The Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation of freedom throughout his kingdom. The history of the people of Israel that we find in the Old Testament is characterized by some highs and lows. Although the Lord God had made a covenant with the children of Israel, promising to journey with them as their God and to fight and win their battles for them, the children of Israel, through their neglect of, and infidelity to the terms of the covenant, tried their best to frustrate the fulfillment of these promises. Their continued disobedience to the commands of the Lord, despite the Lord sending his messengers the prophets to warn them of the consequences of their choices, led God’s anger to be inflamed against them. The Lord “allowed” Israel to be overrun by her enemies who plundered her treasuries, destroyed her institutions, slaughtered her sons and daughters by the sword, and carried her royalty and prophets into exile. Being carried off into exile was the greatest disaster that ever befell the community and it did lead to a big setback in Israel’s relationship with the Lord. For Israel took pride in her institutions, the prized one being the Temple. The Temple was not only the Lord’s dwelling place but also the heart of the community as it served as the visible sign of God’s presence to the people. To be away from the Temple and her places of worship was thus a worst punishment that was meted against the community. And as Israel languished in exile, a return to her own land where she could freely worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord her God became her daily prayer and yearning. It is a prayer that was answered when Cyrus ascended the throne as king of Persia.
It was not because the Lord had abandoned Israel that she found herself in exile. It was not because the Lord decided to walk away from the terms of the covenant that Israel found herself wasting away in a foreign land. It was not because the Lord had suddenly forgotten the promises the Lord had made to Israel that the community found herself in bondage. Rather, it was because of her refusal to abandon her waywardness that Israel became captives at the hands of her enemies. While it is the case that the Lord, as it were, “allowed” Israel to be carted off into exile, it was for chastisement purposes. Israel needed some “time” to reflect about the choices she had made and how the choices were affecting her relationship with the Lord. The goal of this period of chastisement was that Israel would come to her senses and make a conscientious return to the Lord. This is why when the period for her chastisement was over, the Lord, through the proclamation of King Cyrus, brought her back to Judah so that she could begin the tough task of rebuilding her life, beginning with her institutions.
The decision of the Lord to go as far as using the leader of a foreign nation to offer Israel the chance to rise from ashes revealed the kind of God that the Lord is: the Lord God is rich in mercy and compassion. The Lord is a God who takes no delight in the death of a sinner (cf. Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11). The Lord always reaches out to those who have lost their way as a manifestation of his unbounded mercy. This was proven true in Israel’s case. For it was not Israel’s promises not to repeat her mistakes that convinced the lord to give her a second chance. Rather, it was the Lord reaching out to the sons and daughters of Israel in forgiveness and compassion.
The Lord’s merciful and compassionate acts towards his creatures is fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ as the Second and Gospel readings remind us. The rebellion of humanity that began with Adam and Eve set creation on a path of self-destruction and eternal death. Instead of the fullness of life that was God’s promise at creation, humanity found itself staring at death. But God could not allow his handiwork to self-annihilate. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to effect the reconciliation between God and creation that only he (Jesus Christ) could make happen. God sent Jesus to bring light to a universe that had become dark because of sin and rebellion. He came to show the world how to shun evil and darkness and instead to prefer light and truth. By living as one of them and in their midst, Jesus’ mission was to show men and women how to reclaim their place at the side of God. But this could only happen if the people believed in him. Those whose eyes are accustomed to darkness and evil would outright reject the light of Jesus Christ. However, their rejection would end up becoming their undoing. For Jesus Christ is the world’s only remaining shot at eternal life.