The following is a lightly edited text of a sermon delivered by then acting president of the Provincial Elders Conference (PEC) of the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Rev Phyllis Smith Seymour. Her main text was Zechariah 9:12. She was later elected president.

Zechariah , whose name means “Yahweh remembers”, was one of the postexilic prophets. His ministry synchronised with that of Haggai’s prophetic messages. They ministered among the exiles who returned to their homeland in 536 BC. It is said that the exiles who returned under the edict of Cyrus were among the poorest of the Jewish captives. Some 50,000 people returned under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Quickly they rebuilt the altar and began construction of the temple. Soon, however, they were beset with opposition.

For about 12 years construction was choked by discouragement and preoccupation with other pursuits. It is not strange when there is serious work to be done (especially for God) that the enemy finds a way to oppose. Opposition included harassment and infiltration in an effort to undermine and sidetrack the work. Zechariah and Haggai urged the people to return to the Lord and His purpose to restore the ruined temple.

In Haggai 2: 4-5 God spoke to the people through the prophet asking: “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in panelled (ceiled) houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!”

Zechariah went on to encourage God’s people by pointing them to a day when the Messiah would rule from a restored temple in a restored city. The book itself begins with the impassioned word of the Lord for the people to repent and turn to their God. The people are called upon to repent of their lethargy and complete the unfinished task. God then assured His people of His love and care for them through a series of eight visions (in the first six chapters). The visions are followed by a coronation scene in which Joshua is crowned as both king and priest (this is powerfully symbolic of the coming Messiah).

Chapters nine to 14 contain messages about the last things (eschatology). Chapter nine speaks to God’s promise to deliver His people. The text is strangely placed during ordinary time, when the lectionary focuses on the life of the church with such themes as discipleship, vocation, and mission. The text thus turns out to be perfectly suited for reflection on life in ordinary time, as it encourages us to live out our resurrection faith by breaking free from our prisons of old expectations.

What may we learn from the message which God gave through Zechariah?

How relevant is this word to us as a Church?

Rejoice!

Among other things, Zechariah issues a call to rejoice: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!” Why is there a call to rejoice? The call to rejoice was within a context where joy may have been absent or at a low ebb. They would have felt weak, inadequate, full of self-pity, battered, worn, they were just a remnant. It is said that the exiles who returned under the edict of Cyrus were among the poorer of the Jewish captives. Maybe there was no light in their eyes. Maybe their heads were bowed; not in prayer but in shame or embarrassment. They might have been thinking about family members still in exile. They might have been attempting to do good work of building the temple but they had lost interest. It was at this time that God, through His prophet, challenged them to rejoice.

As Moravians, as Christians, as members of the Church of our Saviour Jesus Christ, do we need that call today to rejoice? The answer may be a resounding ‘Yes!’ How were they expected to rejoice? Greatly! The focus of their joy was the crowning of their King Joshua. That was important to them as they now had their own king after living under a foreign king in exile. It was a partial understanding that they had. Just maybe the prophet himself did not have the full understanding when he said: “See your king comes, righteous and having salvation…”

We are in the privileged position to know that Zechariah spoke of Christ the Messiah in a prophesy that was fulfilled approximately 540 years later. Who should be the object or the source of our rejoicing? Who inspires our joy? Our King! The Messiah! God still expects people to rejoice. What is the context for our rejoicing today? What is our situation today? We live in a world in which countries face acts of terrorism — suicide bombing, vehicle running into pedestrians on London Bridge. We hear of a whole town being held hostage. In our country, gunmen terrorise many communities, and there is rampant killing. This year is a record-breaking year so far. Can you imagine 136 citizens killed violently in May, and 150 in June? These include children, pregnant teenagers, women, and senior citizens.

Our Church has been in the limelight in a negative way. The witness might be shaken. Morale, drive, our spirit might be at its lowest ebb. Focus on such events can lead to depression. We want to give up. What reason do we have to be joyful? From the text, I submit to you that our reason for unbridled joy and rejoicing should be in Jesus Christ our Lord, Saviour, friend, and king, our redeemer!

So our joy is not dependent on which party is in power, or who is the Member of Parliament. It doesn’t depend on who is minister, nor does it depend on who are on the PEC and who is the PEC president. It doesn’t depend on who is the preacher for today. Jesus Christ, the King, is the reason for our joy! So that is our supreme reason for rejoicing.

Zechariah’s audience was expected to rejoice greatly. Can you imagine the euphoria they experienced having their own king?

