sermon excerpts: Perils and Promise

Isaiah is offering a banquet for those who are in need but cannot pay. That described the Israelite people caught in the upheaval of exile. It was a helpless and hopeless situation that he, and they, found themselves in. The mighty Babylonian Empire swept through the land and conquered the Israelites, destroying the city of Jerusalem, levelling the grand Temple and undoing all the holy promises that God had made.
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Isaiah is asking the impossible: trust and believe that something great and wonderful is coming. We will be fed and nurtured. Is this more empty hope and false prophecy? We often find ourselves mired in depression, grief and loss, paralyzed to do anything, to see our way out of our situations. Such was the dilemma of Isaiah and his words sounded hollow to many of his colleagues.

The Babylonians were experienced at conquering other nations and had built a strong empire. They went through Israel and deported, exiled, the leaders of society, the highly-educated, the talented artists, the strong military minds, and sent them to far-off Babylon, now Iraq. Isaiah was one of these people.

While in this strange and foreign land, they were able to own property, pursue their trade, even worship in their faith. Mind you, there wasn’t a Temple, but they made do. The captured exiles didn’t really feel like they were in prison or mistreated, so there was no real incentive to organize and rebel or try to escape.

After a number of years, those who remembered the homeland died. The new generation arose knowing only a decent life in Babylon and stories of the far-off land of Israel. At the time of this particular writing, the Persian Empire and risen in power and overthrew the Babylonians. It was quite likely that the Israelite exiles were going to be allowed to return home. This posed a lot of questions and uncertainties.

The land to which they will return had been overrun by neighbouring countries, Moab, Edom, for example, and the city of Jerusalem was still a wreck. How hospitable were the people who were left behind going to be when this new population comes marching back to the homeland?

It is easy for us to understand and experience that fact that bad things happen in life for no reason. Illness, disease, accidents, natural disasters, wars, abuse, are generally democratic in the sense that no one is immune, everyone is eligible to suffer from these things. There is no rhyme or reason why or why not.

We can accept that we don’t deserve these things; maybe these things just happen and that is because the world is a fallen and imperfect place. What is more difficult to accept is the fact that the opposite is also there for us. An endless and wonderful banquet of celebration and goodness awaits for us. There is no cost, no price, freely given.

Yet we fret that we’re not worthy or deserving. Somehow we have to earn this goodness. It would be wrong to accept it.

But that is exactly what Isaiah is trying to tell the people. Listen up, remember the glory of King David? That can be ours again. Don’t try to make sense of it; God’s ways are not ours. Our lives are short and limited, God’s presence is mighty and eternal. We cannot see the big picture or even know where the path of greater good lies. We only know our part and our part is live the best we can with what we’ve been given. Make the most of our chances.
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A banquet has been prepared; it awaits us, freely offered, freely available. All we have to do is overcome our sense of unworthiness and come to the table. All we have to do is cast aside our suspicions that this is some kind of scam perpetrated by some cosmic con artist. All we have to do is follow in the way of God – justice, kindness and compassion for one another and ourselves.