The Suffering Servant
Illustration
Stories
Jenna frowned as she looked at the textbook in front of her. She yawned, looked at the page again, and hoped for inspiration.
“Problem with your assignment?” Leah offered her a cup of coffee and sat down across from her.
“Thanks. If it made any sense I would have a problem with it.” Jenna took a sip of the coffee. “As it is I just want to close my eyes for eight hours of so.
“The baby not sleeping through the night anymore?”
“No, she was up a few times in the night.” Jenna stifled another yawn. “I’m just perpetually short of sleep.”
“There aren’t any more classes until Tuesday if that helps.” Leah smiled. “It’s nice to have a break over Easter.”
“It would be more fun if my babysitter wasn’t away for the weekend as well.” Jenna took another sip of coffee. “I never thought going back to school with a baby would be so hard.”
Leah looked at her phone. “I can come over and watch her if you want. I’m free on Monday and I know the library on campus is open.”
Jenna looked over at her friend. “All I can offer is some soda and chips as payment.”
“That and the chance to spend some time with my goddaughter.” Leah smiled at her. “We’ll chill and watch some cartoons.”
“You’re a lifesaver. My Mom is free on Friday, but she has to work on Monday.” Jenna looked at the textbook. “I think I can get it done in that time. I never thought adding a child to going to school would be so hard.”
“Is Mark still on deployment?”
Jenna nodded. “His ship is expected back sometime next month.”
“At least he’ll be around for finals.”
“He already has some leave booked for that time. It’s not going to be easy, but I should be able to finish my degree on time.”
Leah reached out and squeezed Jenna’s hand. “I know you can do it.”
Jenna yawned. “If I can stay awake that is.”
Leah laughed. “If your Mom has the baby tomorrow, do you want me to pick you up for the Good Friday service at church?”
Jenna shook her head slightly. “No, I don’t think I’ll go.”
“Why not? You love going to church. What was it you said after the last service?” Leah tapped her chin. “That’s right you said, ”Church is what I need to get me through the week.“ So why are you skipping the service?”
Jenna squirmed in her seat. “I have trouble with the message of Good Friday. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“What -- that the people in power didn’t like what Jesus had to say and wanted to silence him?”
“No, that I can get my head around. It’s the whole idea that Jesus suffered and died for us. I mean I know sin is a problem, but I can’t see why God needed Jesus to die for our sakes. I mean God can do anything. Why did Jesus have to die and how does that express God’s love for us?”
Leah considered her friend for a moment. “Do you resent Mark being in the Navy?”
“Of course not. He wants to serve our country and I respect that. He believes in the values of freedom and liberty and so do I.”
“Even though it makes things harder for you with him being away?”
“No, I knew what I signed up for when we got married. If my sacrifice can make him help make the world a better place, then it is a small price to pay.” Jenna paused. “Okay, I can see the whole sacrifice to make things better part of Good Friday. But what is loving about dying on a cross?”
Leah took a sip of her coffee. “Why do you get up in the night for you baby?”
“I get up because she needs me.” Jenna tilted her head. “I get up because I love her. That isn’t the same thing as what happens on Good Friday.”
“Same idea though. You sacrifice because you love. If the only way to save your baby was to die would you do it?”
“Absolutely.” Jenna narrowed her eyes. “So you’re saying that Jesus suffered because he loves us?”
“He was willing to do whatever it took to save us. The cross was the way to show us that God’s love has no limits. Jesus didn’t want to go through everything on Good Friday but loved us so much that he was willing and did those things.” Leah looked at her friend. “I think that one of the reasons was for us to know that nothing was more important to God than us being saved.”
“I never thought of it that was before,” Jenna said. “Okay. Pick me up for church in the morning. You’ve given me a new way to listen to the scriptures, especially Isaiah.”
“Believe me, you’ll never hear the suffering servant passages in the same way again,” Leah said.
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 7, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Problem with your assignment?” Leah offered her a cup of coffee and sat down across from her.
“Thanks. If it made any sense I would have a problem with it.” Jenna took a sip of the coffee. “As it is I just want to close my eyes for eight hours of so.
“The baby not sleeping through the night anymore?”
“No, she was up a few times in the night.” Jenna stifled another yawn. “I’m just perpetually short of sleep.”
“There aren’t any more classes until Tuesday if that helps.” Leah smiled. “It’s nice to have a break over Easter.”
“It would be more fun if my babysitter wasn’t away for the weekend as well.” Jenna took another sip of coffee. “I never thought going back to school with a baby would be so hard.”
Leah looked at her phone. “I can come over and watch her if you want. I’m free on Monday and I know the library on campus is open.”
Jenna looked over at her friend. “All I can offer is some soda and chips as payment.”
“That and the chance to spend some time with my goddaughter.” Leah smiled at her. “We’ll chill and watch some cartoons.”
“You’re a lifesaver. My Mom is free on Friday, but she has to work on Monday.” Jenna looked at the textbook. “I think I can get it done in that time. I never thought adding a child to going to school would be so hard.”
“Is Mark still on deployment?”
Jenna nodded. “His ship is expected back sometime next month.”
“At least he’ll be around for finals.”
“He already has some leave booked for that time. It’s not going to be easy, but I should be able to finish my degree on time.”
Leah reached out and squeezed Jenna’s hand. “I know you can do it.”
Jenna yawned. “If I can stay awake that is.”
Leah laughed. “If your Mom has the baby tomorrow, do you want me to pick you up for the Good Friday service at church?”
Jenna shook her head slightly. “No, I don’t think I’ll go.”
“Why not? You love going to church. What was it you said after the last service?” Leah tapped her chin. “That’s right you said, ”Church is what I need to get me through the week.“ So why are you skipping the service?”
Jenna squirmed in her seat. “I have trouble with the message of Good Friday. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“What -- that the people in power didn’t like what Jesus had to say and wanted to silence him?”
“No, that I can get my head around. It’s the whole idea that Jesus suffered and died for us. I mean I know sin is a problem, but I can’t see why God needed Jesus to die for our sakes. I mean God can do anything. Why did Jesus have to die and how does that express God’s love for us?”
Leah considered her friend for a moment. “Do you resent Mark being in the Navy?”
“Of course not. He wants to serve our country and I respect that. He believes in the values of freedom and liberty and so do I.”
“Even though it makes things harder for you with him being away?”
“No, I knew what I signed up for when we got married. If my sacrifice can make him help make the world a better place, then it is a small price to pay.” Jenna paused. “Okay, I can see the whole sacrifice to make things better part of Good Friday. But what is loving about dying on a cross?”
Leah took a sip of her coffee. “Why do you get up in the night for you baby?”
“I get up because she needs me.” Jenna tilted her head. “I get up because I love her. That isn’t the same thing as what happens on Good Friday.”
“Same idea though. You sacrifice because you love. If the only way to save your baby was to die would you do it?”
“Absolutely.” Jenna narrowed her eyes. “So you’re saying that Jesus suffered because he loves us?”
“He was willing to do whatever it took to save us. The cross was the way to show us that God’s love has no limits. Jesus didn’t want to go through everything on Good Friday but loved us so much that he was willing and did those things.” Leah looked at her friend. “I think that one of the reasons was for us to know that nothing was more important to God than us being saved.”
“I never thought of it that was before,” Jenna said. “Okay. Pick me up for church in the morning. You’ve given me a new way to listen to the scriptures, especially Isaiah.”
“Believe me, you’ll never hear the suffering servant passages in the same way again,” Leah said.
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 7, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
