God’s Shalom: Here & Now

God’s Shalom: Here & Now

Isaiah 61:1-11

For decades, the exiles in Babylon had dreamed about finally being allowed to return home to Jerusalem. Prophetic voices had promised them a glorious return, painting pictures of dry bones coming to life and a great highway leading them home. But when Cyrus of Persia issued the edict that freed them from exile, what they found in the city was anything but glorious. They had no land and their jobs were gone. Worst of all, their place of worship, the beloved Temple, lay in ruins. Instead of a wonderful homecoming celebration, they were faced with desolation. 

With the remains of the once great city of Jerusalem at their feet, all they could think about was the work that needed to be done. They had to rebuild the Temple and the city walls. Not only was their city in shambles but so was the community. There were divisions among them, arguments about how to start and who would be in charge. It seemed utterly hopeless.

Out of the laments of mourning and despair, a voice declared: “The spirit of the LORD God is upon me!” A prophet stepped out from among the people and proclaimed words of encouragement. Without denying their pain and disillusionment, this messenger of God was called to preach release, freedom, healing, and hope. These promises of God, spoken by the prophet, were indeed good news. But the prophet not only proclaimed restoration of property but also restoration of responsibility. Like strong trees, this new community would stand as a testament to the God whom they worshiped and served, so that one day, in the near future, all other nations would look to them and to their future generations and recognize that they were a people blessed by God, that through them others would be blessed. This was just the motivation the people needed to begin the process of rebuilding their city and their lives. But the impact of these words would not end there. For this mission was not for the prophet alone. The spirit of God also had anointed the whole community to fulfill this call to make the messages of release, healing, freedom, and hope a reality.

The words of Isa. 61 call us to action and faith. The prophet’s message was not a call to grasp at security or to embrace complacency. These were words of challenge, risk, and service. During this time of Advent, when we wait to see how Immanuel (“God with us”) will be made manifest this year, the challenge of Isa 61 reminds us that we are called to do more than just wait. It is our task to make Immanuel obvious in the lives of those who need God the most. We are the messengers called by God to proclaim the Divine Favor and work for God’s shalom to be experienced by all here and now.

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