History has valuable lessons for us. That is my topic for today.
History has valuable lessons for us and I will begin with an example.
Some day The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall. Every year scientists travel to the town of Pisa to measure the gradual changes that are taking place. They say that the tower, which was built in 1173, moves about one-twentieth of an inch each year and is now 17 feet off center.
The word “pisa” means “marshy land,” which gives us a clue as to why the tower of Pisa began to lean even before it was completed. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning is because it is built on a faulty foundation. Wetlands do not provide a solid foundation for a building.
History has given us a valuable lesson. A building needs a solid foundation.
In today’s Gospel, Saint Luke is saying that History has a valuable lesson for us. Luke is pointing to what took place in 539 B.C. and he is saying, “Please remember what God did in those days.” The people were living in slavery in Babylon and God said, “I am sending you a liberator to set you free from your slavery.” “And who is that liberator?” the people said.
“The king of Persia.” God said. “Oh sure!” the people said. “Just another dictator who will force us to be his slaves.” “You are so wrong.” God said. “The King of Persia is compassionate. He will let you return to your homeland and rebuild your temple.” The people hesitated to believe what God was saying until Isaiah spoke up. He said, “God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow."
Put your faith in God.
God sent Moses to liberate us from slavery in Egypt and now God is sending the King of Persia to liberate from our slavery in Babylon. History has a valuable lesson for us. God has a history of sending liberators to save his people.”
A short time later the King of Persia defeated the Babylonians and he liberated the people and sent them back to Jerusalem. God has a history of sending liberators to save his people.
History has valuable lessons for us. And Salvation History tells us what God is like and what God is doing for his people.
In today’s gospel the sacred author is saying, “God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow... And the future will be good because God is sending a new liberator to his people. God gave us Moses. God gave us the King of Persia. And now God is giving us Jesus of Nazareth. He is a liberator but not a political liberator. He is a spiritual liberator. He will set us free from the power of sin. He will set us free from the power of the devil.
In today’s gospel John the Baptist says that we must be prepared or we will miss God’s gift of liberation. John says, “Repent. Turn away from sin. Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
Prepare for the next chapter in the history of liberation. John says that if we repent we will see the salvation of God and our liberator will be Jesus, his cousin.
What will this liberation consist of? It means that we will be free to serve others without seeking any reward. We will be free to be faithful. Faithful to our families, faithful to our friends, faithful to our church, faithful to our country, faithful to our community.
Fidelity is not a prominent virtue in our culture. But we gladly embrace it because Jesus has set free to be faithful. We are also free to stay in relationship with everyone.
Jesus stayed in relationship with difficult people: Samaritans and Romans and Pharisees and sinners and tax collectors.
Going back to the beginning….. I believe that history has valuable lessons for us. And Salvation History teaches us that God is always sending liberators to his people.
He sent Jesus to liberate us from the power of sin so that we can be free to serve without seeking reward and free to be faithful and free to stay in relationship with everyone. We now ask for the grace that we need to exercise those spiritual freedoms… Free to serve, free to be faithful and free to stay in relationship with everyone.