From Destruction to Restoration: The Enduring Promise of Hope
June 28, 2024 - Friday, Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
2 Kings 25:1-12
In 2 Samuel 7, the Lord made "an everlasting covenant" with David, promising that his house and his kingdom would be established forever (see 2 Samuel 7:4-16). From 1000 to 586 BC, the Davidic monarchy dominated the life of Israel. But then the Babylonians came, burned the temple and the city, and Zedekiah, the last king to sit on the throne of David, was bound "in fetters and brought" to Babylon (2 Kings 25:7).
Reflecting on this tragedy, the psalmist asks: "Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?" (Psalm 89:50). Centuries later, the disciples of Jesus were still asking: "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). The historical circumstances did not permit the restoration of the Davidic kingdom, but the hope for this restoration never died among the people of Israel.
Our first reading is accompanied by Psalm 137. It reflects the tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent deportation of the Jewish population to Babylon. The Jewish exiles sat by the rivers of Babylon, the Tigris and Euphrates, and were asked by their captors to sing “the songs of Zion!” But how could they sing those joyful songs while still remembering the atrocities committed by the Babylonians?
The Book of Lamentations meditates on that immense tragedy that brought a certain epoch to an end. "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave" (Lamentations 1:1). The words of the Book of Lamentations and the tragedy of Jerusalem remind me of so many tragedies that brought ancient and modern worlds, cultures, and lifestyles to an end.
The Jewish Bible ends with the edict of the Persian king, Cyrus, issued in 539 BC that allowed the Jewish exiles to return to the Promised Land and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple (see 2 Chronicles 36:22-23). The Old Testament in our Catholic Bible ends with the Book of Malachi, which looks forward to the coming of Elijah and the Day of the Lord (see Malachi 3:22-23).
The tragedy of 586 BC was not the last act of God in the history of salvation, and the Davidic dynasty did not die with the death of Zedekiah. The Gospel of Matthew introduces us to the Messiah's ancestral line, which brought the line of David to its fulfilment (see Matthew 1:1-17). Our tragedies also do not signify a final victory of evil over good. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not end with His crucifixion but with His resurrection, and the entire Bible does not end with the destruction of the world but with a vision of a new heaven and a new earth (see Revelation 21-22).
A powerful symbol of this hope is seen in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Photos of Warsaw at the end of World War II might suggest a city beyond repair, yet today it stands beautifully restored, surpassing even its former glory as 'The Paris of the East.' This transformation serves as a testament to resilience and renewal, embodying the promise of new beginnings and the power of God's steadfast love in our lives.