Tuesday, April 1, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Zechariah 7:2, 8–14; 8:1–8

Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to entreat the favor of the Lord,

The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Just as, when I called, they would not hear, so, when they called, I would not hear, says the Lord of hosts, and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and a pleasant land was made desolate.

The word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts shall be called the holy mountain. 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. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness. (NRSV)

Reflection

I must admit. I struggle with texts like these. In Chapter 7, God delivers a very clear message. “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.” Seems simple enough. But as is often the case with God’s people, both in the scriptural narrative as well as in today’s society, the people “made their hearts adamant in order to not hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent.” The result? A people divided and scattered, alone and isolated.

To paraphrase Voltaire, in the beginning God created humankind in God’s own image, and we have been trying to repay the favor ever since. It is easy to decide that you are right and, therefore, there need be no debate. We stop up our ears, put on the blinders, and refuse to look at the facts that are presented.

Each of us is a child of God, reflecting God’s image in some important way. To exclude anyone for any reason seems to negate the premise that each is, in fact, a child of God. This is true of those with whom we agree and of those with whom we disagree. Each of us is seeking for God’s word to us. Seeking Truth.

Is both/and an option here? 1 Corinthians 3 refers to the one foundation of the church. On that foundation we can build with gold, silver, and precious gems or wood, hay, and straw. It seems to me that what one believes to be gold, another will believe to be straw. Chapter 8 of today’s reading seems to hold an important truth. God will make all things right. God will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of it. “They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” In the meantime, there is a foundation to build on, and we need to keep doing the work that is ours to do, and it is ours to discern how the work should be done. To the Glory of God.

Prayer
Lord, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a mind that remains inquisitive so that I might continue to add raw materials to the church you are building. In the name of the one foundation of the church, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Written by Robert Sinclair, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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