Many home throughout the world have security systems. When my bride and I lived in Florida our daughter, Emily lived with us for a short time. My wife and I were out. When my daughter came home, there was no one in the house except our animals. My dog, Stuart, had jumped from the dinning room table onto the kitchen counter and then to the stove. When he jumped to the floor he turned the burner to the On position and the house was full of smoke. My daughter, Emily, saved our house from further smoke. damage.
We did not have an alarm or security system. In ancient times the security system were walled cities where people gathered and lived. Doors were bolted at night. It was low tech security. The wall were the security against robbers and marauding armies. What all people look for is safety , food and shelter.
Our first reading from 2 Kings 25 is noteworthy to me. It describes the fall of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon. One would think that everyone was gone. With walls destroyed there was no security. The city was defined by its wall. That is why people lived there.
The first reading describes in gruesome detail the pillage of the City of Jerusalem. The walls the security of the people was torn down. You would think everyone had gone and that there was no one left in the city. The description was that of a Ghost Town. However, at the very end of the reading is the following quote. Then Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, led into exile the last of the people remaining in the city, and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the last of the artisans. If you stopped here you would have missed an important fact, that most people would have skipped.
But some of the country’s poor, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, left behind the vinedressers and farmers.
The poor people, vinedressers and farmers were left behind. Not everyone left town. Nebuchadnezzer, King of Babylon did not want these people. He wanted artisans. He wanted people that could improve his economy. He did not just want more mouths to feed.
Just like the footings used to build a house, you need a good foundation. That is what was left in Jerusalem. Sometimes the Lord wants to rebuild our foundations, so we can come back to Him. God kept His promises. The poor were still left and only the rich and the priests were sent to Babylon. The ones who did not listen to the Prophets. The remnant remained. God did not abandon His people.
This to me seems like the message of 2 Kings 25. We need to listen to scripture. We need to turn our lives back into the basic foundations of our faith in Him. Ancient people had walls and bolted doors for security. We have Jesus Christ.
I am not saying we do not need alarms systems for fire or theft. However, our true security is Jesus Christ. In our Gospel the leper said, Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus is not just offering a chance to rebuild the foundation of our souls . He is not just giving us security, He is offering us healing. We live in a hurting world. We have a leprosy of sorts in the pandemic but the security and healing of our souls is the most important issue we face.
My prayer today is for the true security. The security of our souls to Jesus. As Isaiah 58 says, to repair the breach of our souls. Blessings!
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
