I found myself fascinated with Isaiah’s proclamation that the spirit of the Lord came upon him. In the prophet language, God shared with him a special message. He announced, “The Lord God’s spirit is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners” (Is. 61:1 CEB). His calling to speak came directly from the Divine, and his message contained truths about healing and wholeness. Though written long before the New Testament, Isaiah’s message emphasized a gospel (good news) of hope.
It looks like the prophet receives a herculean task to reach everyone that he could with the holy message of deliverance on the surface. I do not think that his call is any different than ours. The Divine calls us to action, to share the hope found in Jesus, the Christ. How do we reach the ones mentioned in the passage from Isaiah? Anytime we live our faith, we deliver the good news to whom we encounter.
We are present-day Isaiahs, sharing the story of the Holy One in our little corner of the universe. Our calling is the same as the ancient man of God. We share the love of Christ with everyone, speak peace into lives that are in chaos, and liberation to all who need to be set free. Our voices continue Isaiah’s legacy, which reaches across time and into the heart of the modern world.
From a Pastor's Point of View 