“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”

A couple of days ago I stopped by one of the Coffee Oasis Centers to drop off some donations. There were several people hanging around outside, the center had not opened yet. I noticed one young man perhaps eighteen years old. Heavy set, with a jacket on over a plaid shirt and another shirt. My impression was he had been wearing the same clothes for several days.  He had a scraggly beard along his jaw. He was laughing and joking with some others nearby. In my mind I called him Shane. Shane did not look like someone I would want to hang out with. If I did, I’m not sure what we would talk about. But I was acutely aware that my hang up was my problem not his. I had to ask myself, was I condemning him based solely on a one second glance?

Isaiah is describing how society would react to Jesus. It is fascinating that Isaiah the prophet who lived over five hundred years before Jesus is able to describe in twelve verses the broad strokes of Jesus’ life and ministry. These specific verses describe the events surrounding the crucifixion. Jesus was persecuted and condemned by the religious leadership of the day because he did not conform to the orthodoxy of the day. All the while he did not resist or defend himself. I reacted in quick judgement to Shane in a way that is similar to how people reacted to Jesus. Jesus knows what Shane is experiencing because He experienced it.

The prophetic account tells me that there is more to life than what we see and know with the five senses. It tells me that there is something eternal taking place that is beyond what my mind can possibly conceive. It was true in Hebrew history five hundred years before Jesus. I believe that it is true even now in the midst of a global pandemic and in the lives of the homeless teens we serve. When I saw Shane, it was just a moment in time. I know that God loves him and is reaching out to him. 

The scripture above mentioned that the servant did not resist or complain. Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples that he would be going to Jerusalem and would be crucified. Luke 12:50 states, “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed.” Jesus knew what was ahead and moved toward it with a sense of destiny. He knew that our souls were hanging in the balance. He knew that eternity depended on his sacrifice.

We can look at the present situation and complain and make judgements about people. Or we can place our circumstances in God’s hands and trust that in the context of eternity God will work to fulfill a purpose that is greater than we can imagine. I know that is true in my life and I believe it is true in Shane’s life as well.

Lord, we are reminded that you are eternal, we know that you see the past, the present, and the future. In your wisdom you sent your Son to intervene for us. Thank you for what he did for us and how you are at work in our lives today. Help us to be aware of what you are doing around us. Help us to trust you with eternity and help us to love and encourage the teens that we encounter each day.

MEDITATION & PRAYER WRITTEN BY
Pastor Jim Riddell
First Baptist Church