Meditation: Zechariah 2:5 (1) I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 6 (2) I asked, “Where are you going?” He said to me, “To measure Yerushalayim, to determine its width and length.”
7 (3) Here the angel who was speaking to me went forward, and another angel went out, met him 8 (4) and said to him, “Run and tell this young man, ‘Yerushalayim will be inhabited without walls, because there will be so many people and animals; 9 (5) “for,” says Adonai, “I will be for her a wall of fire surrounding her; and I will be the glory within her. 14 (10) “Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says Adonai. 15 (11) When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Adonai. “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you.Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs (Optional Memorial)
I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst. (Zechariah 2:9)
How many friends did you have when you were five years old? If you had a birthday party, they could have probably all fit around your kitchen table.
How many friends do you have today? Not just your closest friends, but the people who know you and like you—and vice versa. You’d need far more space than your kitchen table to accommodate them! In fact, they might not all fit inside your home!
That’s the message that the angel gives to the man with the measuring stick in Zechariah’s vision. God doesn’t want to limit the number of his friends. His kingdom has no walls. No restrictions at all. He wants to gather people from every nation to be with him. He promises to make room for them—even to keep them safe by “encircling” them with a “wall of fire” (Zechariah 2:9).
Imagine how shocking this must have been to the people of this time. A city without protecting walls? Comingling with people from other nations and religions? Unthinkable!
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when he inaugurated the kingdom of God. Everyone is welcome, no matter who they are or what their lives look like. Anyone who passes through the wall of fire—through the gift of repentance and faith—is greeted as a new family member, with warm smiles and open arms.
Are there times when you have walked around with a measuring stick? Times when you have limited the people that you seek friendships with or the people you consider worthy of the kingdom of God? It’s easy to share Christ with our church friends, but God has a much bigger plan in mind. He wants us to pull down the walls we build around our hearts so that we can invite everyone to join us in the kingdom.
Put aside your measuring stick today, and reach out to people outside your circle of comfort. You don’t need to evangelize; just get to know them, and let them get to know you. Let them see the glory of God dwelling in you so that they, too, will desire to live in such a safe, beautiful kingdom of God.
“Thank you, Lord, for fulfilling your promise for a universal church. Help me to search for friends to bring home to you.” Amen!
(Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10 (11) For Adonai has ransomed Ya‘akov,
redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
11 (12) They will come and sing on the heights of Tziyon,
streaming to the goodness of Adonai,
to the grain, the wine, the olive oil,
and the young of the flock and the herd.
They themselves will be like a well-watered garden,
never to languish again.
12 (13) “Then the virgin will dance for joy,
young men and old men together;
for I will turn their mourning into joy,
comfort and gladden them after their sorrow.
13 (14) I will give the cohanim their fill of rich food,
and my people will be satisfied with my bounty,” says Adonai.
Luke 9:43 All were struck with amazement at the greatness of God. While they were all marvelling at everything Yeshua was doing, he said to his talmidim, 44 “Listen very carefully to what I’m going to say. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they didn’t understand what he meant by this. It had been concealed from them so that they would not grasp its meaning, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
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