“The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.” (Isaiah 50:4a, ESV)
The opening verse of this passage from Isaiah reminds us of the calling and purpose the Lord has given every believer. Since we have learned the Word of God, we are called to share that Word with those who are weary in order to sustain them with the hope of Jesus who died for the sins of all mankind. And there are so many these days who are weary from the pandemic, violence, racial discord, and political unrest. People these days may react with anger and unkindness but perhaps much of it may stem from their weariness, their frustration with life and their inability to control things. We the Church are called to give them and our fellow saints that word that sustains.
It is good then that Isaiah presents us a perfect example of the one we ought to follow and emulate: the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, Jesus who died for our sins. As a true disciple of the Lord, He obeyed the Father no matter what the cost to Him, no matter what suffering and shame He had to endure. He was totally committed to the task set for Him: a horrible death on the cross bearing the weight of all sin.
We live a time filled with troubles and woes. We are afflicted by the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are often oppressed and persecuted for our faith. We face many trials and many times our way is filled with shame and despair. The good disciple, like the suffering servant, looks to the Lord, not the world, for the strength to endure and not fall. If we were to set ourselves up based on our own strength, we would fall apart as many people who lack faith do. They need the word of the gospel to sustain them in their weariness. They need to know that Jesus died for them and yet now lives to comfort and save them. And they need to hear that word from we who are the church.