Our Old Testament lesson is Isaiah 25:6-9.
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
The prophet Isaiah writes of God’s saving grace for all people. Everyone is eligible for God’s mercy if they put their trust in Him (v. 9). We are told that He will wipe away our tears and remove our disgrace.
What must we do to earn this blessing? There is nothing we can do, it is God’s free gift to us. After we accept His offer we are called to love Him and each other, and share the Good News.
There are no prerequisites, no entry fee, no act we can accomplish to win God’s approval. God loves and calls each of us without qualification. When we say yes to Him we become part of His plan, responsible to Him and each other for making disciples of all nations.
Loving Lord, we are not worthy to receive the wonderful gift You offer, but You reach out to us anyway. Help us to use our faith to reach others that all may enter Your kingdom. Amen.