Isaiah 42.1-9

1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
    until he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord ,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord , I have called you in righteousness,
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
    a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord , that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
    I tell you of them.

  

 REFLECTION

We read this prophecy as a foretelling of Jesus, and we see the fulfillment in him. Note he is called servant. It is not what he gets, but what he will do. But what if we read it as a call to all believers and the life we are meant to live. Do we not offer ourselves to God? To finish Jesus' work? We look at this prophecy as a declaration of a great person and yet they sacrifice and serve. Would you want to be the answer to this prophecy?

I would not do it if I thought about it and based it on my personality, wants and desires. I believe we can only live this way if we are moved by something greater and that is the Holy Spirit.

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Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven:

ascribe to the Lord glory and might.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name:

O worship the Lord in the beauty of his holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters:

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord upon the great waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation:

the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar-trees:

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes them skip like a calf:

Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord divides the lightning-flash:

the voice of the Lord whirls the sands of the desert,

the Lord whirls the desert of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord rends the terebinth trees,

and strips bare the forests:

in his temple all cry ‘Glory.’

9 The Lord sits enthroned above the water-flood:

the Lord sits enthroned as a king for ever.

10 The Lord will give strength to his people:

the Lord will give to his people the blessing of peace.

 

 

Acts 10.34-43

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

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REFLECTION 

Peter proclaims the life of Jesus which shows him as the answer to the prophecy, and he declares that Jesus called them to continue Jesus' ministry. Peter's words and courage are not about who he was but are him living in the power of the Spirit rather than what the world may think of him or do to him. 

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Matthew 3.13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15 But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

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REFLECTION

Jesus' baptism is important to us because if the divine being needed to be baptized, then the act must have a relevant part in our faith journey. Jesus had an experience that I have never seen in anyone else, and I am sure John had never experienced it before Jesus. In Matthew's account we see that John does not believe it should be him baptizing Jesus, but the other way around. Jesus doesn't know why it must be this way, just that this is what must happen. I think John baptizing Jesus is about the lesser being the greater. So many times I see the focus of the church like the world, those who a lesser must bow and move aside for the greater, 'I am nothing and you are the greater, the better, the more capable and you should be first.' God calls John to the fore, why? I believe it so that Jesus could humble himself. Because God works through whom God chooses. John accepted to take the lead because it was what God requested. It is not our skills, our knowledge, our wealth, our achievements or our looks which decide our actions, but the openness to service God's call on our lives. I also think it was that it was so the Holy Spirit could enter into Jesus ministry completely. Jesus had to humble himself to be open to accept. We look at what Jesus did, but we forget that it was the Holy Spirit who guided, comforted, encouraged and connected Jesus. We may believe our humility is an act of serves, but at times it is a reflection of unworthiness and does not serve God's call. True humility is found in submitting to the Holy Spirit to be our strength and guide.

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