Everlasting Joy: The message of Isaiah 35 to our world
Isaiah 35:1-10 - Monday, December 11, 2023
At the beginning of the Bible, Adam and Eve are expelled from their "home" in Eden (Gen 3:23-24). Then, after murdering his brother, Cain was expelled from the presence of the Lord (Gen 4:16). The theme of losing one's "home" due to sinfulness continues and finds its climax in the Assyrian and Babylonian exile of 721 BC and 586 BC respectively. Those exiles gave spiritual writers insights into a human predicament that we all seem to live in an exile, far from our true home. That is how St. Paul understood our life when he wrote from his imprisonment that "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil 3:20).
The fragment from the book of Isaiah that we reflect upon today speaks about homecoming. The Jewish exiles would be able to return to their native land from Babylon. The Jewish commentary on this passage draws our attention to the uniqueness of the route they are about to take. "Normally, travellers from Babylonia to the land of Israel would move northwest along the Euphrates, then southwest through Syria, avoiding the route that went directly west through the impassable desert" (from Jewish Publication Society commentary). But, the prophet proclaims that in this case, they would take the route through that impassable desert because the Lord will make it passable. He will transform the desert into a fertile land filled with life (see Is 35:7-9).
Another metaphor that communicates the message of liberation uses the images of healing: the blind can see, the deaf can hear, the lame can walk and the mute can speak (see Is 35:5-6). Those familiar with the Gospels will immediately recognise here the answer given by Jesus to John the Baptist (see Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22). And those familiar with Tolkien's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" will recall the statement of Faramir in the Houses of Healing in Gondor: "The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known." He was referring to the return of the true king, Aragorn - representing Christ - whose hands possess the power to heal.
The passage of Isaiah can speak to us today on different levels. It can be a source of encouragement to those who today live in exile and long to return home. It can be a source of strength to those who embark on a journey to their dream promised land - those migrants from Latin American countries who walk thousands of kilometres to get to the US or those African migrants who risk their lives in crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach the shores of Europe. It can speak to those who work for the environment, who try their best to prevent us from turning Mother Earth into a desolate desert.
In Isaiah 35:1-10, the prophet paints a vivid picture of a transformed world - sickness is conquered, desolation gives way to abundance, and the exiles can return home. The prophet ends his vision with a reference to everlasting joy with sorrow and sighing fleeing away (see Is 35:10). It is a beautiful metaphor that represents God's future for humanity and His world.