Isaiah proclaims a creative hope for Israel and Judah 2600 years ago. Hope both for all who fear the army invading them, as well as for the many who live in grinding poverty. He invites them to the radical and hard to imagine decision to rejoice as God reveals light, peace, and abundance in darkness, oppression, and scarcity. Mind you, Isaiah is not guaranteeing that their lives are going to get “better.” Isaiah’s message is that regardless of outcomes, they can choose to rejoice in God’s light, peace, and abundance. Think about that.

Isaiah’s hope of freedom from violence, poverty, and injustice is a spiritual hope–from within. Isaiah proclaims a freedom to live in the presence of God, to be transported from despair to mercy by prayer, worship, and the raw power of relating directly to God and the people God places before us. Those who discover Isaiah’s hope are fully alive and can rejoice in the goodness of God even when they are uncomfortable or experience grave difficulty.

Moving forward 700 years, Jesus invites his first disciples to learn to fish for people. They will learn that the healing of disease, grief, disappointment, and hardship is God’s task alone. They will learn to lead a new movement of faithful friends who support one another in God’s goodness and mercy. Jesus teaches them and demonstrates in his own life of prayer and by the love he shares freely, without reservation.

Jesus is the incarnation of Isaiah’s life giving hope in God’s compassionate presence. Jesus guides us in faith, and in that faith we rejoice with unshakeable hope.

Thanks be to God.