A banquet for them as well as for us, a reflection on Isaiah 25:1-9

The passage from Matthew this week tells about a king who sent invitations to a banquet. Some only refused to come; others seized the messengers, mistreated them, and killed them.

The king responded by sending his troops to destroy the city.

Centuries earlier, Isaiah spoke of the destruction of another city. Although we think he might have been referring to the defeat of Babylon by Cyrus, we can listen to his words as they apply to the time of Matthew and the time of us.

Isaiah says, "Now that the city has been destroyed, your God will be a refuge for the poor, a refuge to the needy, a shelter from harm.

Questions to ponder: If we had a choice, would we rather be strong than needy? If we do find ourselves among the strong, what does the Lord expect us to do?

Lectio Divina: Isaiah 25:4-5

They have heard Isaiah's prayer of gratitude for their deliverance. He now tells them that the Lord will make for all peoples a banquet.

Two things are important about this banquet. First, it really is a banquet. The menu includes rich food and fine wines. Second, it's not just for them; it's a feast for all peoples.

This banquet takes the place of the negative force that death has held over them, swallows it up forever. Walter Brueggemann reminds us of NT allusions to this promise in 1 Corinthians 15:54 and Revelation 21:4 (Isaiah 1-39, WestminsterJohnKnoxPress).

Lectio Divina: Isaiah 25:9