Isaiah 53:2English Standard Version Anglicised
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
Eseia 53:2Beibl William Morgan
2 Canys efe a dyf o’i flaen ef fel blaguryn, ac fel gwreiddyn o dir sych: nid oes na phryd na thegwch iddo: pan edrychom arno, ni bydd pryd fel y dymunem ef.
Sermon 100
What was Jesus like? What did he
look like? So many of our traditional images of Jesus come from the artistic
heritage of where we live. In the west, particularly in the UK and USA we have
inherited an image of Jesus as a blonde haired, blue eyed, handsome white man.
Such art work was influenced by the fashions of the time, who was modelling for
it, who was painting it and who was paying for it. In Asia Jesus is sometime
represented as Asian, on the Continent of Africa Jesus is a black man. Some
artists have even pictured a female Jesus. He was of course most likely a dark
skinned, dark haired middle eastern man. But we tend to clothe Jesus in our
humanity when we think of him, he becomes like us and we are able to identify
with him. The thing is, it doesn’t really matter. The Bible is so unconcerned
with how Jesus looks, he is so nondescript that when he was arrested Judas had
to point out which one of the bearded middle eastern men he was. In Isaiah’s
prophecy of him it says that there was nothing about his appearance which would
warrant a second glance!
If we follow
Jesus we are not called to “look” like him but to act like him. The brothers
James and John asked to sit next to him in his kingdom which once again
prompted Jesus to tell all who would listen, that is you want to be like him,
you have to drink the same cup as him, take on the same baptism and make
yourself servant of all. Challenge injustice, don’t seek wealth fame or power,
don’t stand in judgment of anyone but instead love, love until it hurts, love
until you bleed from it and then love some more!
Pocket Prayer
Fabulous God we give you praise!
You are clothed in wonder and brilliance.
Your garment is light itself and
with space and time you pitch your tent. Streaming through creation on rolling
cloud and in the breeze and gust. Speaking in fire, flame, storm and wind.
There is power in your words, your
voice set the Earth in space, covered the planet in seas, mountains and plains.
Your authority put all things in their place.
By your will grass grows, animals
feed and the world produces all we could need.
It is your love which is the
foundation of all the goodness which fills our world, we long to look on you,
to perceive your glory but it shines so bright near our muddied and dusty souls
that we turn away.
You are clothed in such wonder,
holiness, joy and love that like our ancestors in your garden we hide in fear
of our own nakedness. Afraid that our humanity can never be perfected or stand
in your presence.
You clothed yourself in our
humanity, showed us the wonder, holiness, joy and love that we are capable of. Disciples
asked Jesus, show us the Father and he responded, “If you’ve seen me then
you’ve seen the father too!”
You clothed yourself in the apron
and towel of a servant, kneeling at our feet you show us the wonder, holiness,
joy and love you have for each of us and bid us share.
Loving God we pray, help us to truly
bare your image. Clothing ourselves in your wonder, your holiness, your joy and
your love as we kneel at the feet of the world following Christ’s instruction
and example to be the servant of all.
AMEN
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