20 October 2011

Psalm 37:1-18; Ezra 1:1-11; 1 Cor. 16:1-9; Matt. 12:15-21

Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonian exile would last seventy years and here we see in the beginning of the book of Ezra that this word was fulfilled. Cyrus was king of Persia and the founder of that great Persian empire. He defeated the Babylonians and when he first began to reign over that empire, he set forth this decree concerning the Jews and their encouragement to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus instituted the enlightened policy of placating the gods of his subject peoples rather than carrying off their cult statues as the other powers like the Babylonians had done before. In this way he curried at least some measure of favor with his subjects as well. His policy in this regard was somewhat similar to the relatively benevolent policy the Romans had towards the Jews in the time of Jesus when Judaism was a religio licita, a religion allowable under the law though not the official state religion.

Matthew, writing to a primarily Jewish audience, is likely to connect most of Jesus’ activities with prophecy from the Old Testament. His desire is to convince Jews particularly that Jesus is their Messiah, the one they should recognize and accept. It is indeed interesting that this man, a tax collector, who would have been an outcast and despised by the Jews, carried such a burden for these same people. Here we know from yesterday’s Gospel reading that the Pharisees were angry for Jesus’ lack of respect for the Sabbath regulations that they believed were there to fulfill the law of keeping the Sabbath holy and they had therefore decided to destroy Him. He knew this and withdrew from the heated environment in order to fulfill the prophetic word of Isaiah from the Servant songs that Messiah would be something other than a military ruler, rather one who would accomplish His mission in a different way, a more humble way.

Paul is concerned on this particular missionary journey with relieving the poverty of some in the church in Jerusalem and instructs the saints at Corinth on collecting money on Sunday in their worship to provide for this need. We don’t know why there is poverty in Jerusalem, perhaps to do with the famine mentioned in Acts 11. The churches are to help and love one another not simply by praying together and for one another but in practical ways, each church providing for another as the need arises. It is beautiful when the body of Christ bears one another’s burdens.

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

Tune