Eugene Peterson on the meaning of the suffering and death of the servant in Isaiah

This final servant song is in two voices: the opening (52:13-15) and closing (53:11b-12) portions are in the voice of God; the center voice (53:1-11a) is the “we” voice, the persons reporting on the suffering and death of the servant and its meaning for their salvation. This “we” voice is the heart of the song, but it is so excruciatingly counter to what we are used to thinking about what is involved in taking care of what is wrong with us, so offensive to our sense of propriety and justice, that it requires hefty bookends of assurance that this is truly what God intends. At one end, “Behold, my servant shall prosper” (52:13 RSV), and at the other end, “The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous” (53:11b). This is the way, this way of sacrificial suffering, by which God deals with what is wrong with Israel – and what is wrong with the world. The substantial prologue (52:13-15) and confident conclusion (53:11b-12) hold the center firmly in place so that we can consider it without wavering.

This servant is the centerpiece of the song: “a root out of dry ground…no beauty…despised and rejected…we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God…oppressed…cut off out of the land of the living…his grave with the wicked” (RSV). A suffering servant.

But here’s the thing: this suffering is not presented as tragic, as a misfortune, as an interruption of what should be. The suffering is the chosen means of salvation: “carried our sorrows…bruised for our iniquities…upon him was the chastisement that made us whole…laid on him the iniquity of us all…stricken for the transgression of my people…he makes himself an offering for sin” (RSV). The servant stands in for us, takes our place. Bernd Janowski in a most careful exegetical study of Isaiah 53 distills the essence of the servant’s significance in a sentence: “one person, by some action or suffering, takes the ‘place’ of others who are not willing or able to take it up themselves.” What we sometimes name vicarious suffering.

The servant serves God. That goes without saying. But the distinctive thing that comes into focus in the fourth song is that the servant serves God by serving the sinner, by taking the sinner’s place, taking the consequences of sin, doing for the sinner what he or she is helpless to do for himself, herself.

This is the gospel way to deal with what is wrong with the world, deal with this multifaceted sin-cancer that is mutilating and disabling us. Variations on what is wrong are multiform: unbelief, missing the mark, evil, rebellion, transgression, willfulness, indifference, violence, arrogance, and on and on and on. But whether the wrong is intentional or inadvertent, the servant neither avoids it in revulsion nor attacks it by force of words or arms. Instead, the servant embraces, accepts, suffers in the sense of submitting to conditions and accepting the consequences. The servant personally takes the wrongdoer and the wrong to the altar of sacrifice and makes an offering of him or her on it. The servant says to his brothers and sisters, “Only God can save you. You don’t think you can go to him? I’ll go for you.” Or, at least, “Let me go with you.”

Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way, 176-177.

prayer for the second Sunday in Lent

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

when sad

Lately I’ve struggled not only with being tired, but maybe related to that with sadness. If one could enter into my story or hear it out, one could understand why. Sadness is one thing. But what can accompany that is the temptation to discouragement and despair. Not God’s will for us in Jesus.

Psalm 88 is rather striking to me, a psalm I was in yesterday. It ends where it begins, in a deep pit of darkness, and despair may not be too strong a word to add. But throughout, the psalmist continues to look to God in prayers. A dark night of the soul, and in spite of the prayers, God seems to be silent.

Living in a fallen world in which evils happen daily can leave its mark on us, both temporarily and for life. And we do bring on some of our sadness on ourselves by our own sin and folly, no doubt. Taking the cue from the psalmist we should indeed look to God, and we should do so in the community of God’s people. This psalm was written for God’s people, but it is evident as are the psalms, that it came from real life experience. This is the way of Scripture: it presents to us the story of God through Christ in a way in which we can find ourselves and our story within that story. And when we do so we find plenty of sadness and tears, along with God’s good consolation through his redemption and salvation for us in Jesus.

The underlying issues that make us sad are what we need to keep bringing to God over and over again. This is what the psalmist does. In this psalm the psalmist attributes their deep darkness to God. This gives God the opportunity to work in and through that darkness. The “dark night of the soul” is something we shun, especially in this day and age. But we ought to embrace it, continually asking God to bring us not out of it, but through it for his glory through Jesus.

How do you approach such times? How can we help others when they are down?

self-doubt and God’s direction

In spite of really good things happening I have entered into a period of self-doubt in regard to what I am to do with reference to what I am doing now. I am looking for God’s direction. Indeed God can use these times in which we have a sense of lostness to either direct us, or confirm something of the direction in which we are going.

We all have our special gifts. I am coming to realize in a more settled way that mine is in the way of teaching. I do love words, and more importantly the concepts behind words. And the notion of story, and seeing God’s revelation and life as part of God’s story in Jesus for us and all creation.

There is a strong sense in me, and my wife would concur, of being a pastor, or having a pastoral concern for people. That is in large part I believe why I have developed a simple way of writing (and speaking) which I stick to most all the time. There is an important place for large words and concepts. We find some of that right in Scripture. Yet by and large Scripture is set in words which with the help of the Spirit, clearly communicate God’s intent for humans through Christ.

