麻豆约拍

We are all aware today of the plight of exiles. More and more peoples are on the move, forced from their homelands by violence or hunger. It鈥檚 hard for those of us who live comfortably in our own countries to imagine what that must be like.

For the Jewish people it鈥檚 never been hard, because exile of one sort or another has been written into their story from the start. The ancient Israelites were forced into slavery in Egypt until the dramatic rescue at Passover-time. Further displacements followed, until the last remaining tribes were captured by Babylon.

Israel鈥檚 prophets promised a glorious return. But even after some of the Judaeans returned and rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple there was a strong sense that exile wasn鈥檛 really over yet. Even God himself, it seems, had gone into exile. They were waiting for him to come back, to claim his rightful place as Israel鈥檚 Lord and the world鈥檚 true King.
So when Jesus came to Jerusalem announcing that this was the time for God to become King, many people heard this as the claim that God was coming back at last to end his people鈥檚 exile. But how would that happen?

The greatest of the prophets describes exile climaxing in a strange, lonely figure taking the suffering of the people upon himself, exhausting the force of evil in order to launch a new world. The gospels describe Jesus鈥檚 crucifixion as the ultimate exile: the king killed by the pagans outside his own capital city. That was the moment exile itself was exhausted, so that a new world of homecoming and reconciliation could begin.

Almighty Father, through the victory of the cross be near to all who are driven from their lands. Teach us the way of restoration and hope. Amen.

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