Grape Cluster
I was available to those who did not ask.
I let myself be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name.
I reached out my hands all day to a stubborn people,
who are walking in a way that is not good,
who follow their own ideas.
This people continually provokes me to anger, right to my face,
by sacrificing in the groves,
by burning incense on the bricks.
They sit in tombs
and keep their vigils all night.
They eat the flesh of pigs,
and broth made from unclean meat is in their pots.
They say, “Keep to yourself.
Do not touch me because I am too holy for you.”
These people are smoke in my nostrils,
like a fire burning all day.
Look, I have put it in writing.
I will not be silent until I repay them.
I will repay into their lap
both their guilt and the guilt of their fathers,
says the Lord.
Because they burned incense upon the mountains,
and upon the hills they ridiculed me,
so I will measure out their full pay into their lap.
This is what the Lord says.
Just as sweet wine is found in the grape cluster,
so that someone says, “Do not destroy it
because there is a blessing in it,”
so I will act in the same way for the sake of my servants,
in order not to destroy the whole people.
I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will inherit my mountains,
so that my chosen ones will possess the land,
and my servants will dwell there.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2065&version=EHV>
This reading, from the pericopes, is for Sunday. My first read through of it brought to my mind, “Wow, that’s some wrath-filled Old Testament God.” Did it hit you that way too? There is, however, something more going on here. We have to look both backwards and forwards.
Looking backwards, we have to read Isaiah 64: 10-12, which immediately precedes the reading:
Your holy cities have become a wilderness.
Zion has become a wilderness.
Jerusalem is a desolation.
Our holy and glorious house, where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and everything we desired has become a ruin.
Since this is so, how can you hold back, O Lord?
How can you remain silent and afflict us without limit?
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2064&version=EHV>
Isaiah is bemoaning what to him looks like loss. The loss of holy cities: the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple, the loss of traditional worship. With that in mind, go back and read God’s response. It softened a bit, but still seems to be Old Testament vengeful God.
Now we need to look forward, and that is to the Gospel reading for this Sunday: Luke 8:26-39, while reading keep a sharp eye out for parallels in the reading.
They sailed down to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, a man from the town met him. He was possessed by demons and for a long time had not worn any clothes. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. In fact, the unclean spirit had seized him many times. He was kept under guard, and although he was bound with chains and shackles, he would break the restraints and was driven by the demon into deserted places.
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Legion,” because many demons had gone into him. They were begging Jesus that he would not order them to go into the abyss. A herd of many pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. The demons went out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
When those who were feeding the pigs saw what happened, they ran away and reported it in the town and in the countryside. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and the people were afraid. Those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed man was saved. The whole crowd of people from the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were gripped with great fear.
As Jesus got into the boat and started back, the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.” Then he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8&version=EHV>
How many parallels did you find? “Driven into deserted places” is Isaiah’s loss lament, wilderness and desolation. “Lived in the tombs” and “herd of pigs feeding on the mountain” are “smoke in God’s nostrils”. (Is 65:5) The demons fully expected some Old Testament wrath-filled vengeful “repayment into their lap” from Jesus.
Now if we extract Gospel from Isaiah, Jesus “stepped ashore” to fulfil “I was available to those who did not ask. I let myself be found by those who did not seek me.” (Is 65:1) The man possessed found, and was found, by Jesus. “’Do not destroy it because there is a blessing in it,’ so I will act in the same way for the sake of my servants, in order not to destroy the whole people.” The demon-possessed man was saved and he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. Sweet wine is found in the grape cluster!
What are we bemoaning that looks like loss to us? Can we truly say, “Do not destroy it because there is a blessing in it”? Do we believe God will act? When will Jesus again “step ashore” again? And maybe most importantly: What do I have to do with you, Jesus?
Trust the Promises
Steve Skiver