Logout
Lectionary for Jan. 18, 2026
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11;
1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42
Have you ever felt so discouraged that you almost quit, but you kept at it anyway? In a job, a relationship or a hobby, we can be so close to failure, but that last bit of effort allows a breakthrough. All of a sudden, we are on cloud nine and everything is right. This week, the lectionary brings stories of perseverance that enable people to see God work mightily.
In Isaiah 49, God’s servant is incredibly skilled with words. Before birth, the servant (understood as Israel, personified in verse 3) was chosen for a special role. The servant’s mouth is like a sharp sword, ready to deploy poetry, prophesy and protest to convince both Israel and non-Jews to follow the Lord (2, 5-6).
There’s just one problem: though highly skilled and capable, the servant is also demoralized. “I have labored in vain!” the servant cries. “The thing I was appointed to do is too difficult. My skills are insufficient. The task is too much.”
After hearing and registering the servant’s complaint, God does something interesting. Instead of breaking down the task into smaller, more manageable pieces, God extends the assignment. Not only tasked to lead Israel in repentance, now the servant is also called to be a light to the nations (6). A national task just became a global responsibility! To make it worse, the servant will be despised and abhorred during this task. But the Lord is the God of Israel and faithful, so the servant who remains on task will be successful. After deep frustration and near burnout, the servant has a breakthrough.
In Psalm 40, the psalmist sings a well-loved refrain about God helping overcome a time of trial. The psalmist intensely yearned for God. The germinated Hebrew root here carries a meaning of cords being twisted together—this isn’t passive patience. Instead, the psalmist is experiencing her guts knotted together as she waits on the Lord. And God finally acts, rescuing the person from a pit that is being inundated by a flash flood. As dust turns to enveloping quicksand in the rising waters, God snatches the psalmist out and places her on solid rock at just the right time. After that rescue, the psalmist is rededicated to doing the law and will of God that is written on her heart (7-8). After danger and trial, the psalmist has a breakthrough.
In the Gospel text, even John deals with moments of uncertainty before God provides a breakthrough. John the Baptizer confessed that when he started his baptismal ministry he didn’t truly recognize who and what Jesus was (John 1:31). John was out in the wilderness, shouting at folks, offering baptisms in a river, eating bugs and wearing strange garments. He didn’t know why he was there, at least not fully, until Jesus showed up. Then all of a sudden, John recognized why he had been called. It was his privilege to announce the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was greater than him—he even urged his disciples to turn and follow Jesus.
Imagine if, not having seen Jesus at the beginning of his baptizing, John had become dejected or disappointed. You can only see so many broods of vipers coming down to have their sins forgiven, right? People wanted to be forgiven of their sins, but when were they going to make an honest effort to sin less in the first place? John didn’t recognize Jesus, after all. He knew he was preparing the way, but he didn’t know exactly for whom. Nonetheless, John stayed faithful to his call. And he washed Jesus in water and proclaimed him as messiah to prepare the Lord for his public ministry. After disappointment and confusion, John had a breakthrough.
As one more example, I love the note at the beginning of the first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul’s co-author is Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1). This is probably the same Sosthenes whom we met earlier in Acts 18 when Paul was in Corinth.
Paul was having a difficult time, as many were opposed to his message. Eventually he was hauled in front of the Roman proconsul, who declined to get involved in Jewish religious matters. So the crowd found someone else, a synagogue leader named Sosthenes, and beat him in front of the proconsul.
This is all we know about Sosthenes: he was someone whom the crowd felt comfortable beating when they couldn’t get Paul. Sosthenes could have easily thrown in the towel then and there. Why should he be beaten as a stand-in for Paul? Instead, “Our Brother Sosthenes” persevered in the faith and co-wrote 1 Corinthians—this was a major breakthrough.
The servant, the psalmist, Sosthenes and John the Baptizer all could have quit. But they remained faithful in their callings until God delivered a breakthrough to them.
