Isaiah 28:23-29 | Matthew 25:31-46
Reading through Isaiah during Advent: Isaiah 25-28
The book of Isaiah is widely considered to be written in three parts: Isaiah 1-39, Isaiah 40-55, and Isaiah 56-66. In this first part we going through at the moment, there are two main themes that may seem contradictory: judgement and hope.
Most often, judgement has a negative connotation. Who wants to be judged? But in the Bible, judgement isn’t simply a looking-down-upon others (though that does exist in the Bible, particularly in the gospels). Rather, judgement is a separation between what is good and what is not good. Sometimes seemingly harshly, this separation might be made between people, whether individuals or groups. But judgement is always based - at the heart - upon actions.
Judgement always seeks to rightly place justice (= what is right, what God wants or what God’s nature looks like) and evil (=injustice, what is wrong, against what God wants).
Judgement is not an end. It is a means, a strategy, the way of going about making things right.
But it is not fun.
Even so, within judgement is hope, that something better - the right thing - is indeed coming.
Isaiah can feel like a roller coaster as it bounces back and forth between the judgement of God upon Israel for injustice - not taking care of the poor, etc. - and the hope of a new Jerusalem to come.
If you think about it, this has some pretty significant resonation with the way the world often feels like today.
Isaiah 28:23-29
Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear my word:
Does the plowman plow without stopping for planting,
opening and harrowing their ground?
When he has smoothed its surface,
doesn’t he scatter fennel, and sow cumin,
and plant wheat and barley in their places,
and spelt as a border?
They are properly ordered;
their God directs them.
Fennel isn’t threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,
but fennel is beaten with a staff,
and cumin with a rod.
Bread grain is crushed,
but the thresher doesn’t thresh it forever.
He drives the cart wheel over it;
he spreads it out but doesn’t crush it.
This also comes from the Lord of heavenly forces,
who gives wondrous counsel and increases wisdom.
Matthew 25:31-46
“Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.”
Prayer (Psalm 89:46-52)
How long will it last, Lord?
Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short my life is!
Have you created humans for no good reason?
Who lives their life without seeing death?
Who is ever rescued from the grip of the grave? Selah
Where now are your loving acts
from long ago, my Lord—
the same ones you promised to David
by your own faithfulness?
Remember your servant’s abuse, my Lord!
Remember how I bear in my heart
all the insults of the nations,
the ones your enemies, Lord, use—
the ones they use to abuse
every step your anointed one takes.
Bless the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen!