Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25)

Humiliation seldom sinks lower than to have another spit in one’s face.  Spittle may transmit disease.  More than that, spitting is a universal sign of contempt.  One account of a particularly gruesome display of hatred tells of prison gang members spitting razor blades to cut up the opponent’s face even before a fight begins. 

In the first reading today the Suffering Servant speaks of giving his face to being spit upon.  Conscious of this reference, Mark’s passion narrative underscores how both Jews and Romans spit on Jesus.  Jesus is seen as the incarnation of the Suffering Servant whose identity is left obscure in Isaiah’s prophecy.

There are four “Suffering Servant Songs.”  Each gives the portrait of the righteous man who takes upon himself the sins of the world.  He not only speaks words of comfort to the oppressed; he also listens to their cries.  He establishes justice but not with a sword that will bring grief to a wife or parents.  Indeed, he heals others’ defects by bearing the penalties incurred by their sins.  Who but Jesus has fulfilled this character description completely?

Homilette for Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25)

Few passages of Scripture give better context for appreciating Jesus passion than the four so-called Servant Songs which we read on Monday, Tuesday, today Wednesday, and Friday of Holy Week. These passages are taken from the work of an unnamed prophet who is called “Second Isaiah” because his writings are attached to those of the great prophet of Judah. Second Isaiah lives in Babylon with other exiled Jews. He recognizes his call from God to preach to the people about the wonderful deliverance God is going to work on their behalf. Second Isaiah’s writings comprise much of the middle part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. They appear to be autobiographical telling how the prophet has suffered on behalf of the people.

What Second Isaiah says about his own trials, we can apply with greater relevance to Jesus. In today’s Servant Song, for example, we remember how Jesus communicates with God in prayer, how both Jews and Romans revile him during his court trials, and how God vindicates him when the persecution ends in his death. The Servant Songs announce a completely new form of messianism. No longer is the Messiah a sword-wielding conqueror of armies; rather, he defeats evil by patiently taking upon himself the sins of others.

What Second Isaiah says of the Suffering Servant and what Jesus validates in his own ordeal we Christians should take to heart. We want to make a presumption against the use of force to accomplish our ends because Jesus is non-violent. We also want to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others as Jesus does in the gospels. Such postures will distinguish us from others. Indeed, they will make us a guiding light like Jesus himself which the world will come to acknowledge and, at least in part, to emulate.

Homilette for March 19, 2008

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-9a)

Often enough Christians meditate only on the gospel reading at Mass showing little interest in the readings from other parts of the Bible. Of course, this is like running with blinders. The non-gospel books of the Bible provide privileged sources of understanding the accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Few passages of Scripture give better context for appreciating Jesus passion than the four so-called Servant Songs which we read on Monday, Tuesday, today Wednesday, and Friday of Holy Week. These passages are taken from the work of an unnamed prophet who is called “Second Isaiah” because his writings are attached to those of the great prophet of Judah. Second Isaiah lived in Babylon with other exiled Jews. He recognized his call from God to preach to the people about the wonderful deliverance God was about to work on their behalf. Second Isaiah’s writings comprise much of the middle part of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. They appear to be autobiographical telling how the prophet has suffered on behalf of the people.

But what Second Isaiah says about his own trials we can apply, with greater relevance, to Jesus. In today’s Servant Song, for example, we remember how Jesus communicates with God in prayer, how both Jews and Gentiles beat and spit upon him during his trials, and how God vindicates him when the persecution ends in his death. The Servant Songs announce a completely new form of messianism. No longer is the Messiah a sword-wielding conqueror of armies. Rather, he defeats evil by patiently taking upon himself the sins of others. We certainly understand Jesus in this way.