[Something I wrote several years ago…]
Reading from Isaiah 53 this morning. It’s always so powerful.
“He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
–Is. 53:2b-3a
Here He was, God become man, and He didn’t take on the appearance of Brad Pitt or George Clooney; He chose to be unremarkable, ordinary in form. He chose to identify with us ‘lonesome losers’ (thank you Little River Band). Growing up, I wonder if the other kids stayed away from Him? If He was that ‘weird’ Jesus kid that was so different from the others? Yet the day came when in His presence and within the sound of His voice, thousands followed Him.
“But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.”
–Is. 53:5
He became ashes so we could rise from ours, and in the midst of them find beauty, joy, and praise (Is. 61). God knows the end from the beginning and chooses whom He chooses. He chooses the weak and foolish to confound the strong and the wise. And raises people from ashes and destruction to demonstrate His power and His rich loving-kindness. If you feel like you’re in the ashes then rejoice because this qualifies you! He’s about to raise you up and show the world what only He can do with the broken and bent!