November 27

No revolution can create a new man—that will never be anything but compulsion; but God can create him from within. The fact that we can expect this gives new hope even to the course of history. Above all, however, no answer to the question of justice and freedom is sufficient if it does not take into consideration the problem of death. If it is only an unforeseeable future that will eventually bring justice, then all those who have died previously in history have been deceived. It is of no use to them to be told that they have cooperated in preparing the way for liberation and have entered into it to that extent. As a matter of fact, they have not entered into it but have departed from history without having received justice. That is why a consistently Marxist thinker like Theodor Adorno has said that if there is to be justice, there must also be justice for those who have died. A liberation that finds its ultimate limit in death is no real liberation. Until the question of death has been resolved, everything is unreal and contradictory. Hence faith in the resurrection of the dead is the point from which it is possible to speak at all of justice for history or meaningful to struggle for it. Only if there is a resurrection of the dead is it meaningful to die for the sake of justice. For only in that case is justice more than power; only in that case is it reality; otherwise it is just an idea. That is also why the certainty of a last judgment was for centuries the power that kept the mighty in their place. Every one of us is subject to this same standard—that is the equality of man from which no one is exempt. The last judgment does not dispense us, then, from the effort to create justice in history; it actually gives meaning to this effort and protects its commitment from arbitrariness. So, too, the Kingdom of God is not just an uncertain future. Only if we already belong to it in this life will we belong to it then. It is not eschatological faith that drives the Kingdom into the future but topia, for the future of utopia has no present and its hour never comes.

From: Kirche, Ökumene und Politik, p. 242

 Ratzinger, J., Co-Workers of the Truth: Meditations for Every Day of the Year (ed. I. Grassl) (San Francisco 1992) 373-374.

November 27: When Hezekiah Gave Away the Farm

2 Kings 18:13–19:37; Ephesians 2:1–3:21; Proverbs 8:19–26

After the announcement that Hezekiah “did right in the eyes of Yahweh,” the next description comes as a surprise: “At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh and the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave them to the king of Assyria” (2 Kgs 18:3, 16).

For a moment Hezekiah was a strong king over Israel—he abolished idolatry and refused to obey the king of Assyria (2 Kgs 18:4, 7). As 2 Kings 18:6 describes, “He held on to Yahweh; he did not depart from following him, and he kept his commands that Yahweh had commanded Moses.” But Hezekiah did not possess fortitude (see 2 Kgs 18:13–18). In an attempt to gain peace, he gave away not only treasures, but even pieces of Yahweh’s temple itself (2 Kgs 18:15–16).

We’ve all been in situations where it’s tempting to do anything for peace. Perhaps we’ve even compromised our ethics or values in these moments. But no matter the situation, giving away the farm like Hezekiah did is never the answer. Politicians often talk about “peace at all costs,” but our world is full of dilemmas that don’t allow for that option.

When desperate situations arise, we must have fortitude. We must seek solace in God and His will instead of giving in. If we make a decision based on the circumstances, it will be the wrong one. If we make our decisions based on prayer, we will make the correct moves.

Hezekiah could have relied on God when Sennacherib came knocking on his door and knocking down the cities of Judah, but he didn’t. He paid a high price for his decision; the cost was his relationship with Yahweh. Even death is preferable to that.

Sometimes our decisions are more important than we realize because they may involve our relationship with God. We must let that relationship drive our decision-making. Rather than being distracted by fear, anxiety, pressure, or even concern for anyone else, we must focus on God and His will; He alone will look out for us and others. We must give Him the opportunity to act.

What decisions do you need God’s intercession for?

John D. Barry

 Barry, J. D. – Kruyswijk, R., Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA 2012).