Isaiah 40:1 is perhaps the most widely known verse of Scripture thanks to George F. Handel’s oratorio entitled “Messiah.” The opening verses of the oratorio, declaimed by the solo tenor, remind us that the prophets have been instructed by God to bring comfort and solace to the exiled people of Israel who find themselves once again in slavery, this time to their neighbors to the north. Careful study of the verses shows us that the Hebrew verbs used, translated as “comfort,” “speak tenderly,” and “proclaim” are all in the plural. In other words, God is not simply instructing Isaiah; God is asking all the prophets to speak words of comfort to Jerusalem.
The next verses cause us a little difficulty. While the English language is replete with many different punctuation marks, Hebrew had none. This verse from Isaiah is translated: A voice cries out in the desert prepare the way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3ab). However, some translations read: A voice cries out, “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord.” In other words, is the voice in the desert or are the preparations to be made in the desert? Not a little ink has been spilled in discussing this verse. However, it seems that St. Mark chooses the first option by locating St. John the Baptist in the desert.
On the other hand, the deserts surrounding Jerusalem are not flat expanses of sand. They are salt wastes filled with crevices and precipices. Preparing a straight path for a royal procession would be no mean feat. The efforts of many slaves would be employed in preparing such a highway. Of course, the untamed wilderness would eradicate these efforts once the procession had passed by, necessitating a constant effort to facilitate the travel of the king.
So while the prophet is urged to bring words of comfort to the people, by the same token the prophet warns the people that God expects their diligence and obedience in return for his forgiveness. God is ready and willing to reinstate the terms of the Covenant with the people of Israel. However, it will remain to be seen whether they have learned their lesson and are ready to adhere to the terms of that agreement.
Thus the words of Isaiah, spoken to an exiled and enslaved people, are equally apropos for us today. While the prophet is urged to comfort us in our affliction and to remind us of God’s gracious gift of mercy, we are likewise urged to ready ourselves for God’s arrival by turning away from our slavery to sin. God has been faithful; we are called to faithfulness. God has been gracious and loving; we are called to return that grace and love by extending it to others. God has forgiven us our sins; we are called to forgive those who have sinned against us.
Currently we see our society gripped by rancor and anger because of a lack of justice toward people of color. We are divided in the debate about immigration because we fear that what we have earned is being taken away from us and given to the undeserving. Those who control the wealth of the world seem to be squeezing out the little people who toil for their bread. Terrorism seems to run rampant and innocent people are cruelly murdered. Men and women have taken to the streets, and violence rather than comfort is the order of the day. Law suits have been threatened and filed. Bitter words fill our air waves and our print media as well as the social media of the internet. “Comfort” of any kind seems to be a far distant dream. “Peace on earth and good will toward all people” does not seem a very realistic possibility now or in the future.
There are no simple solutions to these issues and problems. Yet it would seem that ONE place we can start is by our own personal efforts to set aside the bitter words and violence and once again return to our covenant relationship with God, the God who instructs us to proclaim that our guilt has been expiated and that we have been forgiven. If we desire that God should enter into our lives, we must begin to “make straight” the path by our own personal efforts to live in peace with all. Justice and peace will prevail in our society only after it prevails in our own lives.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator