December 11, 2023 

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 40.1-11

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24:14–25:12; 1 John 2:15-29

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. (Isaiah 40:7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I actually prefer the fake Christmas trees to the real ones.  It’s not the mess or the cost. It’s actually Isaiah. “All flesh is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it. Surely the people are grass.” There’s something that hits a little too close about putting a dying tree in your living room as we celebrate the birth of Him who saves us from death.  It’s great that the Savior was born…but the grass still withers. The tree still dies. It’s the thing nobody wants to think about this time of year, so just to make sure nobody thinks too hard about it, what if we took the dying tree…and put lights on it.   So much of what celebrations this time of year turn into are hiding from problems nobody can fix. So much of what we look to for comfort is just trying to cover up what’s wrong.  Because what else do you actually say? What shall I cry? It’s the question that drove Isaiah to wail before the Lord.  What do you say to the grass withering in the field to make it green again? What do you say to someone that’s lost everything? And the deeper question, just hinted at, “Wasn’t it Your breath, Lord, that did this to them? 

Isaiah would have rather preached to a people who didn’t need comfort, but only the sick need the doctor.  The Lord spoke and said to Isaiah, “Tell my people that her warfare has ended, her iniquity is pardoned”  Yes, your sin is real, but every sin is forgiven.  You don’t have to double down on it because there’s no other choice.  Your mistakes, your rebellion, your sin is pardoned, forgiven, forgotten.  Covered by the blood of Him who died for you.  All that well deserved God’s anger was addressed there, for you. You don’t have to dress it up as something else like lights on a dying tree. You don’t have to look for comfort in hiding from what’s wrong.  You don’t have to be afraid. Our Lord confronts the death of withering grass and dares us to see the truth about comfort. 

Comfort is not measured in the lack of bad things, but in the presence of good.  So God advents. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon, Blotting out each dark misdeed; All that well deserved His anger He no more will see or heed. She hath suffered many_a day, Now her griefs have passed away; God will change her pining sadness Into ever-springing gladness. (LSB 347:2)

-Pastor Harrison Goodman is content executive for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Study Christ’s words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.