 61,1-2a; Luke 4,18-19.21). 

8. Laetare! Jesus fulfills the Prophets. 

℣ »I am the Bread of life, whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst« (John 6,35). 

℟ »Lord, You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God!« (John 6,68-69). 

God has compassion on us, and His compassion is shown to us in Jesus Christ who suffered, died and rose again for us. Rejoice in Yahweh, and take joy in the God of our salvation (Hebrews 3,18). Rejoice, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing for Yahweh has comforted His people (Isaiah 49,13). Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4,4), for Christ Jesus is our Savior. 

9. Jesus, my joyous treasure,

My heart’s pleasure

Jesus, my crown of grace

O how long, my anguish

Is the heart anxious

And longs for Thy face

God’s Lamb, Thy Church’s Groom,

Besides Thee, nothing on earth

Nothing else shall give me mirth (Jesu, meine Freude elkg 543,1 2021 Johann Franck 1653)

This is most certainly true. 

11. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7).  Amen. 

12. Let us pray. O God, the Living God, who hast put Thine own eternity in our hearts and hast made us to hunger and thirst after Thee, satisfy, we pray Thee, the instincts which Thou hast implanted in us that we may find Thee in life, and life in Thee.  Amen. (Laetare, Vespers Collect 2. The Daily Office. Copyright © 1965 Concordia Publishing House.)

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

 

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

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