How do we rejoice? Many times we piggyback on how others are praising God. We imitate how another may be shouting. Sometimes we feel compelled to do it the way another is doing it. Sometimes, too, as Moravians, we feel that, if we do not behave like others in our worship, we are missing the mark. But if you know God for yourself, if you have a relationship with Him, and if you expect great things from your Lord and Saviour, no one should be forcing you to rejoice. It should be a natural outflow of our response to God.

Through Zechariah, God called on His people to rejoice greatly as they anticipate His blessings on them. This rejoicing was being encouraged against the challenges they were facing, against the fact that there were so many negative and discouraging things happening.

Today, God wants us to rejoice amidst our own challenges and issues, whether they are personal, provincial or national. Before joy can be experienced we are called upon to return to our rock, our fortress, our stronghold, to that which brought us joy in the first place.

A call to return

Zechariah also issued a call to return! The return is a prerequisite for rejoicing. If you remember the prodigal son, he knew that he could go back home again. He had shamed his father and wasted all that his father had given him. What’s more, he had nothing left to offer, no way to repay. All he had was what was left of himself. His pride was gone. He lived as a rascal/rogue, searching for any kind of sustenance that he could, simply to keep himself alive.

But one day he came to himself. His first thoughts when he came to himself were to go back to his father in repentance. He knew that his father would not turn him away. But he had to return.

How did Zechariah put it? In verse 12 he said, “Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope.” [King James Version: Turn you to the strong hold.] It speaks of invitation. We see here an invitation that is spoken to God’s chosen people, Israel. It is also available to those who are not God’s chosen people. God is always inviting people to Himself.

In Isaiah 1: 18-20, God said: “Come, now let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” It still rings forth today to all the world that will hear and heed the precious word of God and yield their hearts to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

All people are included in this invitation. It goes out to all and to whosoever will. Notice that it is a call to turn. This invitation is for those that are lost and undone without God, as well as those that have come to God and are presently turned away from Him. God calls to all. There is no doubt that there are many who are saved by God’s marvellous grace and headed for a home in Heaven, and yet they have turned away, facing the wrong direction. This is a call to return to that fellowship that they once had with God. At the same time, it is a call to those who have never tasted the grace of God and have not yet known salvation. It means to change direction, to return, or to repent. That is exactly what God commands all people everywhere to do.

Maybe the Jews in Zechariah’s time still had memories of being actively involved in idol worship or being sympathetic to it. We hear about solemn assemblies but their hearts were not in it. They may have been offering sacrifices without any meaning to them. What aspects of Church life are we involved in that are meaningless? Are we just going through the motions? For them it was a call to make an about-turn. We see the invitation to those who are God’s people in the words: “Ye prisoners of hope”.

Who is a prisoner? A prisoner is one who is captive, contained, restrained and supposedly unable to escape. Why does Zechariah use the term “prisoners of hope”? What does it mean? Who is a prisoner of hope? It could mean someone who is in prison but has hope of being released and receiving his/her freedom. Zechariah’s listeners were exiles who had returned home. So they were not in any bondage or prison. Why did the prophet call them prisoners of hope?

It could mean that the people were freed but formed their own prisons. Probably it is the type of situation Bob Marley described in song as he echoed the words of Marcus Garvey, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds…”

Prisoners of hope could mean that the only thing keeping them there, where they were, was hope. It is that strong belief that is preventing one from letting go or from giving up.

Things are bad, but I won’t run away. I am not going to let go. Things are bad, but this can’t hold me down. I have hope that they will get better. Things are difficult, but I won’t give up. Hope is keeping me focused. I have an abiding hope that God will make a way. It is this interpretation of hope I will go with. The same type of hope that kept Simeon in Luke 2 alive until he saw the Messiah and exclaimed, “Lord, let your servant now depart in peace because hope has materialised for me.” That is the same hope that will keep a person from committing suicide. The same hope that keeps us as Jamaicans right here on the rock amidst the crime and difficult economic situation. The same hope that we, as Moravians, have in our church in spite of the crisis we face, and perhaps are still facing. That hope holds a people in place!

Moravians! Christians! don’t be afraid! Be prisoners of hope! Hear God saying to you today, Return, O prisoners of hope, for days of rejoicing are on the horizon. Our Church must rise gloriously from all that has seemingly set us back. From all that has knocked us down. Heed the call to rejoice as we return. Jesus is beckoning us in Matthew 11: 28: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Rev Phyllis Smith Seymour is president of the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is the first female ever elected to this position in Jamaica.