Evening Prayer, March 7, 2012

Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus  Part 3

The Scripture reading tonight from the prophet Isaiah identifies the suffering servant of God as a “man of suffering” or a “man of sorrows.”  As we recall the story of Jesus’ suffering and death, we hear how he suffered physically – soldiers beat him and scourged him – they struck him in the face — they put a crown of thorns on his head – they nailed spikes in his hands and feet – a spear through his side.  His physical suffering was literally excruciating. 

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Lent 2, March 4, 2012

Jesus often said things that people did not understand.  We are told over and over in the Gospels that the disciples did not know what Jesus was talking about.  Especially when he spoke in parables but even when he used other figures of speech.  Once, Jesus overheard a confused discussion among the disciples regarding something he had said.  Jesus said to them, “Do you still not see or understand?   Are your hearts hardened?  Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”  At another point we are told that Jesus sighed deeply over the inability of his hearers to grasp the meaning of his teaching. 

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Evening Prayer, February 29, 2012

Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus (Part 2)

It is strange that we should look to the Old Testament for information about the face of Jesus.  The prophet Isaiah, who continues to speak to us tonight in our Scripture reading, never saw Jesus, nor did he know his name or have any concept of what the human Messiah would be like.  Yet he describes the appearance of the suffering servant in vivid detail.  And we recognize the Savior in these details. 

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