Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50: 4 - 9

In this passage, we can see a contrast between verses 1-3 and verse 4 onward. Verses 1-3 present a picture of unresponsive people, while from verse 4 onward, we read about the responsive Servant of God. We commonly read Isaiah 50 as pointing to Christ and that is indeed a correct reading. However, we may first interpret and understand this chapter within the context of Isaiah itself before seeing how it points us to Christ. There are two depictions here: those who do not respond to God’s calling, and the Servant of God who is pleasing to Him. When reading the Word of God, we can identify with the characters presented in the passage. We may find ourselves in the position of those who are unresponsive. And as we meditate on this, we hope that the Holy Spirit will work in us so that we may become like the responsive Servant of God.

Verse 4 interestingly says, “the tongue of those who are taught. " Wouldn’t it be more fitting to say ’the tongue of teachers’? Those who are taught are disciples. Isn’t it more appropriate to say ’the ears of disciples’? But here, it speaks of the tongue of those who are taught. This suggests that disciples are not only called to learn. At some point, they are also expected to teach, to witness, and to praise God with their tongue. There is a connection between teaching and being taught. Those who are able to teach should first be teachable themselves.

We live in a world that cannot stand not lecturing others. But what do they actually learn? Could this be merely an expression of self-confidence or even overconfidence? Because of this culture, people become overly sensitive when they are corrected or taught. Many unfortunate teachers teach irresponsibly without first learning, and as a result, we end up with a society that does not want to listen. Yet here we read about the tongue of those who are taught. Those who will teach and witness, whose lives will serve as examples, must first be disciples who listen. It is also interesting that in Latin, as well as in Greek, there is a strong connection between listening (audire) and obeying (oboedire, from ob- + audire).

The following sentence in verse 4 reads, “that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. " Pay attention here that the teaching ministry should also be a pastoral ministry. Sadly, this is not always the case in our time. We often use the teaching ministry to show off how knowledgeable we are. Some people teach in an overly complicated manner, perhaps because they are limited themselves and unable to explain things simply. They even take pride when others cannot understand them. When I was a student, there was a professor who said, “Small minds amplify, big minds simplify. " Teaching in an overly complex way may actually reflect the incoherence of our own thinking.

This passage shows that teaching and witnessing are meant to sustain those who are weary. There is an awareness of those who are weary. There is compassion and mercy for them. It has nothing to do with our desire to show off our knowledge. The more we grow in Christ, the more sensitivity we will have toward those who are weary. We see this in the life of Christ. He is the Logos, sharing the same wisdom and knowledge as the Father. He is consubstantial with the Father, and like the Father, He is omniscient. Yet when we look at His life, what did He teach, and to whom did He minister? He strengthened those who were weary.

This raises a question for our church and for all of us: do we sustain those who are weary, or are we merely showing off our knowledge and boasting our educated minds? Jesus is not interested in this; He is interested in sustaining those who are weary. This is utterly uninteresting to the world. The world is more interested in showing off knowledge. Yet this is the true teaching ministry. Hopefully, we may live in union with Christ.

Verse 4 continues, “Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. " Why do we learn? Is it to become intelligent? To secure a better job? If so, there is nothing uniquely Christian about that. Everybody does the same. What is uniquely Christian is when we learn in order to sustain those who are weary. We still fall short in our knowledge to do so, which is why we need to learn. How beautiful such a ministry is. For this reason, we hope that God will sharpen our ears to listen better.

Even the opening of our ears is the work of God. In verse 5, it says, “The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. " This verse may seem like an exaggeration. Why would anyone become rebellious when God opens their ears? This shows that it is not a given that people want their ears to be opened by God. Some do not want to hear, and even actively close their ears.

We can see this in the story of Stephen who was stoned to death (Acts 7). Stephen was recounting the history of salvation, but the crowd grew angry because they were being rebuked. It is interesting to note what is said in Acts 7:57: “But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. " This could not be more in contrast to what we have meditated on in James 1:19: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

There are those who cannot listen to others and only want to lecture. They may feel that their life is meaningless if they are not lecturing others. They find their joy in doing so. It would be hopeless if the church is also filled with such people. The church is called to be a counterculture, one that is slow to speak and quick to hear. A theologian once wrote that human beings are hearers of the Word. It is a beautiful thing to be able to listen. This does not mean we should remain silent at all times, but rather that when we do speak, it comes from the abundance of what we have heard. In this way, our words also do not become out of touch with reality.

