“You are my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.” These words from the prophet, Isaiah, are echoed in the words Jesus hears at his Baptism on the banks of the river Jordan: “This is my Own, my Beloved, on whom my favor rests.” Isaiah’s words are taken from the first of his four “Servant Songs,” poems often referred to as “Songs of the Suffering Servant.” All four Gospel authors, as well as Paul, have connected these songs to Jesus. His life and teachings were seen as the fulfillment of all the prophecies in Scripture that envisioned a coming Messiah, and his crucifixion and death drew an even deeper connection for them between Jesus and the “suffering servant” of Isaiah.
This first of the four Servant Songs was written after the Babylonian exile. Prior to the Exile people in Jerusalem were leading a rather materialistic and prosperous life. The external rewards of wealth, status and power focused their energies and attention on themselves and their personal goals, much as they do with us today. The covenantal relationship between Israel and God were far in the background for most people. Their self-absorbed, pleasure-seeking attitudes left them isolated and disconnected from each other. It was tearing the fabric of who they were as a people to shreds. The result was a destructive imbalance that threatened everyone and everything. Families were affected. The local community was affected. Even the world as they knew it was affected. (more…)
