Hearts of Flesh and Faces of Flint

5/4/2022

A Reflection on the First Reading for April 10th, 2022:
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Isaiah
50.4-7

The servant of the Lord said: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens — wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward.

“I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.

“The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”

In the time of Isaiah, the servant of the Lord said: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word … and I was not rebellious … I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. I have set my face like flint.”

Recently, Jackie Pullinger (a modern-day servant of the Lord) said, the Lord God “wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet.” Soft hearts and hard feet — or, as in the case of the servant in Isaiah, soft hearts and hard faces.

Why must I set my face like this harder-than-steel substance, flint?

Well, it’s because, as disciples of Christ, we are called to be “out there,” witnessing to the world the love and mercy of God. We must be loyal and determined, because we will be challenged — and not in a way meant to bring out our best but, rather, to bring us down.

Being a disciple will put us in the world’s crosshairs because the Gospel we are called to live out does not often accord with the world we live in. We are called to forgive our enemies, even though the world urges us to get even. We are called to trust in God, even though the world values self-reliance. We are called to love our neighbour as we love ourselves, even though the world urges us to look out for number one.

The Lord God equips us with soft hearts for living the Gospel. God gives us each the tongue of a teacher so that we may lead one another by allowing ourselves to be instruments of the Divine in word and deed. We are called to “sustain the weary [world] with a word” of encouragement and to remind them that, regardless of how we are challenged, in God we are “graced” and not disgraced, we are soothed and not shamed.

Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, You showed us how to suffer without shame. Give us hearts of flesh and faces of flint, so that we might be worthy servants.

Donna Davis

4 Comments

Alana

5/4/2022 07:13:29 am

Thank you Donna. I so needed this wisdom today. You can’t know how much.

Lord, help me to witness to the world the love and mercy of God when I’m “out there”. Help me to be loyal and determined amidst the challenges. Help me to forgive, trust You, and love others as I love myself. Help me to remember that You equip me and provide me with everything I need to live the Gospel. My strength is in You, not in myself. In You I am “graced” and and soothed. Thank You Lord. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen 😊🙏🏻💕xo

Donna Davis

5/4/2022 09:29:01 am

I’m so honoured that God would use me to share this wisdom with you just when you need it, Alana. God’s calls us to be loyal and determined, but that can be so tiring for us, and the temptation to roll over and give up is real. That’s why He protects us with “the armour of God” and urges us to draw on His strength. I remember, during a very trying time in my work life, praying over and over, “The Lord is my defender,” because my efforts to defend myself were having no impact. God really is everything we need: strength, stronghold, saviour, and soft place to land.

Lori

5/4/2022 08:01:13 am

As I prayed with this scripture and your wonderful reflection, Donna, two things came up. First, when I set my face, I need not set it with a fierce scowl, but with a peaceful determination to be immovable. Second, the most difficult and important “out there” for me right now is the living room of my house, where the teenagers reside. I feel called to resist the temptation to shoot sharp rebuttals at my children when they are being teenager-y, but rather to receive them with this immovable peace, as Christ would. Please, Lord, hold me steady.

5/4/2022 09:51:08 am

Ah, the teenagers — God love ‘em. I know enough of yours that they will come to appreciate your flint-y moments sometime down the road when the teen years are in their rear-view mirror. (This is one of the best things about being in a community: you’ve got people around you who have good ears to listen to your worries and good eyes to see the forest for the trees.) “Out there” certainly finds its way into our homes and, as parents, we have to size it up with a flinty face, knowing that God is at our shoulder, providing all the strength and peace we need.