“But the Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7)
As we are keenly aware, the world we live in is filled with tribulations, troubles and woes which plague all human beings to varying degrees. What makes things worse for we who are believers is the activity sponsored by Satan. He has slaves who promote his agenda, people who eagerly heighten our fears and doubts, as well as those who oppress, denigrate, and persecute us. Because of this we will face many trials. Many times we may suffer from shame and despair.
There is good news in the word of the Lord spoken by the prophet Isaiah. In this week’s lectionary reading he prophesies the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. The portrait he gives us here aptly describes the Suffering Servant, the Messiah. As a true disciple of the Lord He obeys the Father no matter what the cost to Him, no matter what suffering and shame He has to endure. He is totally committed to the task which the Lord has set for Him. He relies solely on the Lord for comfort, vindication, and victory.
The Suffering Servant is the perfect disciple, one worthy of emulation. The good disciple, like the suffering servant, relies on the Holy Spirit to stand firm, like flint, like steel, to endure what one must and not desert the way of the Lord. If we were to try to stand based on our own strength, we would fall apart as many people in the world do. Their panic is used by Satan to affect and infect us. But with the help of the Spirit working through God’s Word and the Church, those sufferings we endure we bear by the strength of the Lord. We trust Him to carry us through the worst trials as we rest in Him.