“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” —1 Samuel 1: 15 & 16, NIV
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Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. —Revelation 3:20, NIV
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Everybody rejected it. Nobody wanted to place the cornerstone in its place of honor. They had all the tools and materials, but nobody was willing to do so. Weird. Weeks have barely passed, and people were excited for this new building. "It will solve your problems!", someone billed it. Another promoted it, "It will help you grow hair!" and "You will never be afraid again!". In their minds, the stone would be placed in the center of the building, where people would look at it and be amazed. It would have the highest place of honor and amazing, being placed where no mortal could not look at it and weep. It was a simple stone, others scoffed! But those scoffers would never learn to appreciate the simple beauty of the stones.
However, the architect changed his plans and had to place the cornerstone on the farthest corner, away from the building. Not that he wanted to, he said; without it, the whole building would fall down before they completed the first floor. Some people were disappointed! Why would they allow for some petty architect to transform the stone they rejected into a beautiful work of art, only to be tucked in a corner full of bugs and vermin and not where they believed it deserved!? He could have used other rocks, but not the most beautiful of them all! In a moment, the people wanted to whisk him away from the project he worked so hard for so long. he never quite understood the people's outrage: the stone was beautiful, yes, but what purpose would it serve gallivanting the people's pride in a pedestal when it was needed in the most important corner, sustaining the load-bearing columns, and keeping the building structurally sound? In fact, they only appreciated the stone because the organizers paid him top dollar for him to design it! If he took away the stone, would people remember it in the first place? By the end of the day, the outrage died as the architect was booted from his job and the son of some worker replaced him immediately. He left, she shed a tear or two, and he took away the cornerstone meant for the building. No problem —if nobody ever wanted it, then some other building would need it. In a week, workers started building the first floor, without a cornerstone. It barely lasted a full hour when the floor caved in. The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:“ I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. —Jeremiah 31:3, NIV Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. —2 Samuel 6:14 & 15, NIV On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled... He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. (Luke 6: 6 & 10, NIV) Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets. —Luke 5:5, ESV Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. —Mark 10:49 & 50, NIV At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. —Job 14:7-9, NIV There were no true Jews living in Jerusalem at the time. For those who were lucky to die, what ran to their shallow graves was their own decadence. For those unlucky enough to run to be forced to say under their masters' tutelage, they were either forced to marry and work and live their lives in the heart of Babylon. Their deepest songs of praise were fodder for the drunken whips. Their simple vestments attracted scorn and shame to themselves. Were they too poor to follow their heart? Were they too unworthy to return to their homeland?
Not that everyone was poor, though. Some were well-off and actually held important positions of power in the empire. Some were scientists. Some were advisers. Even some were lodged as concubines in the king's own harem! They had fruitful vines and shallow suns, enough to become kings and queens back in Judah. But for a moment, they forgot about Ephraim and Manasseh; about the parting seas and rocky waters, about the sun of battle and the quest for justice. For some, life was is they never left at all. Their kids knew Hebrew and Greek and Persian. They could make their little tabernacles and wave their own sacrifices on the holy days. They were still circumcised, although some wanted their foreskins back in order to mingle with the locals. Stories about Jerusalem were a far and distant fantasy as Gilgamesh and Troy. Being who they were was a heritage, but it was time to change. That is, until Cyrus allowed them to return. For those who survived captivity, this was a dream come true. For others who never wanted to leave their comfort, returning was never in their plans! But for those who have lived among the pagans, their lives needed to be expunged. As they marched to Jerusalem, the one-barren ground began to flourish again. The plows were sharpened, and the livestock began to regain its strength. What became of their Temple, their pride and glory, was reduced to rubble. They had to rebuild it as soon as they can. And what was left of the tree stump that awaited for them? Well, a small flower started to bloom in its heart... |
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