Called to Construction
Haggai 1:1-15; Rev 2:18-29; Matt 23:27-39
It was one of the most profound moments of our time doing relief work in northern Japan. The man’s house was rubble, as were so many of the local homes. Our team came in to help, and as always, we submitted to the concerns of the ‘host’ rather than following our own agenda. Instead of any rebuilding or cleaning of his home, however, he asked us to clean his fields. His was a relatively small plot of land from which he shared the produce with his neighbors. It was more important to this man to clean his field than repair his house because to have a field that was producing spoke hope to the community, in this man’s view. What a profound testimony this was to us.
The prophet Haggai starts off with an admonition to those Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem that they had focused their attention toward resettlement, building their own homes while the Temple of the Lord remained sitting in ruin. This temple of the Lord stands as a symbol for the kingdom of Yahweh, that which we have been given access through Jesus Christ. It also stands as a reminder that our own elevation is not to be our pursuit, but rather it is to further the building of this kingdom. In his address to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, Jesus turned his attention to the entire population, referring to them by the one moniker, ‘Jerusalem.’ His desire was to draw them all into himself, his kingdom, giving protection and comfort. Their refusal to hear the proclamations of the prophets of old left their own house hollow and desolate. Their failure to build up the kingdom was due to their hypocrisy.
This passage in Matthew 23 is a hopeful message. Jesus continues to send his messengers (v. 34). When we turn our hearts to the Lord in praise, we see Yahweh (v.39). For many, this will be the end of their days. For those who would turn their hearts to the Lord, allowing themselves to be gathered together into his presence, we can see the Lord everywhere. We are surrounded by the manifest witness of his creation, and in the faces of those who minister to us and are ministered to by us. As we proclaim, “blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,” we recognize that there are many who are sent to us with a prophet’s witness. For it is possible to hear Yahweh’s voice in that of the homeless just as much as it is in the braying of a donkey. For those who have ears to hear, they will hear.