Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:1-24; Revelation 9:13-10:11
“Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down the Righteous One; let the earth open her womb, and bring forth salvation” (Isaiah 45:8)
That was the psalmist’s prayer centuries ago. We will celebrate the answer to that prayer again in a few days. Just you watch! In just a few days, God will open the heavens above and rain down His righteousness, the Righteous One Himself. His clouds will shower it down on us. The heavens and the skies will be filled with His glory. Just you watch. The Bridegroom will come forth from His pavilion, and like a Champion rejoicing to run His course, God's Son will soon be ready to run His course to the cross for you and me. There's your righteousness! Yes, “Rain down, you heavens, from above.” Let salvation spring forth from the earth!
The psalmist confesses: Righteousness does not start down here, reaching up into heaven. Righteousness starts in heaven, and reaches down to us. That's gospel talk, Jesus talk. The world does not understand such talk. For that's not the way the world works. Imagine if it did! Imagine if everyone got an “A+” on every test they took, no matter what. How could this world decide, then, who is worthy enough to perform surgery? Or teach? Or lead our nation? Or judge our laws? Imagine the chaos!
The trouble is, this world takes its way of doing things, and tries to apply that to God. “If you're good enough, smart enough, loving enough and put away enough sin, you can climb all the way up to God in heaven and save yourself by your own righteousness.” The world does not like to hear its righteousness condemned (Isaiah 64:6; John 3:19; John 7: 7).
The psalmist knows better. Listen to him tomorrow. Like the rest of us, he's a sinner, too, condemned by the law. His righteous deeds are just filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) — not at all something to climb up into heaven with. “One thing is sure, we cannot pin our hope on anything that we are, think, say or do.” (Lutheran Confessions, Tappert, pg. 309).
The earth isn't smarter than you, is it? It knows that only as the rains descend from above can life spring forth from below. Let the earth, then, be your instructor today. The only life you have with God is this: He sends down the Righteous One, to bear your sin and be your Savior. And then, promises from the skies! God's promise comes to you in Baptism, in Word, and in Supper –– promises all made good because your Champion finished His course and made it to the cross for you. That's righteousness: won for you on the cross, now delivered to you in gifts to unwrap tomorrow and every day.