Suffering Servant Series
These pieces were made in conjunction with a sermon series leading up to Easter. The pieces are on the "Servant Songs" in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.
My Rescuer: Isaiah 42:1-7
$400
Reflections by the artist on
My Rescuer
Isaiah 42:1-7
God see us clearly.
He sees through our egos, evasions and edifices.
We are only and always ourselves in his eyes.
A bird that gets covered in oil is in deadly trouble. "Instinctively, the bird tries to get the oil off its feathers by preening, which results in the animal ingesting the oil and causing severe damage to its internal organs. In this emergency situation, the focus on preening overrides all other natural behaviors, including evading predators and feeding, making the bird vulnerable to secondary health problems such as severe weight loss, anemia and dehydration," reports International Bird Rescue. The bird needs someone to step in and cleanse it, when it cannot clean itself.
Knowing this, knowing who we are and the mess we are in, knowing the chaos of brokenness that flooded this world with sin, knowing that sin is as sticky and deadly as an oil slick is to a sea bird... Knowing all of this, God sent to us a rescuer.
This is the "servant" spoken of in the prophecies of Isaiah. He is he one who will bring right order out of chaos. "In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he established justice on the earth." (Isaiah 42:3-4)
It is the "right"-ness of God that can bring peace, that can calm the storms, that can right all that is wrong. This is the righteousness that we have been called to. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand." (Isaiah 42:6) It is the law that is beautiful and gives freedom. We are drowning in the muck and he reaches his hands deep into it and pulls us out, cleans us, and sets us free.
Our rescuer is gentle. Oil covered birds that desperately need to be cleaned must be handled with extreme care, because the washing itself is so stressful and traumatic that it can be life-threatening.
It matters who is your rescuer. The servant of the LORD is a gentle savior. "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out...”(Isaiah 42:2-3). He comes to the weak, to the blind, to the prisons, to the darkness; he gives breath, life, sight, freedom, and light.
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;" (Isaiah 42:1)
4-7-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 42:1-7
click here to see an article about bird and oil spills
My Rescuer
Isaiah 42:1-7
God see us clearly.
He sees through our egos, evasions and edifices.
We are only and always ourselves in his eyes.
A bird that gets covered in oil is in deadly trouble. "Instinctively, the bird tries to get the oil off its feathers by preening, which results in the animal ingesting the oil and causing severe damage to its internal organs. In this emergency situation, the focus on preening overrides all other natural behaviors, including evading predators and feeding, making the bird vulnerable to secondary health problems such as severe weight loss, anemia and dehydration," reports International Bird Rescue. The bird needs someone to step in and cleanse it, when it cannot clean itself.
Knowing this, knowing who we are and the mess we are in, knowing the chaos of brokenness that flooded this world with sin, knowing that sin is as sticky and deadly as an oil slick is to a sea bird... Knowing all of this, God sent to us a rescuer.
This is the "servant" spoken of in the prophecies of Isaiah. He is he one who will bring right order out of chaos. "In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he established justice on the earth." (Isaiah 42:3-4)
It is the "right"-ness of God that can bring peace, that can calm the storms, that can right all that is wrong. This is the righteousness that we have been called to. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand." (Isaiah 42:6) It is the law that is beautiful and gives freedom. We are drowning in the muck and he reaches his hands deep into it and pulls us out, cleans us, and sets us free.
Our rescuer is gentle. Oil covered birds that desperately need to be cleaned must be handled with extreme care, because the washing itself is so stressful and traumatic that it can be life-threatening.
It matters who is your rescuer. The servant of the LORD is a gentle savior. "He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out...”(Isaiah 42:2-3). He comes to the weak, to the blind, to the prisons, to the darkness; he gives breath, life, sight, freedom, and light.
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;" (Isaiah 42:1)
4-7-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 42:1-7
click here to see an article about bird and oil spills
Scope of Redemption on a Hyperbolic Disc: Isaiah 49:1-6
$500
Reflections by the artist on
Scope of Redemption on a Hyperbolic Disc
“It is too small a thing," God says in Isaiah 49:6, "too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
When God describes his workings in the world and his plans for us he is telling us that we are thinking too small, too localized. His salvation is not for us alone. His redemption reaches out with strong arms and pulls in the hurting from the ends of the earth and from every generation forever. God is infinitely more powerful than we can imagine.
One of the best things that I have learned about mathematics is its ability to communicate the infinite. On a hyperbolic disc, like the one pictured, the distance from the center to the edge is infinitely long.
God is infinite. We are finite. Different rules apply, mathematically speaking, when it comes to infinity. If you add one to infinity, or subtract one from infinity, it does not change.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Heb 13:8)
When God reaches out from Israel to save the rest of the world, his love is in no way diminished. His power is not spent. When we are used to bring others to God, God is not relieved by our contribution or relying on our lent strength. When we give glory to God by our words or our life we have not added glory to God.
