The Arm of the Lord
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.” — Isa. liii. i, 2.
The prophet believed himself to be speaking a paradox, a thing which no man would naturally credit. And so he was. Who, indeed, would naturally believe that the arm or power of the Lord could be revealed in that which all men, in all times, have associated with powerlessness? We seek for the revelations of God’s power in the strong things of life — in battle, lightning, and tempest, in thunder, earthquake, and fire. But we do not seek for them in the endurance of life’s privations — in the struggling growth of the tender plant, or in the root that springs from a dry ground. These are to us the symbols of powerlessness; we say, the arm of the Lord is not there. Yet, to the eye of the prophet, it is just in these tilings that God shows His arm; the highest revelation of His might is in the gentleness of Him who grew up as a tender plant. Is it not so to us too? What is to thee the mightiest sign of God in this world? is it not the life of Him who had power to lay down His life. What is to thee the strongest manifestation of will in this world? is it not the strength of Him who said, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” What is to thee the greatest exhibition of unweariedness in this world? is it not the exhaustlessness of that love which cried, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
0 Thou Divine power which men called weakness, reveal Thine arm to me. Reveal to me the omnipotent strength that was unconsciously eulogised in the words, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” The world thought it was a sign of impotence, but it was strength unspeakable, such strength as belonged only to Thee. That inability of Thine was the greatest force in this universe — the power of love. It was the power of Thy love that made Thee powerless to save Thyself, that would not let Thee turn aside from the narrow road and the dolorous way, that impelled Thee to tread the garden and to climb the cross. 0 strong Son of God, whose strength was to say, “I cannot save myself,” be that strength also mine; reveal Thine arm in me, as well as to me. Make me strong to bear the cross, to despise the shame, to endure contradiction against myself, to prefer the narrow path of duty to the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Make me strong to trample self under my feet, to surrender my will to Thy will, to yield up my spirit to the crucifying hand of love; then shall I know what that saying meaneth, “The power of God unto salvation.”