Reflection on Isa 53:6
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
After verse 6, we read: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” Let us realize the fact: “We all have gone astray.” If God’s Word says all, however sure you may be that it does not concern you, you need to know that no one is an exception. Not only had we gone astray in the past but to some extent even now, despite having received much light from God’s Word and for our effort to keep God’s commandments, we often go astray in small things because of our stubbornness, unwillingness to learn or humble ourselves, etc. There is then a price to pay for our stupidity: quarrels in families, conflicts between husband and wife, children and parents. Why is that? Because we do not have enough light and spiritual harmony, which is connected with God’s grace. What should we do? We should come to know more deeply the truth about ourselves and about evil within us which leads us into self-deception, even in small things. The cause of family quarrels is that we do not sincerely seek God’s will in a particular situation and we stubbornly hold onto our good and our truth where we could be tolerant and accept the views of others without any harm done if they are not contrary to God’s commandments. There are many opportunities for practising healthy self-denial by renouncing our own will. However, we cannot go beyond the limit and give up our demands if there is a danger of grave sin.
Our going astray, which God’s Word mentions and which is inspired by the false light of our ego, is the reason why we have turned, every one, to his own way. We are not willing to abandon our own way, though it is often a false inspiration which is only seemingly good. If God gives us an inspiration and we are willing to seek the truth, He will then give us further guidance and an even better inspiration. This concerns not only spiritual things, but also economic and family matters as well as human relationships.
In order to receive enough blessings and graces, it is important to keep the Holy Hour daily. It would be ideal if the whole family could pray at this time. Today, inspiration from television, radio or, to a large extent, the Internet no longer leads us onto the way of truth. Various half-truths entrap us into accepting a lie more easily and ultimately being deceived more deeply. We even become slaves to lies. The mass media lead us onto a false path that leaves out God, the salvation of souls, and eternity. They even cast aside moral principles and encourage people to break natural laws, not to mention God’s laws and commandments. We currently witness the promotion of heresies and immorality in Christian mass media too. They spread lies even more effectively than other mass media as Christians place more trust in them.
Today, prayer is especially important, and that is why we need to keep daily prayer stops at around 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, and also when we get up and before bedtime – that is, seven times in all. We will then have the strength to abandon our own way and follow the Way, which is Jesus Christ Himself. He said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
It is written that the Lord has laid on Him – Jesus – the iniquity of us all. It says clearly: “all” – that means, both your and my iniquity. The penalty for our iniquities has been paid. We only need to admit them time and time again, and to learn true self-criticism and true self-humiliation on the true way of following Christ, and above all to build a personal relationship to Jesus Christ, especially at every prayer stop when calling on His name and praying to the five wounds: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner!” (5 times) When praying, we also need to make an act of faith at least for a few seconds, so that our prayer is not just a mindless recitation.
If we walk our own way, we will go astray. If we choose to walk the narrow way, which is Christ, we will safely navigate the shoals of life. In Him (Christ) we have an assurance of salvation.
Download: Reflection on Isa 53:6
