WE ARE GOD’S WORK OF ART, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS

IV SUNDAY OF LENT - 2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23

The history of the people of Israel is not much different from the history of any other people. They went up and down, turned left and right; they went through times of peace and times of war, times of prosperity and times of poverty. And they went through times of religious fervour and times of indifference and even apostasy. What is different about them is that they were able to reflect upon their history and find in it God’s presence and action. They read their history as a dialogue and an interaction with God, in such a way that God is never absent from their history. Surely this capacity to look back and see the presence of God is possible only through God’s inspiration.

The book of Chronicles presents a rereading of the history of the people of Israel through the lenses of God’s plan. Yes, God had a plan for his people and he was going to carry it out despite the people’ infidelities. Thus, the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians are seen as God’s punishment for their continuous betrayal of the covenant. However, God remains faithful to his word and promises. Most of the people of Judah were taken as prisoners of war to Babylon and there remained for seventy years, seen as a sabbath for the land and the nation of Israel. During that period, while in a foreign land, people became aware of their sin and felt confronted by God who called them to repentance and renewal. After that, liberation came. And we get a big surprise, realising that God’s salvific and liberating presence takes place through the hands of a stranger. Cyrus king of Persia established his empire through conquest. Entering Babylon, Cyrus established a new policy, which allowed the conquered and dominated peoples to live in their land and follow their culture and religion. Thus, many Jews went back to the land of Israel, rebuilt the temple and reestablished the cult prescribed by the Law of Moses. Cyrus was seen as the liberator sent by God to set his people free. He was considered an anticipation of the Messiah, the Anointed of the Lord, who brings salvation to Israel and the world. The coming of Cyrus was the assurance that God had not forgotten the promise he had made to his people.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reflects on God’s plan of salvation, a plan that His love and mercy. Indeed, “God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy” (Ep 4:4). Despite our sin, God saved us and brought us to life through Jesus Christ. We are not saved, because we are clever, rich and powerful or because we good, honest and just. We are sinners and, due to our sin, we are unable to attain salvation. We are saved by grace: “not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done so that nobody can claim the credit.” From beginning to end, “We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.” (Ep 2:10).