Wednesday 11 December 2024
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. (vs 4-5)
Background
When I read descriptions of Jerusalem as a place of joy and peace, I cannot do so without mourning the devastating cycle of conflict we see in the Middle East. Images on our TV screens show people standing among the rubble of their homes and tell of lives lost and families and communities torn apart. It is clear there are no easy solutions or pathways to peace and yet we continue to hope and to pray. With those pictures in my head, it strikes me how wonderful the picture painted by Zechariah here is. The Lord promises to return to Zion (Jerusalem) and to dwell in the midst of her. Life will be like a scene in a public park, where the elderly sit and chat, and the children can play safely.
When Jesus came he taught that his followers needed to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (eg Matthew 19:14). This beautiful image of Jerusalem can be taken as a picture of what the kingdom of God will look like – the rule and reign of God – when it comes in all its fullness. It will look this way because God will dwell among God’s people (Zechariah 1:3).
If this vision of security and contentment feels distant and unreal to us today, it was also difficult for Zechariah’s hearers to grasp too. So the Lord through Zechariah says, though it seems impossible to his listeners, should it also seem impossible to the Lord? When the prophets spoke God’s words to the people, they often had an immediate relevance but also a future relevance. Christians see these words as pointing to the kingdom of God brought in by Jesus, which is seen in part at the moment but will only be seen in its fullness when Jesus returns.
To Ponder:
- Zechariah pictures God’s kingdom like a scene in a public park. What image would you use to describe something of what God’s kingdom is like?
- Where do you look for signs of hope in difficult times, either in the Bible or more widely?
Prayer
We pray for peace in the Middle East and in other areas of conflict in the world. A prayer from the hymn ‘Make me a channel of your peace’:
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love;
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you:
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light;
And where there’s sadness, ever joy. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Kate Cambridge
Kate is a presbyter in the Winchester Eastleigh and Romsey Circuit. In her free time she enjoys doing laundry (!), spending time with her family and wrestling ball point pens off her miniature poodle.