Monday of Holy Week

 Lectionary: 257

Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.

 T o understand the drama of Holy Week we ponder the four "suffering servant" songs of Isaiah. We can suppose the young Jesus found his own vocation and destiny within these words; and the Four Evangelists certainly reflected they wrote their Gospels. All four songs appear in the second section of the Book of Isaiah, that part that was written during the Babylonian exile; and apparently by one man known as "Deutero-Isaiah." 

Today's first reading, the first of the songs, describes the Messiah's manner. He will not cry out, shout, or make his voice heard in the street. He is not a man of threats or violence. He is not angry about his destiny or mission, or the way things are. He is not a contrarian, sectarian, factionalist, or a rebel with or without a cause. 

He is a peaceful man who trusts God and, in that manner, establishes the Kingdom of God.

A bruised reed he shall not break,

and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,

Until he establishes justice on the earth;

the coast lands will wait for his teaching.

Because we have been reading the Gospel of Saint John the last two weeks, we understand the source of his peace: he knows his Father.

For just as the Father has life in himself,

so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in himself.

And he gave him power to exercise judgment,

because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:26-27)

Their relationship is peaceful. If the Lord struggled to find himself in this world, his quest began as he lay in the arms of his mother Mary and nursed at her generous breasts. He listened to her Hebrew lullabies and Aramaic folk songs. He learned Joseph's dances and jigs. When he suffered the poverty of parents who could not fulfill their boy's every desire, he learned their hope in God's promises of peace and prosperity. 

As his human brain learned to remember his experience he discovered that God had sent a protecting Angel to guide his parents as they fled Bethlehem, traveled to Egypt, and settled in Nazareth. And all the while, the Holy Spirit directed his attention to the beauty and grace of God's creation. 

When at last he set out on the Gospel Road to announce the Kingdom of God, he discovered the hostility of religious and civil authorities. Well versed in the history of God's people, he could not be surprised by official opposition.

But he also found the eager welcome of widows, orphans, aliens, and everyone whom this world despised. He knew where he belonged, and to whom he belonged. Having seen the injustice they suffered, he could not be surprised by his destiny on Calvary. 

As we have set out in Holy Week to follow the Lord to Good Friday and the astonished silence of Holy Saturday, we have also learned to watch and wait with peaceful hearts and eager longing for,

the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. (Romans 8: 18)