On top of this I am beginning to get a yearning to explore poetry. My blogging friend L.L. Barkat has a new book which is poetry, and she has been steeping herself in it, and sharing her own gift. And Nancy another blogging friend as well, sharing numerous poems. So that I’m intrigued and want to explore.

In the meantime I will continue what I’m doing now. I see no major changes, but only a new or renewed desire or impulse to seek out God’s direction. And to do so in fellowship with the community of believers of which we are a part.

This is a highly autobiographical post. Would any reader like to share from their own lives or thoughts on God’s direction? How has God guided you? And what part might self-doubt have had in that?

Yes, I didn’t do the book review. In large part because I haven’t accomplished much reading lately. And also because I’m thinking I probably need to read that entire book, before I blog on it. While the chapters to some extent stand on their own, it would be best to review them together since the book seems to build on each in C.S. Lewis’ argument. Hopefully I’ll get to that later and at least some sort of book review next week. I’m not in the groove yet in doing this, but it will be good for me, to keep me in good books.

a life beyond us

The life God calls us to in Jesus is indeed a life that is beyond us, but present for us. I marvel over how God keeps me going. Of course God actually keeps all that have breath going, in fact holds the entire universe together through Christ. We know that physical life is indeed beyond us. God’s gracious call to humans in Christ is to a life not only the life after life after death (that is the resurrection when heaven and earth become one, beyond the intermediate state or heaven after death- see N.T. Wright), but to a new life in the here and now. This is a life in Jesus in and for this world. A life together with others in Jesus, never meant to be lived out on our own apart from complete dependence on God through Jesus, and interdependence on each other in Jesus, and all of this for the world.

Lately I’ve been tired. I so much appreciate the good work I have at RBC Ministries, and actually the physical side of it does probably keep me young, or at least limber. But like everyone else we are tired at the end of the day, and some seasons especially tired. On top of that I’ve been tired inside as well as out. Weary of the troubles and evils that beset us and the devastation that we see at times as a result. Even though with that we can see God’s good, intervening hand. Even as Jesus grew tired when on earth and had times where he wanted to get away with his disciples and not be found, we need such seasons as well. Though in the case of Jesus he couldn’t stay hid from the clamoring crowds, and his heart went out to them in compassion as he would receive and minister to their needs.

I am so thankful that somehow in a way beyond us, day after day God keeps working as we continue to seek him in prayer and in Scripture. As well as in seeking to do his will in the faith, hope and love that are in Jesus. And actually amazed. We live and move and have our being physically through the Triune God, and spiritually as well.

A passage for us along this line, showing both God’s side and ours:

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40 (TNIV)

How does this play out in your own life?

Tomorrow I hope to be ready to review “Men Without Chests”, the first chapter of The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis.

Lent: examining our lives

Beginning this coming Sunday we are embarking on a study of “the seven deadly sins”, taught and led by an outstanding teacher who is also a seminary professor, Byard Bennett. I much look forward to it.

Lent involves a time of examining our lives. We ask God to reveal to us our sins, that we might repent and live in his will. The gospel in Jesus’ death and resurrection clears the way for us. But first we need to repent of our own ways in light of that. And seek to follow Jesus.

During these times when we ask God to do this what may occur may be unpleasant to say the least. An old sin we thought was held at bay we may find ourselves struggling with again, and perhaps overcome by it. We may see in ourselves some things that are less than good, in fact evil. These are times in which we may be able to share our struggle with a spiritual director (or mentor), to some measure with a spouse or a good friend. But we must also see such times as normal seasons of the soul. Not easy to go through, but necessary and for our good.

These should be times of seeking God as is done by the psalmist, probably David (or in reference to David’s repentance of his sin) in the great penitential psalm, 51. Though every day should include a reflection on the great good news in Jesus, the gospel that through Jesus’ death and resurrection our sins are indeed forgiven, even as we seek to work through so as to work out of us the sin which remains.

I have to be careful here, because I can easily end up groveling in the dust and not getting up from it through such times. Yet it is important for us to receive from God both his convicting light as well as his absolution, or pronouncement of forgiveness through Christ.

What have you found to be helpful in your own exercise of examining your life?

the nature of revealed truth

Contra modernism there is truth that comes from a source which cannot be discovered by humans. That flies in the face of naturalism which posits that all truth is what is arrived at through observation and tested hypothesis, such as scientific truth. And from that the insistence that there can be no purpose or final meaning to life. And indeed they are right if that’s all there is to truth. In fact “truth” itself is up for grabs because if there is no ultimate meaning or meta-narrative, then really all is meaningless just as Qoheleth in Ecclesiastes says. Indeed Pilate’s skepticism ironically rings true in his words: “What is truth?”

