The reference in my Bible at Matthew 11:4-5 …

Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

… sent me back to Isaiah 35. This reading through Matthew has been as much a delightful experience in the prophets as a delightful meandering through the Gospels.

Having read the church fathers (in the Ante-Nicene Fathers series) straight through to around the 250s, I know the churches of the 2nd and 3rd centuries loved the Law and the Prophets. They read them primarily figuratively (based on Rom. 15:4 and 1 Cor. 10:11), though they also read them literally. As a result, when I read Isaiah 35, I’m reading about Jesus and the Church.

The reference in my Bible referred specifically to Isaiah 35:5:

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.

There is so much more there, however:

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad.
The desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.
It will blossom abundantly,
and rejoice even with joy and singing.
Lebanon’s glory will be given to it,
the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the LORD’s glory,
the excellence of our God. (Isa. 35:1-2)

I know the early Christians would have interpreted this spiritually, that God’s glory would make the Church and the Gospel to radiate beauty, refreshment, and joy to the world. The big thing that stood out today, though, was in verse 4:

Tell those who have a fearful heart, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, God’s retribution. He will come and save you.” (Isaiah 35:4)

This is followed immediately by, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened …”

How, you may ask, does God’s retribution and vengeance save us, open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf? In the context of the Gospel, God’s retribution and vengeance is not on humans, but on the rulers of the darkness of this age (cf. 1 Cor. 2:8). His retribution and vengeance were on those who held the human race–that is, you and me and everyone–captive.

Whether or not you have experienced the physical restoration that Jesus gave (and often still gives) to the physically blind, the physically lame, and the physically deaf, everyone now can have their spiritual eyes opened, their spiritual ears attuned to God, and their spiritual legs to walk and not grow weary, to run and not faint. Some even soar with wings like eagles! (Isa. 40:31).

If you’re not reading Isaiah as an atonement story and an explanation of the New Covenant, start! Not everything will fit, but some of it is so good that you will shout right in your room, alone as you read. Isaiah 35 is a great one, but my favorite is to read Isaiah 59 through 61 as the story of the atonement. Isaiah 59:1 through the beginning of verse 15 is miserable, but then “the LORD saw it,” and he took it upon himself to do something about. If you don’t mistake his vengeance as being taken out on human enemies, but read  the truth that he took out his vengeance on humanity’s captors. you will soar like an eagle through Isaiah 60 and 61.

You’re welcome!