Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now?
As remnant people we are reminded of our glorious past and our glorious future; and we are called to join with God in creating a glorious present.
But now take courage . . .
We are reminded of God’s presence in each little thing that goes well in a day. And we can also remind ourselves that God is present with us even when things do not go well and we become frustrated with our lack of success.
For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.
In the end, when we abide with God – as he abides with us – we strive to fulfill our covenant relationship when we remember to go to God with our worries and woes, when we give our anxieties and fears to the one who can resolve them best.
And my spirit continues in your midst; do not fear!
This is a gift we are given. This is a gift we do well to treasure. It is the gift of glory.
Written on October 15, 2009 and posted today as a Favorite.
We continue with the theme of Captivitytoday – but here we see the epiphany of understanding. We experience the surprise which always springs upon the faithful when they are low. We live the promise of our God who loves us relentlessly, persistently yet gently. God loves us to the extent that he is willing to wait and abide infinitely . . . while we find our way to his mercy, justice and joy.
5:7 – God makes all things level. He straightens all paths. He awaits us at every turning of the road.
5:2 – God creates us, names us, calls us his own. He yearns for the intimacy he has foreseen with us.
5:5 – God sends out the universal call. He will not leave a single sheep unbidden.
5:7 – God has in mind for us a place of beauty. He has brought forth life from the desert. He also brings forth life from the desert of our lives.
Look to the east, Jerusalem! Behold the joy that comes to you from God.
God has not forgotten a single hair on our heads.
God has felt each agonizing and joyful step of our journey.
And when we arrive . . . it is God who welcomes us home.
Even with its times of Captivity . . . the journey is joy. The journey is our most intimate encounter with God.
May Christ’s presence and peace dwell within you.
May God’s Spirit and love abide with you forever.
And may you continue to celebrate your return from Captivity as one of God’s own, as one of God’s called, as one of God’s well-loved Easter Children.
John Everett Millais: JepthahA re-post from Easter Week 2012.
We have sinned against you; we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.
Did not the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Midianites oppress you? I saved you from their grasp and still you forsook me and worshiped other gods. I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen; let them save you now that you are in distress.
We have sinned. Do to us whatever you please. Only save us this day.
The Lord grieved over the misery of Israel.
This dialog between the Creator and the created takes place countless times not only in scripture but in our contemporary lives. We stray from God’s goodness and protection, we become enslaved to some small and ugly god, we cry out for help, and God rescues us. We know this cycle and we wait for the predictable sequence to take place in today’s story but something different happens here. “For the first time, Israel actually repents (10:10, 15-16), but God does not, as at other times, raise up a deliverer in response to Israel’s cry for help. The Gileadite elders appoint Jepthah their leader (11:4-11) and only later does God confirm their choice (11:29)”. (Mays 233)
A number of circumstances make Jepthah’ story memorable. He had lived in exile from his tribe having been cast out by jealous half-brothers but he is called forward because of his military acumen and success in battles. As the Gileadite leader he tries diplomacy before war but is unsuccessful. Full of God’s spirit he leads his soldiers into combat, vowing that if they are victorious he will sacrifice the first person who comes to greet him on his return home. When his young daughter, his only child, runs out to meet him he is desolate but follows through with his vow. We cringe at the tragic ending and we search for meaning. Human sacrifice was not an accepted Hebrew custom and was, in fact, condemned (Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 12:31); yet here is this story that goes against all custom, and we are given no context. We grieve along with this long-ago family and we wonder how and why they and we will manage. And so we remember . . .
The Lord grieved over the misery.
Too many times we sink below what we thought to be our limit, and so we remember in our sorrow . . . The Lord grieved over the misery.
Too many schemes take us further than we had intended to go, and so we remember in our disbelief . . . The Lord grieved over the misery.
Too many friends betray us even as Judas betrayed Jesus, and so we remember in our heartache . . . The Lord grieved over the misery.
Too many good intentions lived for our own satisfaction drive us past blatant warning signs, and so we remember in our incomprehension . . . The Lord grieved over the misery.
Too many well-meant promises lead us down a path we had not meant to trod, and so we remember in our mourning . . . The Lord grieved over the misery.
In yesterday’s Gospel from John (20:11-18) we hear again that Mary Magdalene did not recognize Christ who sought to console her . . . she turned around, saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.When he speaks, she suddenly comprehends that he was with her during her grief. He had never really disappeared. It is her own perception that had fails her.
We will struggle with today’s story just as we struggle with the heartbreaking events of our lives. We must remember that when we feel the most bereft we are closest to God. When we feel the most empty we are vessels waiting to be filled by the Spirit. And when it seems that all have deserted us and that everything we hold dear is lost, Christ draws us forward away from the horror. We have only to take the offered hand and follow.
Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 233. Print.
Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now?
The Noontimes 