Daybreaks: Daily Reflections for Lent & Easter
by Ron Rolheiser, OMI

“For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord,
our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?”.

(DEUTERONOMY 4:7)

The Gospels recount an incident where Jesus goes to the synagogue on a Sabbath, stands to read, and quotes a text from Isaiah – except he doesn’t quote it fully. He omits a part that would have been known to his listeners. It describes Isaiah’s vision of what will be the sign that God has finally broken into the world and irrevocably changed things.

For Isaiah, the sign that God is now ruling the earth will be good news for the poor, consolation for the broken-hearted, freedom for the enslaved, grace abundant for everyone, and vengeance on the wicked. Notice, though, when Jesus quotes this, he leaves out the part about vengeance and seeing the wicked punished.

In heaven we will be given what we’re owed and more (unmerited gifts, forgiveness we don’t deserve, joy beyond imagining), but it seems we will not be given that catharsis we so much want here on earth: the “joy” of seeing the wicked punished.
 

We know we need God’s mercy, but if grace is true for us, it has to be true for everyone. If forgiveness is given to us, it must be given to everybody. And if God does”not avenge our misdeeds, God must not avenge the misdeed of others, either. Such is the logic of grace and such is the love of God, to whom we must attune ourselves” (26).