Once again, it should not be taken for granted that everyone will accept having their ears opened by God. And not only that, in verse 6 we read, “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard.” Why does the passage shift so suddenly from the opening of the ears to suffering persecution? We must remember that disciples, at some point, are called to witness the truth they have received from God. And when they bear witness to this truth, persecution, discrimination, and humiliation will follow. We read the story of Stephen, who was stoned to death. He followed the path of Christ, who was also killed on the cross. As we know, verse 6 indeed points toward Jesus, and Charles Jennens included this verse in his libretto for Handel’s Messiah oratorio. Thus, there is a link between being a listener or a disciple, and being persecuted.

It does not end here, however, because there is help from God in verse 7. We can pause here to draw a connection between these verses and Palm Sunday. We may have heard a common interpretation suggesting that those who shouted “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday were the same people who later cried “Crucify Him!” There is no basis from the bible that supports this interpretation. They might very well be two different groups of people. But regardless, we can see the contrast between the celebratory atmosphere of the crowd and the suffering that Jesus was about to endure upon entering Jerusalem. He was about to give His back to those who strike and His cheeks to those who pull out the beard. This is also why He rode a donkey rather than a war horse. It is interesting that on the last Sunday before Good Friday we talk about Hosanna and the triumphal entry. It seems as if the timing is wrong. But that is not the case, because if we read the overall perspective, this is meant to be preparation for the suffering.

In verses 7-9, we see the Servant’s confidence that God will help. He is certain that he will not be put to shame. As we meditate on this, we may question: is this truly the case? Wasn’t Jesus put to shame on the cross? If these are messianic verses, but in reality Jesus was humiliated on the cross, how should we understand this? We should not understand this as a promise that those who trust in God will always be delivered from shame and humiliation. Rather, in the end, the righteous will be vindicated, exalted, and glorified by God. We can see a pattern here: shame precedes glory.

Why can’t we just skip the shame and go straight to glory? The simple answer is that Jesus Himself went through shame before He was glorified. It is a simple answer, yet one we should never take lightly. Oftentimes, God prepares exaltation through the way of shame. It is extremely important that when we go through the experience of shame, we do so with Christ. Otherwise, it can become a traumatic experience that makes us bitter, and we may become vengeful when exaltation eventually comes. But for those who go through the shame and suffering with Jesus, when they are exalted, they will also do so with Him.

That is why in verse 8 we read, “He who vindicates me is near. " God is near. As we often say, Christianity is about how we relate to God, whether in shame or in exaltation. It is about the nearness of God, and the waiting upon Him who is near. Therefore, we read the Servant’s confidence: “Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me.”

Lastly, in verse 9 we see a new motif. “Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty?” Why does it suddenly speak of guilt? It makes more sense if it says, “Who will declare me shameful or disgraceful. " In contemporary Europe, guilt is often dismissed as a mere social construct, invented by religion to control. Guilt is not only suppressed but treated as if it does not exist. But we must not underestimate the problem of guilt. There is a connection between the experience of shame or suffering and guilt. In the cultural context of the time, it is thought that when someone is suffering, it must be because he is guilty. The suffering or shame is the consequence of the sin. For example, in the story of Job, this is precisely the doctrine held by Job’s friends. Even Jesus himself was thought to be cursed when He died on the cross because He was seen as a guilty blasphemer.

Therefore, in this passage, being declared not guilty is more important than being spared from shame. Shame is merely seen as a phenomenon, a consequence of guilt. For the suffering Servant of God, the liberating moment comes when he is vindicated by God. This is why we also read (Psalm 32:1): “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. " In contrast, those who are not vindicated will ‘wear out like a garment’ . There is a vanity motif here. Those who are self-righteous, who appear successful in the world and live as if they have no guilt, will wear out. But those who are declared not guilty by God will live forever.

Let us then ask God for strength, so that in our lives we may embody what we have meditated on today.