The appearance
of the Suffering Servant
and the reactions of others to him,
as described in Isaiah,
seem to indicate
that he was afflicted with leprosy–
or something akin to it.
Like a leper, he had a deformity
that repulsed people,
causing them
to “hide their faces” from him (53:3).
As they would also regard a leper,
they “esteemed him stricken, smitten by God,
and afflicted.”
In the Suffering Servant
Jesus on the cross is compared to a leper–
disfigured, rejected, and separated.
He who had never hesitated to approach
and touch the infected
now turned out to be the infected one.
As we know, this is what happens to front liners.
Pause here awhile
and say a special prayer
for all our front liners:
Not just the doctors and medical workers,
but all those working hard
and quietly behind the scenes
to make sure everything runs
as normally as possible–
like the supermarket and pharmacy staff,
janitors, delivery personnel, etc.
Here is a new performance of “Bring Him Home”
dedicated to health workers.
Let us join in prayer
for all these heroes who venture out
to serve us and help us.
May the Lord make sure
to bring them home.