And yet, he delights to use us! Remember that Ephesian 3:20 said, "according to his power that is at work within us," "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
God is doing a good thing in this world, and however you imagine it, "it is too small a thing" The crowds were surprised when Jesus, seeing a paralyzed man did not immediately heal his broken body. We see a broken body. We see all the brokenness around us. But Jesus challenges us with these words," Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” (Luke 5:23-25)
So whatever the thing is that you are begging God for remember, "It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13) Remember that you are finite, and God is infinite, and he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
3-29-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
Click here to view the text of Isaiah 49:1-6
Scope of Redemption on a Hyperbolic Disc
“It is too small a thing," God says in Isaiah 49:6, "too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
When God describes his workings in the world and his plans for us he is telling us that we are thinking too small, too localized. His salvation is not for us alone. His redemption reaches out with strong arms and pulls in the hurting from the ends of the earth and from every generation forever. God is infinitely more powerful than we can imagine.
One of the best things that I have learned about mathematics is its ability to communicate the infinite. On a hyperbolic disc, like the one pictured, the distance from the center to the edge is infinitely long.
God is infinite. We are finite. Different rules apply, mathematically speaking, when it comes to infinity. If you add one to infinity, or subtract one from infinity, it does not change.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Heb 13:8)
When God reaches out from Israel to save the rest of the world, his love is in no way diminished. His power is not spent. When we are used to bring others to God, God is not relieved by our contribution or relying on our lent strength. When we give glory to God by our words or our life we have not added glory to God.
And yet, he delights to use us! Remember that Ephesian 3:20 said, "according to his power that is at work within us," "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
God is doing a good thing in this world, and however you imagine it, "it is too small a thing" The crowds were surprised when Jesus, seeing a paralyzed man did not immediately heal his broken body. We see a broken body. We see all the brokenness around us. But Jesus challenges us with these words," Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.” (Luke 5:23-25)
So whatever the thing is that you are begging God for remember, "It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13) Remember that you are finite, and God is infinite, and he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
3-29-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
Click here to view the text of Isaiah 49:1-6
Not Alone: Isaiah 50 and 42
$500
Reflections by the artist on Isaiah 50 and 42
Not Alone
What is the comfort that God offers?
What does the comfort of Jesus look like, really, in my life?
Sometimes I feel hurt and worn and alone and Jesus is not getting me a kleenex. I have to get my own kleenex and wipe my own tears. And sometimes the presence of the Spirit of God is not all that comforting. And sometimes I feel like a flower whose stem has been squashed that is just waiting to shrivel and die. I feel like the flickering light bulb in my lamp that is going to give out any minute.
But God knew that I would feel this way. And Isaiah fortold and Jesus said in his time on earth that, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Is 42:3)" He said that he would not rest "until he has established justice on earth (Is 42:4)"
He is not resting in my pain. He is not content with this world of evil. He has not abandoned us or forgotten us. He has not forgotten me. He has not forgotten you.
He is not resting in my pain, instead he has joined me in my pain. He said, "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. (Is 50:6)" He has a bruise for every bruise of mine. They pulled out his beard to shame and disgrace him in a gruesome physical and emotional abuse. He has come beside me in my shame. As tears drop from my eyes, blood dripped from the wounds he willingly took for me.
And God reaches out physical hands to me, the hands of my friends. And God offers me a cup of hot coffee through the hands of a friend. And as the tears come again, my friend gets a kleenex for me. And though it is still dark, and I still feel broken and bruised and messy with shame, I am not alone. You are beside me, even in the dark, even with no light. "Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God. (Is 50:10)."
10-1-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 42
click here to view the text of Isaiah 50
Not Alone
What is the comfort that God offers?
What does the comfort of Jesus look like, really, in my life?
Sometimes I feel hurt and worn and alone and Jesus is not getting me a kleenex. I have to get my own kleenex and wipe my own tears. And sometimes the presence of the Spirit of God is not all that comforting. And sometimes I feel like a flower whose stem has been squashed that is just waiting to shrivel and die. I feel like the flickering light bulb in my lamp that is going to give out any minute.
But God knew that I would feel this way. And Isaiah fortold and Jesus said in his time on earth that, "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Is 42:3)" He said that he would not rest "until he has established justice on earth (Is 42:4)"
He is not resting in my pain. He is not content with this world of evil. He has not abandoned us or forgotten us. He has not forgotten me. He has not forgotten you.
He is not resting in my pain, instead he has joined me in my pain. He said, "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. (Is 50:6)" He has a bruise for every bruise of mine. They pulled out his beard to shame and disgrace him in a gruesome physical and emotional abuse. He has come beside me in my shame. As tears drop from my eyes, blood dripped from the wounds he willingly took for me.
And God reaches out physical hands to me, the hands of my friends. And God offers me a cup of hot coffee through the hands of a friend. And as the tears come again, my friend gets a kleenex for me. And though it is still dark, and I still feel broken and bruised and messy with shame, I am not alone. You are beside me, even in the dark, even with no light. "Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God. (Is 50:10)."
