Isaiah 61:1-11: a reflection

1The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound, 2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. 4They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations. 5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards. 6But you will be called the LORD’s priests. Men will call you the servants of our God. You will eat the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their glory. 7Instead of your shame you will have double. Instead of dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they will possess double. Everlasting joy will be to them. 8“For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and iniquity. I will give them their reward in truth and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the offspring which the LORD has blessed.” 10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD! My soul will be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth produces its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

This is the passage Jesus read of himself in the synagogue, announcing his mission: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to comfort all who mourn. And it describes a great exchange he came to bring: to give a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Christ came to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, freedom to captives, and to exchange our ashes and mourning for beauty and joy.

Notice the exchange Christ came to bring: beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness. He did not come merely to remove our sorrows, leaving an emptiness; he came to exchange them, to give beauty in place of ashes, the oil of joy in place of mourning, a garment of praise in place of a heavy spirit. To the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the mourning, he brings good news, healing, freedom, comfort; and he turns their ashes into beauty, their mourning into joy. This great exchange, of our sorrow for his gifts, is the mission Christ came to fulfill.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can come to Christ with our ashes, our mourning, our heaviness, and receive from him beauty, joy, and praise. We know brokenness, mourning, heaviness of spirit; and we can feel these are simply our lot. But Christ came to bring the great exchange, beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness, to the brokenhearted and the captive. Bring your ashes, your mourning, your heaviness to Christ, who came to exchange them for beauty, joy, and praise; do not imagine your brokenness is simply your lot, for Christ came to bind up the brokenhearted and give the oil of joy for mourning. Receive from Christ the great exchange he came to bring, giving him your ashes and receiving his beauty, giving him your mourning and receiving his joy, as Isaiah announced the mission Christ took up: to comfort the mourning and give them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Lord, this is the passage Jesus read of himself in the synagogue, announcing his mission: the Spirit of the Lord GOD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the humble; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to comfort all who mourn. And it describes a great exchange he came to bring: to give a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Christ came to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, freedom to captives, and to exchange our ashes and mourning for beauty and joy. Show me the exchange Christ came to bring: beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness. He did not come merely to remove my sorrows, leaving an emptiness; he came to exchange them, to give beauty in place of ashes, the oil of joy in place of mourning. To the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the mourning, he brings good news, healing, freedom, comfort. Take that to my heart, for I can come to Christ with my ashes, my mourning, my heaviness, and receive from him beauty, joy, and praise. I know brokenness, mourning, heaviness of spirit; and I can feel these are simply my lot. But Christ came to bring the great exchange. Help me bring my ashes, my mourning, my heaviness to Christ, who came to exchange them for beauty, joy, and praise; keep me from imagining my brokenness is simply my lot, Lord. Help me receive from Christ the great exchange he came to bring, giving him my ashes and receiving his beauty, giving him my mourning and receiving his joy.