HoHum:
Last year talked about a Blue Christmas where we acknowledge our losses of loved ones as we approach the holiday season. I was watching the Year Without a Santa Claus (lesser know production by Rankin Bass) and Santa gets a letter and it says, “I’ll have a Blue Christmas without you, I’ll be so blue thinking about you, decorations of red on a green Christmas tree, won’t mean a thing if you’re not here with me; I’ll have a Blue Christmas that’s certain, and when that blue heartache starts hurting, you’ll be doing all right with your Christmas of white, but I’ll have a blue, blue Christmas.”
WBTU:
When I think of this I often think of my grandfather who died in April of the year 2000. I grew up in a tight knit family spending my Sunday afternoons with all my extended family at my grandparent’s house. I am the eldest grandchild and my grandfather spent a lot of time with me growing up. My grandfather was the life of the party, he made everything fun. The holidays were the best. For example on Thanksgiving my grandmother would be working feverishly in the kitchen while everyone else would be in the living room enjoying the antics of my grandfather. My grandfather was a great conversationalist and he would fill in the gaps with limericks, mother goose rhymes, and silly poems. Here is a binder with pages of limericks that he memorized for such occasions, little orphan Annie was my favorite. Often after giving this one he would chase me and the other grandchildren around the house. My grandmother would say, “Now Ralph, you stop that!” After my grandmother finally got everything cooked we would gather in the kitchen, have the blessing and enjoy the best food this side of heaven. My grandfather would wait until you had the drink in your mouth and then do or say something funny and the drink would come out of your nose. Oh, what good memories!
My grandfather worked as a logger. He was an expert on trees and the woods. They burned wood for heat in their house. I remember going many a time with grandfather into the woods and sawing up a fallen tree and taking the wood back to their house. My grandfather could take the most mundane activity (and stacking wood is mundane) and make it fun. I remember going with him and laughing so hard that I almost (a few times I did) peed my pants. My grandfather knew every tree and he would often lecture me on the properties of this tree or that tree. At one time I thought about going into forestry and this was inspired by my grandfather. I am glad I did not, to be honest I am not a good student of trees.
This brings me to a Scripture I want to focus on today. Isaiah 61 says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” New International Version. Lots here but I want to focus on the end of vs. 2 and vs. 3. Notice that vs. 2 mentions us, “Comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve.”
I know that we do not grieve as the rest who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13) but we still grieve, we miss those who have died and we feel it the most around the holidays.
Thesis: The Lord wants to bring good things out of bad things (Romans 8:28). What are some good things that we find here in Isaiah 61 that helps those who grieve and mourn?
For instances:
I. Beauty from ashes
Now, fire is a burning in which substances (like wood) combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke. Fire leaves behind ashes. In the Biblical world, people in mourning would take soot and ashes and throw it on their heads. They would be grey and dingy and wearing sackcloth. Isaiah is referring to the future where we receive beauty from ashes. The ashes will turn into a crown of beauty. We will have a beautiful turban on our heads. In our culture, this imagery is lost on us. We do not rub ashes on ourselves in our culture. A forest fire is more relatable for us. Several years ago (1988) there was a large fire in Yellowstone National Park that burned many acres. That is what death is like, a firestorm in the forest. It leaves behind nothing but ashes. Fortunately, out of those ashes, is the beginning of something new. Since all of those acres burned in Yellowstone, the forest has come back fuller and richer than before. The fire burned away the ground cover that was preventing vegetation and trees from growing. We can grow from this upsetting experience of loss. We can emerge from this like an oak tree. Oak trees are unique in several ways: 1). They have a long life span, usually 100 years but can live up to 1,000 years. 2). They produce approximately 10,000 acorns each year. The majority of acorns are a food source for birds, squirrels and other critters. 3). Oakwood is dense and durable. Many wood products are made from oak. We find here a tree that grows from the ashes that produces shade and food for the forest creatures, a planting for the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Ecclesiastes 3:11- He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time.
II. Joy from mourning
Olive oil was often used to dress wounds in Bible times. We find that the Good Samaritan bandaged the beaten man’s wounds with oil and wine (Luke 10:34). We have other ointments in our day that appear to be more effective but really the effects of olive oil on wounds is beneficial. There was a 2015 study that showed significant improvement of healing and shrinking of ulcers with the use of olive oil among people with grade 1 and grade 2 diabetic ulcers. Complete ulcer healing occurred after 4 weeks in 73.3 percent of those that had olive oil placed on the ulcer (even so I would refer to a doctor). James 5:14 says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Oil was used medicinally in that day so, along with prayer, the sick person was made well. Maybe did that, tried to get loved one on every prayer list that could but still our loved one died.
Instead of oil being used medicinally, maybe this is talking about the oil of anointing. Prophets, priests and kings were anointed with oil when they were installed for that office. Most often think of kings being anointed with oil like David when Samuel came to his family in 1 Samuel 16. This is a much more joyful application of oil than when it is applied to a wound. There would be much celebration when a new king was anointed. Jesus Christ is our prophet (the Word), our priest (great high priest who offered himself once for all with his own blood), and our King (King of Kings and Lord of Lords). Through Christ we are all prophets, priests and kings.
Change our mourning into joy.
III. Praise from despair
About 100 years ago, there was a difference in clothing for a mourner, they would often wear black. Even that tradition has long passed. In Bible times, a mourner would tear their clothes or wear sackcloth. When their time of mourning was over, they would stop wearing these clothes and return to regular attire. This is the picture here. When people went to praise the Lord, they would put on their finest clothing much like the tradition of dressing up for church that used to be so prevalent. Through Christ we trade the old filthy rags for a garment of praise. Isaiah 64:6 says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Through Christ we have new and beautiful clothes. Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. I like how the International Standard Version says in vs. 24, “To clothe yourselves with the new nature.” That is the picture here, take off the old clothes of sin and self and put on the new clothes of Christ. Isaiah 61:10 says, “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.”
He brings us from the depths of despair to praise His holy name. 2/3rds of the Psalms are laments- grieving complaints against God. The Hebrew writers knew that the path of praise often went through the valley of mourning. Praise the Lord anyhow
So what?
For Those of us who are in despair, those who are mourning, we should just pack our negative emotions away and act like everything is fine. We need to grieve in secret. After all, this is the most wonderful time of the year and to acknowledge our loss is just a drag, a downer. Frank Sinatra sang, “When your smiling the whole world smiles with you; when your laughing the sun comes shining through. When you’re crying, your bring on the rain, so, stop your sighing baby and be happy again.” Jesus says in Matthew 5:4, “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” We must be honest that we do have times of mourning. For when we do, then Jesus can comfort us. Some say or feel that the promises of God are just for the hereafter, they are not in operation right now. No, those who are in despair can change their outlook through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Be honest and open and also be there for ones who are crying. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
Jesus used the Scripture in Isaiah when he spoke to his home synagogue in Nazareth. Luke 4:18 Jesus reads from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus stopped before getting to the end of vs. 2 and vs. 3 but if this part of the prophecy is fulfilled by Jesus, then I am sure that the rest is fulfilled by him as well. Beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, peace for despair.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
