The first reading from Isaiah begins by describing the servant “with whom I am well pleased” (Isaiah 42:1). These are the words of the voice from the heavens that was heard at Jesus’ baptism. Isaiah gives us more hints about who Jesus is.
The verses that say that he will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3) are descriptive of Jesus’ mercy toward sinners. The reed and the wick were disposed of because they were useless. But God, out of love for us, is always ready to forgive sinners and give them another chance. God sent Jesus to forgive sinners, not reject them. We can ask God to help us see our sinfulness and bring it to God for healing.
Isaiah also says that the servant is a “covenant of the people.” A covenant was an agreement between unequal partners, in which the stronger one agrees to protect or defend the weaker one. God is offering a new covenant through Jesus, not just for the Jews, but for all peoples. In this covenant, God has forgiven our sins before we were even born, much less committed any sins. But we still have to live that covenant, by loving God and our neighbor. When we forgive each other, we are setting free prisoners of sin. When people see God’s love acted out in our lives, we are a light to the world. As we learn to do these things, we will find that God is well pleased with us.
Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications