Yes, It’s Hard but You are Not Alone

January 18, 2026

Last week, Isaiah helped us paint a portrait of the servant of God and how that servant would lead. This week the servant song paints a portrait that tells us about how servants of God are to be as disciples. And I use the word disciples intentionally as opposed to followers. Followers are ones who follow without question and often without thought. Whereas disciples are ones who listen, learn, debate, do and then disciple others.

We follow what is called the lectionary.  Generally speaking, at least, the lectionary lays out the scripture readings for each week of the year, over a three-year cycle. The intention is that that preacher would explore more of the Bible if they didn’t simply always preach on their favourite scriptures. But I am often confused about why they begin some readings in the middle of the chapter. For example, today in the reading from Isaiah, we hear a lot about the individuals or servants and what they are to do. But we don’t hear the first part of the chapter and I think the first part of the chapter is really, really, important. In the first part of the chapter, verses one and two Isaiah seems like he’s talking to a very devote group of people or devote nation. He says:

- they seek God daily

- they delight to know God’s ways

- they do not forsake the ordinances of the Lord

- they ask God for righteous judgement 

- they delight to draw near to God

- and finally, they regularly fast in accordance to the law. 

So fantastic, wow that this sounds like an amazing group of people. They seem to have a really good handle, on what it is to be disciples. And then we hear about the flipside of their faith that appears in Verse 3&4.

Isaiah says:

- yes, you fast, but then you seek your own pleasures and oppress your workers. 

- You fast only to quarrel and fight and hit with wicked fists.

In verse 5 Isaiah, channeling God, says the fast/the ritual, that I choose for my servants are to humble themselves and to learn how to bow their heads before God. And that leads into the reading that we had today. Isaiah wants these people who obviously desire faithfulness to God to learn, not just the ritual of the religion but also faithfulness to the highest intention that the ritual is supposed to lead us to. In living out what the ritual is supposed to teach us, as disciples, we change our behaviour and indeed our lives. Specifically, it leads us to change how they treat other people, and I would argue how to be the portrait of a servant of God. 

In verse 6 Isaiah makes it clear. This is the work of a servant of God and boy does he gets really specific. 

• Choose to lose the bonds of wickedness in your heart

• undo the ties of that yoke you to greed

•  to let the oppress go free 

• share bread with the hungry, 

• bring the homeless poor into your own house 

• And cover the naked. 

Isaiah is very specific because these are obviously problems and realities within the nation of Israel. Obviously, poverty stocks a goodly number of people in Israel. In the passage it is very clear that our as servant is to care. And as disciples, servant of God, if we do what we are called to do then our light will shine. It will shine in the world and out to other nations. 

Isaiah is challenging the people of Israel. They want God to take notice of their worship, but not to take notice of their wrongs toward their own people whether in economic disparity, causing strife and exploitation and abuse and oppression of the poor. For Isaiah, true worship is closely tied to justice, and it is justice that shines. This is the glory of God, justice. 

The gospel lesson from John 12 continues this theme of the glory of God shining in the world. The thing that fascinates me about the gospel lesson is that at the beginning of the lesson people want to get into a theological debate with Jesus. Who is this Messiah and if the Messiah is to rule through eternity, you know, go on forever. Then how can you, a mortal, be the messiah? But Jesus like Isaiah wants them to stay in the present moment. Jesus encourages them to walk in the light that Isaiah speaks of which is justice. And that means acting in the present as if the messiah was among you. As if the light of God was shining through you and not only the Messiah. The work of the Messiah is to is to show you how to shine so that you can show others. And use that light now because if you don’t use the light of justice in your life today, then you can be sure that darkness, a time that lacks justice, will descend upon your life and upon the nation of Israel. I am bringing you says Jesus, the opportunity and I would argue the challenge to walk in the light.

As I was writing this message, I realized that what keeps Christian denominations apart is the arguing over theology. But the thing that has the power to unite us is the doing of justice. Sue Hummel and Shelly Steele told me about several years ago working with several denomination as well as a Jewish and a Muslem congregations to sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Folks at Trinity support some of the same ministries that we have. As have Calvin Presbyterian, Highland Baptist and St. Francis Roman Catholic church has. Theology keeps us separate but the glory of God which is justice helps us find the unity which we are called to pray about throughout this week. May the light of justice lead the way. Amen.