Hope In the Land of Exile

As I look at the cultural landscape of this past year, I realize we are not much different than the Jewish people at the time of Jesus’ birth. 

One could make the case that the Jews living in Israel during Jesus’ day were a people in exile. They were people of faith living in their own land, yet under Roman occupation and rule. Though they weren’t physically removed from their homeland, many felt disconnected or even disinherited from their faith. It had been so long since God seemed to be Present among them, as He was in the days of old when prophets roamed the land.

Some faithful followers of God were eagerly anticipating the Messiah to appear and save them. They were longing to hear from God again. It had been more than 400 years since the last prophet had spoken, so they were waiting with expectation for God to break the silence.  

But there were also those who had lost hope of ever hearing or experiencing God’s voice. Discouraged and weighed down by generations dying without seeing the Messiah, some had grown depressed and disillusioned, quietly giving up hope.

Others were forgetting or even abandoning their faith heritage altogether. Distracted by the world around them, many were drawn to the Roman way of life. Over time, some had assimilated so deeply into Roman culture that it began to shape their identity more than their faith. (I think of people like Matthew, a tax collector who, although a Jew, was disrespected by his own people because of his affiliation with the Roman government.)

In many ways today, we are just like these weary Jews on the eve of the first Christmas.

We live as people shaped by the culture around us, yet as Christians, we’re ultimately people in exile - citizens of a heavenly kingdom in a foreign land. We eagerly wait for our Messiah and King to come again. Philippians 3:20 reminds us, ^“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NASB1995)

If you feel like those who waited so long to hear from God that they lost confidence in recognizing His voice, or experiencing His presence – I want you to know that God has something for you this Christmas.

He has something that will impact your life, no matter what season you’re in or what spiritual state you find yourself in. Jesus says in Matthew 7:7-8 to ask, to seek and to knock, because God still speaks, still responds, and still draws near.  

We may be exiles, but we do not have an exiled King. The Kingdom of God is not merely a future hope; it’s a present reality. 

In our political climate, in this cultural moment, and even in our personal lives, we may feel lost, hopeless, adrift - like exiles. Yet one of my prayers for us is that we would remember this: even when we feel adrift, we are tethered to the anchor of our souls – Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 6:18-19 says, our hope is sure and steadfast. Though we may feel uncertain in the cultural and political climate of our day, or in the circumstances of our lives, we are citizens of a different country. 

Our King is not exiled. He is not lost. And He is certainly not powerless.