10-1-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 42
click here to view the text of Isaiah 50
Instead of their Shame: Isaiah 61:1-11
$500
Reflections by the artist on
Instead of their Shame
There are times when life seems like an endless monotony of shame and sin that stretches out and stains everything. Woven into the fabric of our lives are the words: brokenhearted, captive, darkness, grieve, ashes, ruins, devastated, despair, disgrace, shame. And we walk gingerly wearing this heavy scratchy shroud, and it is uncomfortable. But it is all we have, and perhaps better than nakedness. These are our clothes and we cannot make any others for ourselves.
There is another choice. "For he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness (Is 61:10)." What we cannot do for ourselves has been done for us. Instead of giving us reasonable workable clothes, he gives us wedding garments adorned with jewels and more comfortable and beautiful than we could imagine.
Jesus, the anointed one, the Messiah, came to:
Oh how I crave freedom where I feel enslaved, light in my dark places, growth where I feel dead, beauty where I see only charred remains. Jesus did this through the presence of the Holy Spirit. As God's children, we have the Holy Spirit with us!
And so my friends, hope in the LORD and in his mighty power. " Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5 emphasis added)."
10-14-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 61:1-11
Instead of their Shame
There are times when life seems like an endless monotony of shame and sin that stretches out and stains everything. Woven into the fabric of our lives are the words: brokenhearted, captive, darkness, grieve, ashes, ruins, devastated, despair, disgrace, shame. And we walk gingerly wearing this heavy scratchy shroud, and it is uncomfortable. But it is all we have, and perhaps better than nakedness. These are our clothes and we cannot make any others for ourselves.
There is another choice. "For he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness (Is 61:10)." What we cannot do for ourselves has been done for us. Instead of giving us reasonable workable clothes, he gives us wedding garments adorned with jewels and more comfortable and beautiful than we could imagine.
Jesus, the anointed one, the Messiah, came to:
- "bind up the brokenhearted (verse 1,)"
- "proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (v 1),"
- "comfort all who mourn (v 2),"
- " bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes (v 3),"
- "[bestow] a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (v 3)."
- "[grow them into] oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor (v 3)."
Oh how I crave freedom where I feel enslaved, light in my dark places, growth where I feel dead, beauty where I see only charred remains. Jesus did this through the presence of the Holy Spirit. As God's children, we have the Holy Spirit with us!
And so my friends, hope in the LORD and in his mighty power. " Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5:1-5 emphasis added)."
10-14-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
click here to view the text of Isaiah 61:1-11
Seeing: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
$600
Reflections by the artist on
Seeing
"After the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied (Is 53:11)." He saw that it was good, and was content to endure it all for us, in obedience to his Father.
"His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--(Is 52:14)" What was seen when others looked at him on the day of his death was so grotesque it looked more monster than man.
"Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised (Is 53:3)." So, we just didn't look. We have nothing to say to the sufferer and looking too long implicates our own vulnerability.
"Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer (Is 53:10)." He saw who was willing his pain. He saw his Father's hand crushing him, intending to hurt him, choosing to hurt him. And he did not look away, he knew his Father and trusted his Father with absolute assurance.
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Is 53:12)." He saw our sin and the cost of it, and he took our punishment anyhow. He saw the end from the beginning. He saw the victory from the midst of the pain. He poured out his pain, his abuse, his humiliation, and his rejection and gave it to us as a gift.
"For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand (Is 52:15)." We've never seen anything like this before... so what do we do with it?
LORD, let us "see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our hearts, and turn, and be healed (Is 6:10)."
10-21-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
This piece was originally comissioned for a Good Friday service
click here to view the text of Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Seeing
"After the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied (Is 53:11)." He saw that it was good, and was content to endure it all for us, in obedience to his Father.
"His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--(Is 52:14)" What was seen when others looked at him on the day of his death was so grotesque it looked more monster than man.
"Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised (Is 53:3)." So, we just didn't look. We have nothing to say to the sufferer and looking too long implicates our own vulnerability.
"Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer (Is 53:10)." He saw who was willing his pain. He saw his Father's hand crushing him, intending to hurt him, choosing to hurt him. And he did not look away, he knew his Father and trusted his Father with absolute assurance.
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors (Is 53:12)." He saw our sin and the cost of it, and he took our punishment anyhow. He saw the end from the beginning. He saw the victory from the midst of the pain. He poured out his pain, his abuse, his humiliation, and his rejection and gave it to us as a gift.
"For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand (Is 52:15)." We've never seen anything like this before... so what do we do with it?
LORD, let us "see with our eyes, hear with our ears, understand with our hearts, and turn, and be healed (Is 6:10)."
10-21-14
S. Jewell S. McGhee
This piece was originally comissioned for a Good Friday service
click here to view the text of Isaiah 52:13-53:12