Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.  ISAIAH 42:1-2

“Dad, she hit me.”
“Well, he said I was stupid.”
“You are!”
“Shut-up!”
“Hold it! Both of you. That’s enough!”

I’m not sure when I entered into that particular conversation. I’m not sure which brother-sister or brother-brother combination it involved, specifically (I have two sons and a daughter). I’m not sure who started it. I’m not sure how it got resolved. I’m not sure what any of the innumerable times I’ve had this exact conversation really involved: broken toys, obscured television viewing angles, disrespect. Who knows?

People, it turns out, are magnetically attracted to conflict. A lot of it is superfluous. Usually, it’s born out of moodiness or hunger. Or, moodiness born out of hunger. Some of the time it’s merely one person’s attempt to gain attention. Other times, it involves a mildly insidious and intentional undervaluing of other people. But, there’s always conflict. Always.

When my kids are in conflict, they ask me to step in and help them find a resolution they can’t bring about by their own effort. Though, this is sometimes not the best choice for helping to resolve anything ( I’m also a magnet for conflict. It’s not uncommon for me to exacerbate squabbles between any of my kids by an overreaction that later necessitates my own apology.) The world is a place where grown adults have a hard time acting like responsibly trained kindergarten graduates: calmly displaying understanding, sharing feelings, and seeking resolution. No, the world is crying out too: “Dad!? Help!”

Four times in the writings of Isaiah, someone named “the servant” is featured in extended passages. Some theorize that this servant is a collection of righteous people — faithful Israelites in the midst of exile. Others say that the servant is a reference to a Hebrew prophet like Jeremiah or Isaiah, for example. But, Christians see those servant passages as pointing to one person, Jesus. The way God has chosen to deal with His creation-in-conflict is in a person who comes, not armed with divine weapons wielded in displays of intimidation, but as a “servant.”

That servant came into the world as a baby. In short, the arrival of this long awaited servant in a tiny package is Christmas. Christmas (Jesus) is God’s plan to restore our world. Jesus the one thing we need but can’t give to ourselves. So, this coming week we’ll acknowledge that Christmas isn’t only a time to give gifts, get dressed up, sit with our family, and eat too much (virtually repeating the Thanksgiving table of one month prior). No, we’ll acknowledge (hopefully) that we need Jesus and that He’s the most scandalous and surprising of all things: a servant-savior called “Lord.”

This Sunday, in final preparation for Christmas, Doug Fields will talk about Joy. It will be a great time to rightly orient our own hearts at Jesus this Christmas. Mark your calendars for Christmas eve services: one service where you can lend a hand (there are limited opportunities on the 23rd and more on the 24th) and another that you can plan on attending with invited friends. Merry Christmas.

See you Sunday,
Jeff

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