The nature of revealed truth is indeed faith oriented and suggestive of human dependence. And it is relational at its core. Scripture is written in such a way to help us along in a spiritual journey of relationship with God and with others through Christ. It is not unrelated to truth as a naturalist would understand truth. Indeed there is overlap. Scripture speaks to the real world and in terms of human life concerning privilege and responsibility.

A good example of this is the four gospels in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are each written describing historical events surrounding the life of Jesus. They are historical, but they’re more than that. They are written with hooks to help us respond to God’s gracious call to us in Christ. And to find ourselves and our place in God’s Story. The writers therefore write from a theological perspective. Their writing is not merely a recitation of historical facts, but written for a purpose. (One example from them that makes this explicit.)

Without this revelation we are indeed “lost in a lost world” (title of a Moody Blues song which points away from the certain despair of modern humanity, but does not hit the nail on the head as to where meaning is found). Post-modernism also denies any ultimate true meaning to life, but is open to truth as one might conceive it. So that it makes all the sense in the world today for people to think and say, “That’s true for you, and this is true for me.” Actually today we live in a time when both post-modernism and modernism are operative.

Revealed truth from God leads us to Jesus Christ who in turn leads us to God and to God’s will for us and for humanity on earth. It pertains to life here and now and is Jesus-shaped. God’s will is for community in Jesus, and a people that both individually and together are conformed to the image of Jesus. Nothing less will do.

So the nature of revealed truth from God is relational at its core. Jesus taught that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s being and doing, and the second like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. And that there is no commandment greater than these. And Jesus died and rose again to reconcile us to God and to each other.

Read here a helpful post by Allan R. Bevere, related to this.

What thoughts would you like to share? What kind of book do you see Scripture/the Bible to be?

commitment

Like trust, commitment can actually be quite freeing, as well as directing for us in our lives. Of course this works out in all kinds of ways in human experience. And it’s who and what we trust and are committed to that matters more than our actual part.

Commitment involves trust and obedience. And above all relationship. When one is committed to God through Christ one is in a commitment which will is meant to last forever. (There is to be no turning back.) But which begins in and is for this life, not just the sweet by and by.  And this commitment is hinged not only on what really matters, but on reality itself. And Reality in this case, in capital letters, because it is part of the work in love of the Triune God in the world through Christ.

The commitment is related to covenant. A covenant is an agreement and actually from that, a kind of union between two parties. In the Bible it involves God and humanity often tied to one individual, but for a community. With it is God’s promise which is often conditional on human faithfulness to the terms of the covenant. Humans inevitably fail across the board, which is why all the covenants in Scripture are fulfilled by Christ, and therefore through Christ.

Covenant as just expressed is important for our commitment. We then realize that our commitment is important, yet it ultimately depends on the faithfulness of Christ, not on our own. We will falter along the way. And if the outcome depends on us the outlook is not only good, but inevitably bad.

But because of Christ there is not only hope for us to remain true to our commitment, but an assurance that we will. But only through faith as we rest in God’s promises through Christ, as well as on Christ- the faithful one.

Sometimes I don’t understand the bumps along the road on my journey, though I understand all too well the fears that underly and accompany them. But Christ has walked through all of life for us, and now by the Spirit both in our own lives, and through the lives of each other, he promises to help us and indeed be all we need. Though that all we need includes his work through other brothers and sisters in him. I am grateful to my wife for being a blessing to me as one who faithfully prays and counsels me. And I’m thankful for our church with people who do the same.

So there’s one thing I know: God is faithful and through Christ he will see our commitment through to the end. And our commitment will matter in this life, many times in ways we may not see or understand well. At other times seeing some fruit. And while the fact of commitment can grow stronger in our lives, it can open us up to greater challenges. So that we are always well aware of our complete dependence on God through Christ, the faithful one. Not a comfortable place to be oftentimes, but we can trust God that he will see us through even in the midst of all the difficulty and weakness. And that his good work through Christ in and through us can and will be completed.

What does commitment and especially commitment to God through Christ, mean to you?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on faith and obedience

The gracious call of Jesus now becomes a stern command: Do this! Give up that! Leave the ship and come to me! When a man says he cannot obey the call of Jesus because he believes, or because he does not believe, Jesus says: “First obey, perform the external work, renounce your attachments, give up the obstacles which separate you from the will of God. Do not say you have not got faith. You will not have it so long as you persist in disobedience and refuse to take the first step.  Neither must you say that you have faith, and therefore there is no need for you to take the first step. You have not got faith so long as and because you will not take the first step but become hardened in your unbelief under the guise of humble faith.” It is a malicious subterfuge to argue like this, a sure sign of lack of faith, which leads in its turn to a lack of obedience. This is the disobedience of the “believers”; when they are asked to obey, they simply confess their unbelief and leave it at that (Mark 9.24). You are trifling with the subject. If you believe, take the first step, it leads to Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe, take the first step all the same, for you are bidden to take it. No one wants to know about your faith or unbelief, your orders are to perform the act of obedience on the spot. Then you will find yourself in the situation where faith becomes possible and where faith exists in the true sense of the word.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 73-74

prayer: first Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer