Monday 16th March - Future Fears

DAILY BYTE

There was a thick smog hanging over the city, a tangible stink. But it wasn’t the smog of pollution, nor was it the stink of a city lacking in basic sewerage and rubbish facilities. No, it was the smog of uncertainty; it was the raw smell of fear that hung over this city.

For you see, about 9 or 10 years previously, the Babylonians had conquered this grand, old city of Jerusalem. They had conquered them pretty peacefully as far as conquering cities generally tends to go, and in the process they had carried off the best of the best from the population. The cream of the crop in terms of leaders, soldiers and scholars, which included the royal family.

The Babylonians had installed a puppet king to rule Jerusalem on their behalf. This king was a man named Zedekiah, who had just made a huge mistake. He had plotted to overthrow the Babylonian yoke by collaborating with the Egyptians.

The only problem was that at the first sniff of resistance, at the first sign of credible opposition, the Egyptians ran from the deal – ran home with their tail between their legs. The Egyptians left this little nation facing a very angry Babylonia – the finest fighting machine of that age. And this is why Jerusalem was so afraid.

Because in 587BC the Babylonian machine arrived to teach them a lesson! They had parked their behemoth army just outside Jerusalem and were starving them out. Planning an assault that Jerusalem had no chance of resisting.

Within the walls of the city, the people did not know what tomorrow would bring. Doomsday seemed just around the corner – would they be slaughtered, raped, mutilated? Or would they be dragged off into exile, away from the Promised Land, the Temple, the city – the place they believed God’s presence was located.

Today’s focus reading powerfully describes the feelings of the city at this time: ‘Cries of fear are heard – terror not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then, why do I see every strong man with his hand on his stomach like a woman in labour, every face turned deathly pale?’

I am reminded of the sign over the entrance to hell in Dante’s work – ‘Abandon hope all ye who enter here.’ That same sign could have been put up on Jerusalem’s gate, such was their fear of what tomorrow could bring.

This Lent we are tracking Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and the inevitability of the cross that awaited him there. Have you ever wondered how Jesus felt about that – about a journey that would take him only to suffering and hurt?

We all have moments where the fear of the future grips our souls and threatens to strangle the life out of us. Major fears regarding tomorrow; anxieties and stresses causes us to clutch our burning stomachs in worry.

Know that this is not God’s plan for you. God does not want us to live in fear and worry, but in peace and trust. Over the next week we will be discussing exactly how God can help us deal with our fears of tomorrow. Although we will remember Jesus’ own experiences in his journey to Jerusalem and the cross, we will be taking a slight diversion by looking more carefully at the story of Jeremiah because it contains a wealth of wisdom concerning how we might deal with our fears for the future.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Loving God, we bring before you every fear and concern that we are struggling with. Whether they are major fears or mild anxieties we know that you do not desire us to be robbed of life because of them. We place our trust in you and you alone. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Jeremiah 30 : 4-6

‘Cries of fear are heard – terror not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then, why do I see every strong man with his hand on his stomach like a woman in labour, very face turned deathly pale?’ – Jeremiah 30. 4-6