Isaiah still speaks to us after the Passion of Christ

We just completed the Suffering Servant songs and shared emotionally with the stress Jesus, the Paschal Lamb, endured to free us from a probable exclusion from heaven because of our sins. However, before we all cheer at the Resurrection of our Savior, let us continue with the prophecy of Isaiah regarding his view of the glory Christ exudes. This prophet still opens to us the foundation of freedom that the Resurrection of Christ hands on to us.

All of you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David. As I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of nations, So shall you summon a nation you knew not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you. Because of the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you. (Is 55: 1 – 5).

Seek the Lord while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; Let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. (Is 55: 6 - 9).

Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, for my justice, about to be revealed. Happy is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it. Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any evildoing. (Is 56: 1 - 2).

This is a call that the mission of Christ, after his resurrection, still implored his disciples to continue their learning and observance of the Master who wasted no time in preparing each of them to spread the Gospel of Hope and certainty of their own ministry which was to evangelize the many people he implored them to reach; disciples of all nations. (Mt 28: 19).

Our short text of the Suffering Servant Songs and a look into what Isaiah hands us with a continuation of the ministry of Christ still exists as our own mission to not give up on preaching and baptizing those who have not heard about the Risen Christ and the mission he undertook beginning with his Incarnation.

Ralph B.Hathaway