Verses for Vessels

Easter Lights...8

"By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished." - Isaiah 53:8 NIV

This is for real

If by now you are beginning to feel the pain and horror that our precious Prince has been subjected to in these past verses, please do not be alarmed. It is only natural. He was human after all, and so are you. Who would sit through the tale of this sordid affair and not wipe a tear or two?Unless of  course it is yet to dawn on them that this was a true story. Now and again, people can and do get quite upset watching certain soap operas or movies that stir the heart, true life or fiction. We identify with the emotions and dilemas of the characters in the movies or play. Sometimes we wish we could step in and stop their trauma or take away their source of pain. At other times we hope for them to hold on since the movie would end well for them, or not. We identify with these characters because they reflect what we ourselves may be going through or have witnessed in our life's journey. Theirs may also represent what we would never wish to see. So, again, if you are twisting and turning at the horror so far, you are human. But this was real for Jesus. And it is as real for us today.

From playground to pay ground

In every school playground, among the different sorts of kids, there would be the carefree who just want to play, the concerned who would like everyone to play, and the bullies who want to decide who gets to play and how. One of the things we try to teach our kids is not to be so care free that they care less about others. And not to be so concerned about everyone that they fail to enjoy the play. We teach them to be the first to welcome the new boy or girl, and to share. But equally, we try to teach them to stand up to bullies or tell on them to the teachers. We encourage them never to walk away from a helpless person; to speak up for those who have no voice or who are yet to find their voice. We make it clear that it is wrong to watch or join others in taking advantage of anyone; that it is wrong to do nothing or say nothing when they see their friends or classmates being ill-treated. Given today's verse, it is clear that it is not only kids that need this support. It is also clear that the oppression of the weak is as old as the fall of Adam.

The Strong and the Weak

Powerful people take advantage of the weak (or those they perceive as weak and unable to fight back) all the time. They do it in business; a partner supplanting their partner. They do it in schools; the clique ostracising the quiet and the different other. They do it in management; the qualified but temperate overlooked for promotion, while the aggressive, connected, and less qualified pushes to the front. And very commonly it occurs a lot in relationships of all kinds. Indeed, it is happening everywhere all the time. And the funny thing is there are always witnesses. Yes. I'm  not talking about what goes on behind closed doors. No. That we may never know. But we all do see the tell-tale signs of emotional, attitudinal, social, and even physical battering that these ones have to endure... while we stay content to mind our business. We would be amazed at how many women would have been saved from abusive husbands if someone who witnessed their struggle found the courage to speak up. I wonder how many abuse victims would have had a totally different history, if the various silent witnesses around them found the grace and courage to speak up for them. 

The Silent Witnesses

In the verse before us, our suffering Prince was himself the victim of the worst abuse any human could have endured. Because he chose to offer no response they presumed him weak in will and power, and continued their relentless abuse to the end. But we already know that bullies will bully; hence why they are so called. Their actions speak for themselves so we need not belabour their previous offences. Instead we are called upon to observe another partner in the crime of the bully- The silent witnesses. He was taken by oppression; some translations say he was taken from trial to death1. They never gave him a chance in their unfair trial. They were quick and keen to finish the job. But it was the silence of those who witnessed this tragic turn of events that horrifies the prophet. No one seemed to care that this young man would have no offspring. He would have none to bear his name. No lands or estates to be named after him. No wife to bear his seed. I imagine Isaiah watching the movie unfold before him, and as the film rolls, he is getting agitated at the grave mistake about to be made by these people (or so it seemed, for 'we considered him stricken by God' ). As they passed their judgement following what was more or less a sham trial, he was perhaps now expecting that the few good men in the crowd would say something.

Where art thou?...

Where was ...Nicodemus; he came to Jesus by night? Surely he had something to say for this man at his weakest hour. Where was the Centurion whose servant was healed? Where was Jairus, the ruler? His daughter was raised by this man. Now he (Isaiah- in my mind's eye) gets really uncomfortable... he begins to whisper their names, hoping they would come up and... say something. Hey, ... not one voice, not a protest. Where were the witnesses? Where was Peter, James and John? Where were Mary and Martha? ... and brother Lazarus who once was dead?! Where were Bartimaeus; the woman with issue; the widow of Nairn; the crippled by the pool; and the leper by the way? Where on earth were Simeon, and Zacheaus, and the five thousand - those with whom he wined and dined and fed? Where were his brothers and sisters? Where was his mother- Mary of Galilee?... she was there at the beginning. Where were the witnesses in his generation? Surely at the very least two of them should provide sufficient protest to stop this madness proceeding any further! But none came forward. They may have been saddened, even grieved at his pain. But their grief was never quite able to translate to a righteous indignation. Their remorse found no strength nor boldness for a firm protest. Their horror found no voice for justice. Isaiah must have been deeply saddened. He was human too. So he asked the question... who of his generation protested? We know the answer to that. None. In the end the real victim of their silence was themselves. They were held captive by their fear of men.

Still silent?, still loved...

In this verse we see the noisy crowd littered with masses of silent witnesses. They were there then, they are still there today. We all have been silent witnesses at one point or another. It may have been a neighbour who has been struggling with drugs and alcohol, or with debt. Or a Lazarus at our gate, whose open wounds seem not to bother us much. We may have also been silent witnesses sometimes when evil conversations mushroom around us, but we were too fearful to take a stand. In view of all that you have come to know and experience about the grace of God, should you really be comfortable to remain a... silent witness to Jesus Christ? He has been there before. He still endures our silent witness while bearing our sins with grace and love. He was taken from trial to death and no one spoke up for him. Yet he died for all of them; for all of us. Who knows, perhaps you may find your voice to tell that colleague about Jesus the next time they swear at him; or to speak to your girlfriend about the grace of God that keeps a young man pure. In the earlier verse, in the face of persecution he, the suffering Prince, did not open his mouth. But there is a stark difference between the silence of the Lamb and the silence of these witnesses: he, was silent because he trusted his Father's outcome; they were silent because they feared the consequences. Whether you choose to speak or stay silent, he still loved you enough to die for you, regardless. But think of the real victim here... it's you and I. But Jesus Christ gives us victory. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, once again I see how much you suffered for me. But today I see that you suffered not just the injustice and envy of the rulers and authorities, but also the silence of those whom you have blessed to know you. I ask your forgiveness for my silence over you, and over everyone for whom I should have spoken up. Fill me with strength to be a voice for the voiceless around me, and a steady voice for you. In Jesus name, amen.

References: 

.1). Isaiah 53:8 TLB