Ordinary Time week 19

Psalm: Psalm 99 or Psalm 96:1-9, 10-13 

Old Testament: Exodus 33:12-23 or Isaiah 45:1-7 

Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22 

Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Last week we discussed the passage from Exodus, so I figured this week we would discuss the reading from Isaiah. What is interesting about this chapter is that Cyrus, the king of Persia, is declared to be God’s anointed. This is the same word used to describe King David and others in the line of kings as being chosen by God for their task. Ultimately, this word is used to describe Jesus as God’s Anointed. Christ, in Greek, is the same word for Messiah in Hebrew. In fact, if you look at the Septuagint, which was an Old Testament text used when the New Testament was being written, Isaiah 45:1 uses the word “Christ” to describe Cyrus.

At this point in the history of Israel, they are in exile in Babylon and the 70 years of prophesied exile is about to end. Cyrus is the king who releases the people from exile and lets them return to the Promised Land. Isaiah lived about 100 years before the time of the exile from Jerusalem when the Southern Kingdom of Judah fell. Thus, he lived about 170 years before the end of the exile. Some have argued that Isaiah is to be divided into three separate sections/authors, and others have pointed to the many distinct elements found throughout the book. Whatever the case is, the end of the exile described in chapter 45 happened in 538 BC.

It is a strange thing to think about God using people or things who are not willing agents in accomplishing God’s ends. I’m trying to think of some examples (Pharaoh) who were used by God, but didn’t even acknowledge him as God. Any other suggestions? I have discussed on this blog before my belief in freewill and human agency, so I don’t think God coerces us in such a way that we can’t say no. In this case, Cyrus was conquering tons of regions and releasing other ethnicities besides the Jews. For whatever reason, his philosophical and political views deemed it smart to send people back to their own lands to be governed rather than have them angry and spread out over the empire. God was able to use Cyrus to bring about God's ends. The writer of Isaiah saw the actions of Cyrus and interpreted Cyrus as God’s messiah.

There is where I think things can get a little tricky when it comes to biblical interpretation and our own understanding of God’s actions and human agency. To what extent were Cyrus’ actions done freely, and to what extent were they pre-ordained by God? Did he send people back to their homelands because God planted the idea in his mind? And if God planted the idea in his mind, could he not have done it? This issue is one of those ones that may never get solved, I don’t think, but something we have to find a personal answer to.

Briefly, the reading from Matthew 22 is when the Pharisees and the Herodians come to Jesus and ask if it is permissible to pay the tax to Caesar. No doubt we have all heard this passage preached on, and I don’t know if I have anything new to add. The Pharisees and Herodians are usually enemies and on opposite sides of everything, but their common enemy was Jesus. Their opposite beliefs in this case however worked to their advantage, because no matter what Jesus said it would make one of the groups upset. Somehow, Jesus finds not only a way out of the immediate conundrum, but also turns it into a teaching moment about God’s authority over Caesar. In the little vignettes, periscopes they are called in the Gospel context, Jesus always seems to surprise me.

So, how do we end this week? What does the “anointing” of Cyrus have to do with us? For one I think it says that God does not forget his people. God is able to use a pagan king, who had probably never heard of the Israelite God, to bring his people back into the Promised Land. If God can use Cyrus, then he can use anybody. God is able to accomplish his desires across even the international, geo-political stage. Over the course of history, his ends will be completed. God’s ultimate goal, Jesus' second coming and the New Creation, will be accomplished. And that’s Good News.

Grace and Peace.