Messiah, Aria (Alto) & Chorus: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

Listen: (5:30)

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,

go thee

up into the high mountains o

thou that tellest

good tidings to Jerusalem lift up thy voice with strength

 lift it up, be not afraid, 

say unto the cities of Judah

 Behold your God!

O thou that  tellest good tidings to Zion, arise, shine for thy

light is come. and the glory of the Lord is risen

upon thee.

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, good

tidings to Jerusalem, 

Arise say unto the cities of

Judah:

 Behold your God, 

the glory of the Lord

is risen upon thee

(Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 60:1)

Reflection: This aria and chorus weave together two verses from two different parts of Isaiah: 40:9 (written during the Babylonian exile, and continuing with the opening texts) and 60:1, which was most likely written after the return to Jerusalem.

To me the music sounds like a singular cry of a leader, becoming an increasingly popular movement, gaining in momentum and energy as the chorus progresses.

God's command to the prophet is, "get up on the mountains, lift up your voice, do not be afraid!" God does not promise instant results. God doesn't say the whole nation will instantly pick up their lives after 70 years and March right back to Jerusalem. In fact, a significant population of Jews remained in Babylon (which became Iraq) well into the modern era. But that was not the prophet's problem. The prophet's job is to get up and proclaim the message as loudly as possible, and let God do the rest.

This is an important reminder to me all year, but especially in Advent, when we hope for a world yet to come: our job is to share God's love with our words and actions, and let the chips fall where they may. We get way too distracted sometimes with notions of "success,"  or "winning", whether in our faith communities or our jobs or our families or our nation. Never forget: success in God's eyes is simply for us to show up again today, and share God's love. That's it. That's all. It'll look different every day, but it will never be about winning. To Jesus, sharing God's love with a neighbor is winning, period. It doesn't matter how they receive it or what happens next. Just get up on your mountain and tell this world what you know.

Prayer: God our light, help us to arise and shine again this morning.

Discussion Questions: 

1) What is something that keeps you going when you are feeling unmotivated? 

2) What does it look like to "get up on a high mountain" and share the story of Jesus, in a world that may have bad impressions of organized religion?