Isaiah 53.5 But he
was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
– Isaiah
Reading Isaiah 53, we are greeted with these words: He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to
him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and
rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from
whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely
he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by
God, stricken by him, and afflicted. That is the picture of the Savior. Who’d
want to follow Someone like that!?
Years ago I wrote an essay entitled: Plain Paper Wrapping. Jesus came to us in plain paper wrapping. He
wasn’t brightly colored and adorned with ribbons and bows; He came in poverty
and obscurity. He didn’t lead the parade; He wasn’t even in the parade! But He was pierced for our sins; He was crushed for
our sins; the punishment that was meant for us, was on Him, and He brought us
peace and healing.
I watch the stars on TV during this election cycle make
the claims they always make: I’m the one! Through me, we’re going to be great
and successful: a chicken in every pot and a new car in every garage! Not one
of them has confessed our national sins, nor offered to die in our stead for
our apathetic affluence and selfishness. They might not be the prettiest, but
the venues are fab!
But who leads us in national repentance? Who goes to God
on our behalf and cries out: Lord,
forgive them for they know not what they do? Who is looking to do the hard
work of healing this nation and restoring a sense of national humility? (Paul,
my gosh! What planet are you from!!!) The same one as you, the same one that
needs a Healer.
Jesus did what no one else has ever done. Too bad He’s an
old news-cycle. Too bad He doesn’t capture national headlines. He didn’t then
and He wouldn’t now – it’s not His style to garner attention and adorn a
national stage. But Jesus was pierced
for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that
brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. He did it for a
nation then and He will do it for a nation now – we just have to want Him to.
He adorns the heart of those who seek Him.
Neither of our candidates today are beautiful people but
they promise a beautiful life; and we so want our image of what we think they’re
offering. They promise one thing; we take it as another. To each other they are
the most vile and wretched people on the planet: to us they are Santa Claus,
giving us the treasures and trinkets we think we deserve. Neither have borne
our sins and our sorrows and made us whole. Only Jesus, the Brown Paper Savior
could do that. He does that still. Is He enough?
Father, I pray for
my nation. I pray You would humble us and help us to embrace what Jesus did for
us and that somehow we would be an example to the world of what national
repentance should be… I know, I’m asking for the moon. But thank You that You
are still saving some today and may I be part of that effort – because of
Jesus, the Brown Paper Savior… Amen.
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