Commentary on Isaiah 50:4-9

Today’s reading presents the third Song of the Servant of Yahweh. The fourth and last Song will be read during the liturgy of Good Friday.

This ‘Servant’ passage from Isaiah also speaks very graphically of what Jesus will go through in his passion. God provides his Servant with the words he needs to speak, especially for those who need encouragement. And Jesus will speak words of encouragement to his disciples before his passion. He will speak to the women who sympathise with him on the way to Calvary. 

The Lord God has given me
a trained tongue,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.

Jesus is the Word of God, communicating God’s love and encouragement. Later, Jesus will say:

Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt 11:28-29)

The Servant says:

Morning by morning he wakens,
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I did not turn backward.

This is a way of describing the total submission of Jesus to his Father:

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered… (Heb 5:8)

and

[He] emptied himself, taking the form of a slave… (Phil 2:7)

In these actions, Jesus’ behavior is a contrast to that of a rebellious Israel. In the Gospel, he frequently tells his disciples to listen; in other words, to submit totally to the Way of life to which he is calling them.

The Servant continues:

…I was not rebellious;
I did not turn backward.

This will be described in greater detail in the fourth Song (on Good Friday). The Servant willingly submits to insults and beatings and will not return in kind. To do so would be to bring himself down to the level of his attackers. Plucking the beard was a great insult. He offers his back for a beating, something given only to criminals. This, of course, will happen during the scourging, and similarly for the mocking and spitting. It requires great inner strength not to respond in kind to such provocation. But when it is undergone with dignity, it is the attacker who seems small.

The Servant makes no resistance to his attackers. He will not meet violence with violence. He will not resist when he is beaten, when his beard is plucked, when he is struck and spat upon. However, it must be made very clear that this is not weakness, but a sign of great inner strength and peace, and:

The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame…

God comes to help so that he is not “disgraced”—he is untouched by the insults. This is the sign of the inner security and strength that comes from trusting in God. Insults and violence cannot change the inner reality of the person. And ultimately the Lord is on his side. Insults are either true or false. If they are true, they are not really insults, but simply a statement of fact. If they are false, they can be ignored. In either case, to respond with violence is to show weakness and insecurity.

The Servant meets insults and physical attacks with firmness. He will not be turned away from the way that the Father is asking him to go. He knows that the ultimate outcome will not be shame, but vindication and glory because:

It is the Lord God who helps me…

Towards the end of his public life, we are told that Jesus:

…set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

Today’s passage ends with the Servant saying:

Who will contend with me?
Let us stand in court together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?

Jesus is perfectly innocent of all the charges thrown against him. He has no fear of court proceedings, even when they are corrupt. Final vindication will be his.

We could reflect today on how we respond to criticisms or statements about us we regard as unfair or untrue. Are we prone to violence—physical or verbal? And, even if we do not respond externally, do we allow statements and events to turn us into cauldrons of anger, hatred, anxiety and tension? The Way of Jesus is the way to peace.