The Fall of a Great City

Reflection on Today's Readings, 12th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, Friday 26th, 2020
Texts: 2kgs. 25:1-12; Ps. 137:1-6; Mtt. 8:1-4
 Great was the fall of Jerusalem, a city once recognized as unconquerable. A city falls when she does not recognize that God is able and always willing to save and deliver. The leper, in the  gospel, recognized that Jesus was able to heal him and he said, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean".  This is an acknowledgement and affirmation of God's power to heal.  Healing begins when we acknowledge God's power to do so. Acknowledgement of his power to heal opens us up to experience it. God, in his own part, is always willing and ever there to encounter us.
The people of Judah were example of people who refused to acknowledge God's power to deliver them; they were not open to experience the power of God and so fear got hold of them and they fled before their enemies.
The story of Zedekiah reminds us that if we make a pact with the devil, he will demand so much from us that we will not be able to pay and so he will turn back and deal with us. King Zedekiah was installed as a king by King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. When King Zedekiah could not keep the term of agreement between him and King of Babylon, he betrayed him. King Nebuchadnezzar dealt with him; he killed his sons and plucked out his eyes. He made him a living dead, a man living in despair and eagerly begging death to come. That is what devil does to us; he promises position, power, wealth, fame, but demands our lives and make us live in despair and fear in the midst of wealth and fake glory throughout our lives. So many are living this day in regret of making pact with the devil. Anyone who could imagine how king Zedekiah lived the rest of his life, we fear devil and run away from him.

Lord our God, always keep and enfold us in your love that we may never go astray from you. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke