A Word for the Weary
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.
Isaiah 50:4a
This verse sits within one of the Servant Songs of Isaiah. The Servant Songs are four passages in Isaiah (42v1-9, 49v1-13, 50v4-11, 52v13-53v12) that describe a figure known as the Servant of the Lord. This Servant is the Messiah, the Christ. This verse is about Jesus.
Jesus
God the Father gave Jesus the tongue of a taught one. He is the mouthpiece of God. His tongue is an instrument of God. Jesus, when he became one of us, became a student of his Father. His learning led to him being able to use his words to sustain the weary. He is a good teacher because he is a good listener. Another translation of the verse says that he has “a word in season to him who is weary”. In other words, Jesus has a timely, meaningful message of encouragement, refreshment and comfort, for the weary. He doesn’t give pat answers or trite, thin sounding, simplistic, hollow comments and well-worn cliches;
Everything happens for a reason
Just have more faith.
You just need to pray about it.
Look at the bright side, at least you...
Don’t worry.
No, he has a word in season, a sustaining word, a fitting thing to say. What he says lands well in the heart of the weary one he is speaking to. His words build up and encourage.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver - Proverbs 25v11.
What’s particularly beautiful is that the word “weary” is singular; the one who is weary. This means Jesus sees each weary one, each fainthearted one, each exhausted one, each downcast one, each disheartened one, each defeated one, each discouraged one. And he doesn’t treat them generically, as if they are all the same. He treats each of them uniquely. He knows us well. He knows how to speak to us. He knows our circumstances well. He knows how to speak into them. He has a timely word for each of us. Unique to us and unique to our circumstances. I love the imagery of Jesus meeting each weary sinner and sufferer with words that really do bring encouragement, refreshment, comfort. And as we read the Gospel Accounts we can see him do just that.
This is how he treats each of us. He has a word in season for me, and for you. A timely word that can sustain us. We open the scriptures, bringing our unique self, and our specific circumstances, knowing that Jesus, through the Scriptures, by the Spirit, has something fitting and meaningful for each of us.
Us
Jesus knows how to sustain the weary, and he calls his people to reflect his compassion in the way they listen, speak, and care for one another. He loves to give his people the tongue of those who are taught, that they might know how to speak meaningfully into each other’s lives. We become good listeners of the Father, and so become good instruments of the Father. We can’t do the work Jesus does. We don’t have the strength to sustain each other. We can’t bring lasting, full comfort, encouragement and refreshment. Only Jesus, through the Scriptures, by the Spirit, can do that. But we can reflect him. As we share life together, with our brothers and sisters, often weary, exhausted, discouraged, disheartened, faint through sin and suffering, we remember that they too have a merciful Saviour who wants to, and can, sustain them with his word.
And a large part of the way he does that is through using his people as instruments in each other’s lives;
Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way
into him who is the head, into Christ. - Ephesians 4v16
The words we say, and the way we say the words we say; the tone of our voice, the expressions on our face, the language of our body, can reflect Christ. If I listen well, I reflect a Saviour who cares enough to listen. If I ask helpful questions, I reflect a Saviour who takes the time to go below the surface and really see the person. If I pray, I reflect a dependency on the Father. If I express compassion, I reflect a compassionate Saviour.
The opposite is also true. If I am clumsy, harsh, demeaning, I fail to represent Christ. If I offer pat answers, trite comments, well-worn cliches, I fail to represent Christ. And what’s most awful to consider is that, in my poor reflection of Christ, not only will they not experience Christ through me, but they may also even begin to believe that Christ is like me; they may, tragically, come to believe that he might be harsh, uncaring, demeaning like I am. That he might just offer generalities and cliches like I do.
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Are you weary in sin and suffering right now? Jesus knows how to sustain you with his word. Pour out your heart to him, open the scriptures, reach out to the body of Christ. Hear and receive his sustaining word for unique you in your unique circumstances.
Do you know someone weary in sin and suffering right now? Jesus may very well be calling you to be one of his instruments of grace in their story. Come alongside them and reflect your and their Saviour to them.
Reflect/Discuss
When you are weary in sin or suffering, what helps you to hear and receive Jesus’ sustaining word? Can you share a recent experience of this? It could have been through a sermon, a book, a bible reading, a brew with a friend, a hymn.
Having read these notes, can you think of something specific you bring to conversations which might fail to reflect Christ? What might it look like for you to reflect Jesus to others through the way you listen, speak, and care?
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