The Year of the Lord’s Favor
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| The Year of the Lord’s Favor
Many thanks to the choirs of Lower Brandywine and Green Hill Presbyterian Churches this morning for the lovely cantata, Sleepers Awake by Johann Sebastian Bach. The notes of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra for its Reformation Series performance of the cantata well said, “Some of the most joyful music is created in the midst of difficult circumstances. Displaced while his home underwent reconstruction, Bach wrote this most famous of his cantatas, BWV 140; Philipp Nicolai, composer of the chorale tune, found comfort in the midst of the death of a pupil by contemplating eternal life, [for] in the historic town of Tubingen, the pupil, a fifteen-year-old nobleman, succumbed to the scourge of the bubonic plague. His teacher and pastor, Nicolai, who had watched upwards of thirty burials a day, penned the chorale “Wachet auf” in memory of his young student.” How is it possible to find such joy amidst such heartache, then or now? The recollection of the Lord’s favor. In our lectionary reading for today, the prophet says the Spirit of the Lord is upon him to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. The covenant people had been in captivity in Babylon, away from the Promised Land, mourning the devastation of the temple, and were now returning to who knows what? To ancient ruins, former devastations, ruined cities. Then, as now, and throughout history, war, disease, enmity of various kinds, the ravages of sin and evil, wreaked heartache and havoc upon the earth. Then, as now, and throughout history, upheaval seems oft to be more the norm than the exception. The upheaval we ourselves have seen of late in the streets may seem unusual, but it may be only a larger coming together of that which fills so many hearts. People mourn, ache, destroy and turn whole blocks into ashes in their anger and animosity. Where is there hope for this world? Where is there good news? The prophet speaks of the Spirit of the Lord anointing him to proclaim the message of deliverance, of salvation. Earlier in 49:8, we read, “Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages.” Here in Isa. 61, the prophet speaks of the messianic hope of restoration of the people, who shall be called “priests of the Lord” and “ministers of our God.” These on whom God’s favor, his salvation, rests will be known as a people the Lord has blessed, the planting of the Lord, building up the ancient ruins and repairing the ruined cities. They are clothed with garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness and through them righteousness and praise spring up before all the nations. It was with the opening words of Isa. 61 that Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” he said. They did not accept him however, and thus did not receive God’s favor. Let us believe him and follow in that work of being those through whom God brings favor, forgiveness, restoration, and righteousness to a dry and weary land. Directory: docs docs -> Application for acem docs -> Observational Assessment of Teaching Practices Teaching Assessment Initiative Proposal Submitted to The Teachers for a New Era project docs -> Traditional British values docs -> From Warfighters to Crimefighters: The Origins of Domestic Police Militarization docs -> Borzoi Club of America Register of Merit Program I. What is a Register Of Merit docs -> Protecting the rights of the child in the context of migration docs -> United Nations E/C. 12/Esp/5 docs -> 9th May 1950 the schuman declaration docs -> Getting To Outcomes® in Services for Homeless Veterans 10 Steps for Achieving Accountability Download 5.13 Kb. Share with your friends:
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