January 25 Worship - "Ezra - A Zealous Restoration"

On a rainy Sunday, we gathered for worship.  While we still shared many prayer concerns, particularly about peoples' health, we were also able to celebrate several people who are recovering from recent illnesses and surgical procedures.  This brightened our spirits as we came together in God's presence.

We continued our journey along Godsway 66, turning our attention to the Jews who returned from exile.  When the Persians defeated the Babylonians, the emperor Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and supported them in rebuilding the Temple.  (This would become known as the Second Jewish Temple.)  Ezra, a priest who returned with a group after the Temple was rebuilt, took religious leadership in Jerusalem.  He was troubled that a number of men returning from exile had married "foreign women" (that is, non-Jews who were living in and around Jerusalem when the Jews returned).  Ezra was convinced that the influence of foreigners (non-Jews) and their gods had led to the previous defeat of Judah and insisted that it not happen again.  So he prevented such marriages from taking place and those who had already married shunned their wives (and any children born to them) and sent them away.

The zeal for keeping the faith, so that they would take full advantage of the "second chance" God was giving them, is understandable.  However, it seems like Ezra was "fighting the last war," so to speak.  He was so desperate to not make the mistakes of history that he didn't see how the circumstances had changed.  After all, without the support of foreign leaders and foreign money, the Jews could never had returned to Jerusalem or rebuilt the Temple so quickly.  How much to deal with non-Jews and how much to separate from them had been a long complex issue, especially during the exile.  It would remain so, even to Jesus' day and beyond.

If you missed Sunday's sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and closing benediction.