The first reading is taken from the Book of Zechariah. The historical background of the Book of Zechariah is closely tied to the post-exilic period of Israel’s history. After the Babylonian Empire conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BCE, many Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon for a period of around seventy years. Following the fall of Babylon to the Persian Empire under King Cyrus the Great in 538 BCE, Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. This marked the beginning of the post-exilic period and the subsequent waves of Jewish returnees to Jerusalem.
Many of last week’s reading were from the same period taken from Ezra and Haggai – both writing from the same period, both describing the problems facing the returning exiles from within and from outside the community. Underlying all three prophets is the topic of how to remain faithful under the pressures from life – not unlike the same question we face in our own times.
Our reading is the capstone of eight visions that come just before our text. These visions are filled with symbolism and convey messages of God’s presence, protection, and judgment upon the nations that oppressed Israel. The Responsorial, taken from Zech 8:23, captures the summary: “God is with us.” What is the capstone? That many nations will join themselves to the Lord. This was an idea first raised in Zech 2:2, and is again taken up and expanded to form the conclusion of this part of the book. Jerusalem will be the rallying-point for huge processions, intent on finding the secret of joy and gladness, truth and peace, that the Jews enjoy.
The reading is not just a message of comfort to the returned exiles, it is also a challenge to live the hope and promise now so as to shine a light to the nations: “take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” The people are to lead others to the Lord; leading them as though they are blind – all because of the witness of joy and gladness, truth and peace radiating from their lives.
Like the returning exiles, we too face our own challenges. As Romans 5:5 notes – the love of God has been poured into our hearts. Do we pour that same love into the world so that others come to us to say: “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Image Credit: Zechariah, Young-Catholics.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0