Life in Exile; The Jesus Factor

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How shall we sing the LORD’s song
In a foreign land?
~ Psalm 137:4

Psalm 137 is a lament of Israel while in exile in Babylon. They are being taunted because Jerusalem, the central symbol of their Kingdom lies in ruins. "Hey, Jew, tell us about your great kingdom! Ha! Ha!" To which they reply, "God, show your mercy to us and bring down judgment on those who stand between you and the glory you deserve."
 
Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel like the hardships and persecutions in your life are keeping God from receiving His glory? Often we feel frustrated in life for selfish reasons, but there are times when our hearts are right, when we want God to bless and restore for His glory. In those times, we struggle with the question, "How can I sing praises to God when my life is in exile from his presence (blessings)?"
 
Israel's response was to pray for God's glory to be manifest in the destruction and punishment of God's enemies. I think this was a right response for the time. They loved the Lord and wanted God to be glorified. Therefore, they proclaim, "Blessed be the one who brings destruction on your enemies." With God's enemies dealt with, His glory would shines through life's circumstances. His kingdom would be seen.
 
Enter the Carpenter from Galilee, Jesus. He says,
 
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." ~Matthew 5:43-45
 

 
So, what's the difference? Is Jesus criticizing the zeal of Israel for God's glory? No. He's offering, in himself, a new solution for dealing with God's enemies: Love. He's offering a new central symbol to the Kingdom: Himself. He changes the way we ask the question of Psalm 137:4, and the way we write out the rest of the passage, by His life, His death, and His resurrection.
 
Now, instead of praying, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?" with resignation and the weight of impossibility, we can pray it with hope and confidence. We don't say, "How could we be expected to praise God when our situation makes His glory impossible?" Rather, we ask, "How can we actually show His glory in the midst of these circumstances?" Because of Jesus, God's solution is no longer to destroy His enemies, but to destroy their status as enemies by adopting them into his people through Christ. 
 
So, today, how can we live our life in the midst of hardship and struggle in such a way so that the enemies of God (just as we once were) will be able to come to Christ and join in with His people, so that God's glory will be seen through their reconciliation? "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?"
 

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