( Ezekiel 22:23-31 ) - [ Deutsch ]
I would like you to imagine that you are approaching a small town on the banks of the Euphrates River. Somewhere in the great kingdom of Babylon. It's market day and people have come to shop, trade and hear the latest information. News from near and far. Voices can be heard everywhere in the square. Of course, one hears bits of Babylonian language, Aramaic sounds, other foreign languages, and Hebrew, because most of the settlers in the town itself or in the surrounding area have been forcibly settled here by the great king. The ruler led military campaigns, also to Israel. His population policy consisted of taking most of the defeated enemies out of their land and assigning them a place to live somewhere in the Babylonian Empire. In this way, he can better control them and prevent uprisings in their home country.
On one side of the market square, the voices are particularly loud. They are quarrelling. You can hear angry statements, irritated voices. In between, there are calls to calm down. Speeches are given in the marketplace to make something known to a lot of people gathered there. Around the year 580 BC there is no radio, no television, no internet in Babylonia. If you want to make something known, you need to reach people personally by using gripping words. And they want to listen. This is one of the reasons why they have come: to hear new things. But they also need to remember what they hear if they are to pass it on. The loudest voices are those of Hebrew speakers. There is an argument among the Israelites. Their discussions and quarrels often revolve around their God, or rather: about their relationship to God and how to live according to God's commandments. Things often get tough. For example, God had promised to give them the land where they lived before the Babylonian king's campaign. Yes, they even believed that he had personally led them to the land of Israel. That was a rock-solid belief.
And now they are here. Without a country of their own, far away from home. Even far away from their God? There are different opinions on this. Some say: God has lost to the Babylonian gods; so, they must be worshiped now. Others say: Our so-called God does not exist here, we need to make the best of our situation, do business, make profits and live as good a life as possible in Babylon. A third group insists that God wants to teach them a new chapter of their faith, and some even say that this exile is a punishment from God that must be patiently accepted. Until he pardons them again and maybe leads them back home after all. The elderly especially rave about the good old days and long for them.
One speaker attracts them in particular: Ezekiel is his name. His message is harsh and clear. Prophets are sent by God to bring people a message. Some believe the prophets, some find them ridiculous, some strongly reject what they say. This is what Jesus did: setting an example, speaking provocatively and having direct contact with God. It is not uncommon for counter-prophets to appear who also refer to God but proclaim the opposite. They are often in close contact with the powerful, the kings and temple priests, who are primarily concerned with their money, their power and their position in society.
Ezekiel himself used to be a priest in Jerusalem before his deportation to the Babylonian exile, serving in the temple daily. Now he stands as a prophet in the marketplace of a small town. He speaks harsh words. The Israelites in exile have not heard such accusations for a long time. He says: Your exile, your abduction to Babylon, is a punishment from God. You have not kept the commandments that God has given you, so now you are in this situation. You don't have to blame God for your misfortunes, it's your own fault. You preferred to accumulate wealth, to allow injustice, to oppress people, to prophesy falsehoods, to hurt the poor, the wretched, and strangers.
His speech on that day has been handed down. Let's listen to his denunciation according to today’s text.
23 Again the word of the Lord came to me:
24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’
25 There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.
26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.
28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.
29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.
30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Harsh words—God is angry. No wonder some are outraged and arguing. But that is precisely the task of the prophets. To shake people up so that they can find their way back to God and His commandments. God's commandments want to show the way to a good coexistence. Without signposts, you get lost, times get bad, good order is thrown into disarray.
Ezekiel's words are recorded in the Bible.
At some point, his words to the people of Israel change. He then stops talking about God's wrath. God's mercy prevails. Then Ezekiel no longer accuses, he comforts the people and proclaims a new devotion of God to his people.
This is the task of the prophets among the people of Israel. They are supposed to show people where they have deviated from God's commandments and to call them to repentance. It is not irrelevant that Jesus' first words in the Gospel of Mark end with: "Repent, repent, and believe in the gospel!" Repentance means changing our lives where we have strayed from God's will. It means thinking about how I need to change and the way forward. Thus, Ezekiel is one of the founding fathers of the Day of Repentance and Prayer.
In both Judaism and Christianity, this is brought to the foreground at certain times: the need for examination and, if necessary, change – visible, tangible, in the truest sense of the word, improving the world.
What should I do today? What do we need to change in our lives as individuals, as a community of faith, as a society?
Today is a day to think about that.
And wherever is discussed in committees, in the church or in the government, it can lead to arguments.
There will be people, yes, some can also be called "prophets", who will provoke loud discussions, perhaps indignation. And sometimes you need that. Especially where you have settled in too comfortably. So, it's good to have someone shake you up and ask: what are you doing?
What we learn from Ezekiel today is the realization that our faith also belongs in the marketplace, in the public sphere, amid social discussions. Wherever we live, in our families, at work, in the groups and circles we move in, we should take a stand and speak our minds. And to represent the values that are important to us by following Jesus. You shall love the Lord your God, and your neighbour as yourself. If we take this to heart, all our discussions will lead in the right direction.
We will feel God's mercy. That is our hope. Amen
