Menaced!

‘But he endured the suffering that should have been ours,
the pain that we should have borne.
All the while we thought that his suffering
was punishment sent by God.
But because of our sins he was wounded,
beaten because of the evil we did.
We are healed by the punishment he suffered,
made whole by the blows he received.’
(verses 4,5)

Read Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12

When I was 9 years old I went with a friend to the schoolyard to play on the equipment there. A gang of five older boys approached us. When we tried to leave, they stopped us. Eventually they backed us against a tree. Even today as I write this I still experience the sense of fear and menace I felt. The boys threatened to beat us up, to cut us with their knives. I was so frightened I began to cry. This led to more abuse and scorn, but they finally let us go without hurting us.

You may have memories of a similar time when you felt threatened and menaced in some way. What a comfort then to know that sin, death and even the final judgment hold no menace for you. Jesus has taken on himself all the blows and punishment that you deserved because of your sin. You have been delivered. You are healed—healed of the sickness of sin and death, healed to live a new and full life through faith in Jesus and in the grace of your loving God.

Lord God, thank you that I can stand before you, seeing the welcoming of your open arms and your loving heart. Amen.

by Tom Peitsch, in ‘Assurance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2004)

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