“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.” (Isaiah 42:16)
This passage is contained in one of those chapters of Isaiah that some scholars call “The Servant Songs”. In these passages Isaiah develops the whole theme of servanthood. The servant of the Lord is totally committed to do God’s will, to perform His mission completely with gentleness, meekness, humility and patience. He will preach the word of the Lord that will enlighten those living in darkness and free those trapped in the bondage of idolatry and sin. He will uphold and fulfill God’s law.
The mission of the servant was the one that the Lord chose Israel to perform, but which she failed to carry out. Israel failed to give praise to Yahweh for all the blessings He had given them and became deaf to His words and commands. Jesus fulfilled God’s servant mission for us. Now, we who are believers are called to the same mission because we are the servants of the Lord. Too often we get mixed up with worldly discussions about politics, sports and celebrities and neglect to preach the good news that Christ came to heal and save those who are weak, powerless and poor. It is our mission to preach to the lost as well as love the poor and oppressed. We must enlighten those who have been blinded by the dark splendors of our sin-filled world as Jesus did for us so that they may not be lost forever in eternal darkness.