Prisoners of Hope

We’re all slaves to something: addictions, attitudes, prejudices. Vulgar habits. Profanity. Scriptures to be read on the upcoming weekend acknowledge these imperfections and urge the hearer to adopt better choices through the graces of Christ. These are not pleasant to hear, but are important first steps in the healing process. Who am I, really?

ZECHARIAH 9:9-12 is probably an oracle given to the returned Exiles from Babylon as they are trying to reconstruct not only the Temple in Jerusalem but their own culture and holy journey. The prophet told them to expect a Righteous and Humble King–the Messiah?–who would preside over world peace and command justice. “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I [YHWH] declare that I will restore to you double.” Prisoners of Hope are those who dare to believe that a more perfect society is not only possible but on the way.

St. Paul writes very personally to the ROMANS (7:15-25) about his own struggles with “being good”: “when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand”. The more I repress my libido, the stronger it becomes! This dual identity shows me that I can’t succeed ethically through sheer determination. I’m somewhat gladdened that Paul considered himself sinful even after his conversion, recognizing that the battle still goes on. Sin is more than breaking a rule, it is a neglect of our relationship with God. “If Paul’s bad news is that the self is trapped and cannot rescue itself, Paul’s GOOD news is that God intervenes to rescue the self through Jesus.” Harold E. Masback III, in FEASTING on the WORD, A 3:211)

Redemption comes in diverse disguises, rarely what we expect. Jesus’ commentary in MATTHEW 11:17, 28-30 notes that “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” Are there reasons for dancing, in contemporary society? Are there reasons to mourn? The civic expressions of sin are all around us, in the headlines and in social media; we grumble that we can’t do anything about it, yet we fall prey to our own needs for “success” and material show. Thank God that he sent one who says to “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Being yoked to Christ does not obliterate our deep propensity to sin. But it does provide a way out, and escape from the “waterless pit”. “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Each Tuesday we explore here the lessons to be read on the upcoming weekend; please join in at horacebrownking.com