3 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,
the city of violence and crime!
2 No one can tell it anything;
it refuses all correction.
It does not trust in the Lord
or draw near to its God.
3 Its leaders are like roaring lions
hunting for their victims.
Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time,
who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.
4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.
Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.
5 But the Lord is still there in the city,
and he does no wrong.
Day by day he hands down justice,
and he does not fail.
But the wicked know no shame.
6 “I have wiped out many nations,
devastating their fortress walls and towers.
Their streets are now deserted;
their cities lie in silent ruin.
There are no survivors—
none at all.
7 I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now!
Surely they will listen to my warnings.
Then I won’t need to strike again,
destroying their homes.’
But no, they get up early
to continue their evil deeds.
8 Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord.
“Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations.
For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth
and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them.
All the earth will be devoured
by the fire of my jealousy.
9 “Then I will purify the speech of all people,
so that everyone can worship the Lord together.
10 My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
will come to present their offerings.
11 On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed,
for you will no longer be rebels against me.
I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.
There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.
12 Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,
for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
they will never tell lies or deceive one another.
They will eat and sleep in safety,
and no one will make them afraid.”
Zephaniah 3:1-13
Dear God, the verses for the Catholic church this morning are just 12 and 13. When I read them, it made me think of a group of people I heard about recently called the Essenes. Apparently, they fancied themselves as a sect of Jews who were holding true to your law and preserving who you are to the Jewish people in the midst of what they saw as ungodliness. And they were doing this about 100 years before Jesus. I think they are thought to have preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls. I’ve even heard it suggested that John the Baptist might have been following in their ways as he lived int he wilderness and tried to bring Israel back into true devoutness to you.
One thing that really comes across in this passage is your exasperation with Israel. It made me wonder if you get exasperated with me. I hope not. I mean, I’m not here to keep you from being exasperated with me. I’m not here to check off the box so that some big bad God in the sky won’t come down on me in fury and anger. I’m here because I love you and you make me better. It’s my love for you and worship of you that makes me hope I don’t exasperate you with my foolishness.
And then I swing around and think of my exasperation sometimes. The hurt that has been caused to me by others. How do I respond to that? Do I respond in anger and impatience, or do I offer mercy? Am I what you need me to be for them, or does my own agenda start to get in your way?
Father, please reveal to me any ways in which I might be exasperating you today. Whether it be by my own actions, or by how I respond to others. If I am getting in the way of your plan in any way, please show me plainly so I can correct it. Show me where I need to improve. Teach me to love.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 