“MY MOTHER AND MY BRETHREN ARE THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND DO IT” (Luke 8:21)

⏰Tuesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time 1 (26 Sept. 2017)

????Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20; Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5 (R.v.1); Luke 8:19-21

My dear, do you understand why the Israelites had to be taken into exile in Babylon in the first place? It is simply due to disobedience to the word of God. And the spiritual implication of the exilic life is that the people were taken away from the presence of God.

So, more than being a mere account of how the people returned from Exile and rebuilt the city, the book of Ezra serves to direct the people on how to reconnect themselves to the presence of God by keeping the word of God. Note that not all the people agreed to follow Ezra back.

Consider that in relation to Luke 8:19-21. The biological family of Jesus wanted to be admitted into his presence, and Jesus used the opportunity to teach that obedience to the word of God is the permit anyone needs to be in his presence. His mother serves as an example of one who heard the word of God and did it (cf. Luke 1:38, 45).

Sin is that disobedience to the word of God. So our own sin also sends us into exile. Jesus wants us as members of his family. So he continues to raise many Ezras of our time to lead us back to himself. Are we ready to follow them back to God’s family or remain in exile?

May God clear all obstacles on our journey towards rejecting the slavery of sin in exile and realigning ourselves back to his household by keeping his commands, and so gain all the sweet promises that such move offers (see Ezra 6). Amen.

May you have a safe and miraculous day ahead. Peace be with you.