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Isaiah 45:4-6

29th Sunday of Year A – 2023

20 octobre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: captivity, exile in Babylon, God beyond our theories and theologies, God's choice, Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 45:4-6, King Cyrus, libération, special mission

 

God is an amazing God – so much beyond what we think of him.
Beyond our frontiers, our perimeters, our borders…
Beyond our theories, our ideologies, our theologies…
Beyond our definitions, our explanations, our anticipations!

We constantly need to remind ourselves of this.
Today’s 1st reading – the text of Isaiah – helps us be more aware of this (Isaiah 45:1,4-6).
The prophet expresses God’s message to King Cyrus in these words:

“This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him…
I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me…
I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me.”

God has chosen Cyrus, a Persian King, to deliver the Jewish people from their captivity in Babylon.
This famous king does not know Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, yet God has chosen him as “his anointed”.

God does not reproach Cyrus for not recognizing him, on the contrary.
God chooses him as his instrument to carry out the liberation of his people.
He assures him that he will give him the strength required to accomplish this special mission.

King Cyrus was a great king and a powerful ruler.
He had conquered lands and obtained victory over nations, but he was a humane leader.
He showed compassion to the Jews and allowed them to return to their country and rebuild the Temple.
It is to such a man that God confides the responsibility of restoring the heritage of his people.

God’s choice does not always follow our human criteria.
God’s call of people is not always according to what we would see fitting.
God sees the heart, the secret intentions and motivations, and he welcomes anyone, everyone…
Everyone ready to follow the guidance of his Spirit…

Cyrus did exactly that!

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at: https://image-i-nations.com/29e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2023/

 

Source: Image: Wikipedia

 

 

 

29th Sunday of Year A – 2020

16 octobre 2020
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: Afro-American, Cyrus the Great, first, God's plan, Iran, Isaiah 45:1, Isaiah 45:4-6, The Colour Purple

Cyrus the Great was born in the province of Persis, in southwest Iran in 590 BC and died in battle in 530 B.C.
History presents him as a great king whose rule stretched from India to the Mediterranean Sea; he possessed the largest empire in the world at that time.
His name is mentioned over 22 times in the Bible and his tomb in Iran can be visited today.

These biographical details are not the reason why Isaiah speaks of him in today’s 1st reading (Isaiah 45:4-6).
The purpose of Cyrus’ presence in this text is that he was chosen by God to play a special role in God’s plan for his people.
He was, in fact, God’s servant as the words of Isaiah make clear.

What has drawn my attention in this reading is NOT what Cyrus did, but what God did –
what God does over and over again.
The text reads:

“I (the Lord) summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me…
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me,
so that… people may know there is none besides me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Cyrus does not know the God of Israel – the Lord – he does not acknowledge him as the only God.
Yet, the Lord blesses him in special ways with a title of honor and with strength.

To me, this is God, OUR God!
All too often, we think that we must do things for God – offer him prayers and sacrifices.
We somehow believe that we must gain his approval and merit his blessings.

Sad to say, we have inversed this wonderful reality that God is the first to shower his gifts on us.
We must come to realize that if we can do anything for God… it is because he, himself, enables us to do so!

In the beautiful book (and movie) The Color Purple, this is what Alice Walker, the Afro-American lady, has understood when she says with amazing assurance:

“People think pleasing God is all God cares about.
But any fool in the world can see he is always trying to please us back.”

And perhaps… to please us FIRST?!

Note: Another reflection on a similar theme in French can be found at: https://image-i-nations.com/29e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-2020/

 

 

Source: Image: Total loser and Proud    Pinterest