Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Jesus Christ who leads to a New Vision

Ezekiel 37: 1-14

The scripture portion that we meditate on is the ‘Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones’. The vision begins with the spirit of the Lord bringing out the prophet to the middle of a valley that was filled with bones. These dry bones denote hopelessness. This is the same condition of the Babylonian exiles who had no hopes of returning to their homeland, nor being restored to their pre-exilic condition. The dried-up bones clearly express this irreparable condition of the people who had lost their priesthood and rituals, monarchy and respect, temple and its splendor, and the city of David and its honor. In Ezekiel 37:11, we read “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off”.

Realizing the presence of the Sovereign Lord
Even amid this dire hopelessness, the prophet realizes and submits himself before the presence of the sovereign Lord. It is a perfect submission. When asked,” Son of Man, can these bones live?”, the answer is clear, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know”. How can a man surrounded by nothing but desperate hopelessness submit before the sovereign presence of God? In verse 1 we read, “The hand of the Lord was upon me”. When we realize that it is God who has been guiding our paths and leading us through all our ways, we are able to see light even in the midst of darkness. For that, we should know the Lord. After Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples had gone fishing and were returning after an unsuccessful night. Jesus, whom they had not recognized, appeared, asked them whether they had caught any fish, and asked them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Seeing the large number of fish they had caught, John quickly realized the man on the shore was Jesus. John knew who Jesus was and he knew what the sovereign presence of Jesus could do. John clearly knew that submission to His will, and obedience to His word could bring hope in the midst of hopelessness. After this incident, the disciples who were just followers take the step forward to be leaders with whom Jesus entrusted the mission to ‘make disciples of all nations’. The presence of the risen Lord leads them to their mission and vision.

Accepting the seemingly impossible commission from the Lord
“Prophesy to these bones”- This is the Lord’s commissioning that Ezekiel willingly accepts. The Lord says that when these bones come to life with the spirit of the Lord in them, they will know that the Lord of Israel is the one true God. Ezekiel is declaring to the people who are in exile in Babylon that the Lord’s presence is with them and is displacing the long-held view of the immobility of God. He is asserting the perpetual presence of God. This same presence is promised by the birth of Jesus Christ. God as Immanuel. Ezekiel’s willingness to believe in the power of the Word of the Lord makes the miracle happen. The impossible can be made possible only if we believe in God’s power.  Ezekiel accepted the commission of prophesying to the dead bones so that it could live again with the power of the Spirit.  Jesus accepted the commission of embracing the cross so that we, the dead sinners could have eternal life. He walked up to the cross accepting it as a commission from the Lord His father. The path that Jesus took to Calvary passed through Gethsemane. He showed us how he acquired the strength to accept his father’s will as his own. Submitting ourselves before the power of the one true God leads us to perform His will for the glory of His name.
 
Prayer
Lord, help us to submit ourselves before your will. Grant us the strength to obey your word even in the midst of hopelessness so that we may live for the glory of your name, Amen.
 
Dr. Teena T. Elizabeth
Ascension Mar Thoma Church, Philadelphia

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