The Important People

The message given in the Gettysburg United Methodist church on Sunday night, September 12, 2021.  The Bible verses used are Isaiah 61:1-9.

            I read an interesting quote the other day.  It said, “Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority.”

            Now, I’m not going to stand here and be against logic.  But I think we need to remember that human logic, for all its value, is flawed.  It is not at all the same as God’s logic.  Jesus told us to do all kinds of things that seem illogical to humans.  Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  If someone takes your coat, give them your shirt.  None of that makes much sense in human logic.  But it all makes sense to God.

            Our Bible reading for tonight gives us another example of how God’s logic is different from human logic.  Who, in human logic, are the most important people in the world?  I’m not asking you to tell me who should be the most important or who we pay lip service to as important.  I mean, you can find all kinds of people who’ll say teachers or first responders or servicemen or farmers or people like that are the most important.  And maybe they actually are, but society does not treat them that way, does it?  What I’m asking is not who should be the most important.  What I’m saying is, as you look at the way the world is, who actually gets treated as the most important people in the world?

            Well, we’d probably start with the politicians.  The president, the congress, the governors, people like that.  And the politicians in charge of other countries, too--I don’t mean this to just focus on the United States.  But these are the people who have power in human society.  These are the people who can tell the rest of us what to do or not do.  And they get treated with respect, for the most part, because of how “important” they are.

            And then we’d have the rich.  Some of the rich are politicians of course, but even if they’re not, these are also people society considers important.  These are people who can do pretty much anything they want to do, because of how much money they have.  And if they do get into trouble, they can usually use their money to get out of trouble.  Quite often, because of their money, they can tell the rest of us what to do or not do, too.  The rich also get treated with respect, for the most part, because of how “important” they are.

            And then, too, we have the celebrities.  Singers, actors, comedians, athletes, people like that.  Sometimes people who don’t seem to have any actual skill or talent, but seem to just be famous for being famous.  But they are famous, and they influence a lot of people, especially young people.  Because of that influence, they tell a lot of people what to do or not do, too.  And they get treated with respect, for the most part, because of how “important” they are.

            So that’s who our society considers important.  It’s probably not a complete list--I’m sure I missed some groups.  But politicians, the rich, and celebrities are the people our society considers important--maybe not by its words, but by its actions.

            Kind of makes the rest of us seem unimportant, right.  Insignificant, really.  You and I don’t have the power to tell anyone what to do or not do.  We don’t have any power or influence.  Society does not treat us with any particular respect.  You and I are just the scrubs, the pawns.  The peons, if you will.  That’s how we’re treated by society.

            But look at what our reading for tonight says about who God thinks is important.  Isaiah says the Lord “has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion.”

            That’s who God thinks is important.  The poor.  The brokenhearted.  The captives.  The prisoners.  Those who mourn.  Those who grieve.

            And it’s not just that God is going to take care of those people.  God says they are going to do great things.  Listen to this.  “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”

            And that’s not all.  Those people--the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn, those who grieve--are going to be given a high status by God.  “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

            Try to imagine you’re one of the people who heard Isaiah say these words of God.  Because those groups of people Isaiah referenced--again, the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn, those who grieve--those were the people Isaiah was talking to.  The people who had no status in society.  The people who had no power, no influence, no money, no nothing.  The scrubs.  The pawns.  The peons.  

            And here’s Isaiah telling them that God is going bless them.  That God is going to free them and comfort them.  God is going to enable them to do great things.  And not only that, God is going to give them everlasting joy!

            Imagine how you’d have felt, if you were one of those people, hearing this.  You’d probably have a hard time believing it.  Could it be?  Could this really be true?  Is God really going to do this for us?  And then, when you did believe it, it’d be the most awesome feeling ever.  God is going to do this for me!  Plain old common me.  Plain old worthless me.  God is saying I’m not common, that I’m not worthless.  God is saying I’m important.  God is saying I’m special.  Important enough, and special enough, that God is going to do all this for me.  Who’d have thought it?  It’s incredible!

            Have you imagined it?  What it would’ve been like to be one of those people, hearing Isaiah say these words, hearing what God was going to do for you?  Have you imagined how you’d have felt, hearing those words?

            Now, imagine something else.  Imagine you are--well, who you are.  Because I suspect there is some sense in which each of us falls into at least one of those groups.  I suspect a lot of us know what it’s like to be poor.  I suspect most of us--maybe all of us--have been brokenhearted at some point.  Maybe you are now.  I suspect all of us have had reasons to mourn and to grieve--again, maybe some of you are now.  We may not have been captives or prisoners, but then again we may have been.  If not in a literal sense, you may have felt like you were a captive of your circumstances.  You may have felt like you were a prisoner of your situation.  Like you were stuck in a situation from which you could not escape.  But in any event, again, I suspect there is some sense in which we all fall into at least one of those groups, if not more.

            So, being who you are, imagine that God, speaking through Isaiah, is saying these words to you.  God is saying that He is proclaiming good news to you.  That He is binding up your broken heart.  That He is proclaiming freedom and release from darkness for you.  That He is going to comfort you--in fact, He already is.  You will be able to rejoice at what you will receive from God.  An everlasting joy will be yours.  And mine, too.

            Can you imagine that?  I hope you can.  Because God truly is saying those words to you.  God really is making all those promises to you.  

            And God is doing that because, in God’s eyes, you--and I--are that important.  You and I, as insignificant and unimportant as we are to society, are the most important people in the world to God.

            Can you believe that?  Can you trust it?  It can be hard to, I know.  Because this takes human logic and turns in upside down.  God, speaking through Isaiah in this passage, does not say anything about what He’s going to do for the powerful, for the rich, for the celebrities.  Those people, who are so important according to human logic, are not even mentioned.  Instead, God talks about what He’s going to do for the “unimportant” people.  Because in God’s logic, those “unimportant” people are the most important people in the world.

            So if you feel like you’re not important, know that you are.  You are incredibly important.  To God, each one of us is the most important person in the world.  No matter who we are.  No matter what we’ve done.  No matter how bad or insignificant we may feel.  You are the most important person in the world to God.  And so am I.  

So, whatever it is that’s bothering you tonight, whatever it is that’s on your mind, whatever it is that’s on your heart, know this:  God understands.  And God has good news for you.  God is going to bind up all of your hurts.  God is going to give comfort.  And God is going to set you free.

God was there for the “unimportant” people of Isaiah’s time.  And God is there for us “unimportant” people today, too.