The consciousness of having a mission changes one’s attitude to life and work. It gives special coherence and purpose in every endeavor. In our relations with God, we are constantly reminded that we have a mission. To have a mission means to be called. We are called by God for special tasks, and every person has his or her special call, all aimed at a good relationship with God and harmonious living in the society. This is what is called vocation. In today’s liturgy we meet a character whose call and mission help us to understand and appreciate our own.
Mission of the Servant
The first reading presents the reader with the mysterious character in Isaiah called the Servant of Yahweh. Four songs in the group of texts, called Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55), are dedicated to this character. The four songs or poems include: Isa 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12. These songs are unified by their portrait of the character called the Servant whose suffering is aimed at bringing liberation and succour to others or an entire nation. The songs play a central role in the liturgy and spirituality of the Holy Week in the Catholic liturgy.
The first of these songs is seen in the first reading of today from Isa 42:1-7. In this song, the mission of the Servant is summarized as that of bringing justice to the nations. The idea of bringing justice to people or to the nations always sounds fascinating to many people. The fact is that despite the immense developments in many sectors of the contemporary world, most people are still hankering for justice. So, any talk about bringing justice attracts great attention. But what does the text really mean by bringing justice?
The mission of justice is made possible by Yahweh who empowers the Servant with the divine spirit. God upholds him, delights in him, and equips him with His spirit. This mission of justice is further explained as consisting of five functions, which may be understood as job description: i. being a covenant of the people; ii. being a light for the nations; iii. to open the eyes of the blind; iv. to bring out prisoners from confinement; v. to free from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. These functions cut across the roles of kings, judges, priests, and prophets in the Old Testament. This makes the identity of the Servant a really mysterious one. All these functions can be summed up as ways of making the reign of God present among the nations.
The Idea of Bringing Justice
Very significantly, the Servant accomplishes his mission of justice in a very silent and nonviolent manner. He does not cry aloud; he does not shout; he does not let his voice be heard in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a flickering candle he will not quench (42:2-3). All these are ways of saying that he will work quietly for justice, uplifting people without loud demonstrations and revolutionary conflicts. The mission of justice here actually consists in the development of the human person in society. Who, in turn, influences the reign of harmonious living in the society.
Sometimes, in the name of justice, people preach hate and violence. The consequence is the increase of hate, violence, and war in society rather than growth in love and peace. Most times, after all the violent and loud conflicts in the fight for justice, hostilities increase in society and human lives are diminished all the more. The poor die in numbers and many more still remain poor while the marginalized remain even more downtrodden.
Selfishness
One can see some veiled allusion to this in the episode in today’s Gospel from John 12:1-11 about the anointing of the feet of Jesus at Bethany by Mary, the sister of Lazarus. Judas Iscariot protested that such costly ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But the narrator intervenes that Judas was not really concerned about the poor but was more after his own pocket since he was in charge of the treasury.
Sometimes, people pretend to fight for the poor but in reality, they are fighting for their own fame, ego, and pockets. Jesus cautions Judas for condemning the pure act of love shown to him by a simple woman, reminding him that he has the poor always with him and can always help them at his leisure. The great mission of Jesus, who acts Yahweh’s Servant, is to change the human person who in turn changes the society.
