“He shall feed his flock” from Handel’s Messiah
Carrying on with the theme of prophetic foretellings of the Good Shepherd, today’s offering is an extract from Handel’s Messiah – “He shall feed his flock”, sung by MLUMC staff soloist Timothi Williams. As with much of that beloved work, Handel draws some of the text of this aria from the 40th chapter of the Book of Isaiah:
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Is. 40:11)
The latter half of the piece is taken from the Gospel of Matthew, paraphrased from the invitation of the Savior:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat. 11:28-30)
I hope these beautifully sung words from scripture will be a comfort to you, in their reminder that Jesus still stands with open arms, inviting us to let him share our burdens and to give us his peace which passes all understanding.
Mitchell Stecker, Director of Music