Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
 I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
Isaiah 42:1-9

While Isaiah is presumably foretelling the coming of Christ in this passage, he is also calling all of us to be servants of God.

Lent is a time for reflection and preparation; however, we often focus too much on the act of giving something up. Many of us agonize over what exactly we should give up, sometimes forgetting that this tradition comes from emulating, in some small way, the sacrifice Jesus made during his forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. Yet, the point of this period is not simply the act of giving up of something; it is an invitation to return to the righteous path – righteous meaning in right relationship with God and others.

Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect on where we may have missed the mark, and, in turn, seek forgiveness in ourselves – and from others – and renew our commitment to following God’s command. He has been inviting you this season to ask yourself: What have I been doing to follow in the steps of Christ? What have I been doing to be a servant of God?

Pick up your cross, and follow Him.

Ashley Delamater

Appointed readings for today: Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 36:5-11, John 12:1-11