Oct 22: “He Alone Is Lord”

In the scriptures, being anointed usually meant you were a prophet or king of Israel. Anointing was a sign that God had chosen you for that job. But it was almost unheard of to call a king from another country anointed. So why is Cyrus given that title? Cyrus was king of Persia when the Babylonians held the people of Israel captive. God used him to defeat the Babylonians and eventually bring the Israelites back to their homes.

In our first reading, we hear the Lord’s words to Cyrus about God’s plan for Israel. Notice that God is in charge: telling Cyrus what God will do, making other kings run from him, opening doors or gates that might have blocked Cyrus’ armies—all for a king who doesn’t even know God. Cyrus only knew the Persian gods. That is why the reading says several times that there is no God but the Lord.

One thing this tells us is that God can work through anyone, not just saints and religious. Any time someone does a good deed, God is behind it. Just as God used Cyrus to free the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity, God can use governments to protect the poor, to help rebuild after disasters, to defend freedom.

In that sense, we can understand what Jesus says about payment to Caesar and to God. Since everything belongs to God, that should be our first allegiance. When a government does not protect the weakest or the rights of the poor, it should be accountable. But when God works through governments, we can give some support to them by such activities as voting, or paying taxes. Let us ask God to work through us also, helping us to proclaim that God alone is Lord.

Tom Schmidt