Oskar Schindler, immortalized in Steven Spielberg's 1993 prize-winning film, Schindler's List, was a man who rescued the oppressed and brought them new life. He was born on April 28, 1908, in Moravia, Austria-Hungary, now the Czech Republic. After completing his education, he worked as a commercial salesman, changing jobs many times during the 1930s. He tried other businesses, but soon went bankrupt due to the Great Depression, which gripped Europe at the time. Though a citizen of Czechoslovakia, Schindler started to work for the German military intelligence service, eventually joining the Nazi Party in 1939.
As an opportunistic businessman, he sought to profit economically from the German invasion of Poland in 1939. He gained ownership of a factory in Krakow that manufactured enamelware. Schindler was given 1,000 Jews to work in his factory under almost slave-like conditions. Initially, it seems, Schindler was motivated by money in his business dealings, but after he witnessed a raid on the Krakow Ghetto in 1942, where soldiers rounded up the Jewish residents for shipment to concentration death camps, he began to change. A persuasive man and with many skills, he began to overtly protect his workers, referred to as Schindlerjuden (Schindler's Jews). Often Schindler called upon his charm and ingratiating manner to help his workers get out of difficult situations. On many occasions, he bribed the local German commandant to look the other way. He spent his whole life savings obtaining food and other necessities for his workers. Although arrested by the Gestapo on two occasions, he was able to affect his release so he could continue his work at the factory and, thereby, protect his Jewish employees.
In October 1944, with the Russian army bearing down on Poland, Schindler was able to move his 1,000-person workforce to another factory in Brunnitz, in occupied Czechoslovakia. This plant manufactured anti-aircraft munitions for the German Wehrmacht. In May 1945, the Russians moved into Brunnitz. As a member of the Nazi Party, Schindler was a marked man and, thus, he gathered his employees together for an emotional leave-taking ceremony. He told the people, "My children, you are saved. Germany has lost the war." Oskar Schindler had saved over 1,000 Jews. He rescued them from the darkness and brought them into the light.
Oskar Schindler used his money, influence, and position to answer his Christian call to rescue over 1,000 Jews from probable death at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. His efforts clearly illustrate the basic theme from Isaiah in today's first lesson. It also properly shows how we must respond to God's Son, Jesus, who came to rescue us from fear, problems, and death. As we await his coming in time at Christmas, we must ponder how we will respond to the call to assist others that comes from the newborn king of the Jews.
This scripture reading for the third Sunday of Advent returns to the third section of the prophecy of Isaiah, proclaimed to the Jewish people after they returned from exile. Through the prophet, God speaks of a new day for Israel, but more importantly how he will rescue Israel from its earlier cruel fate. The Lord comes to give good news to the oppressed, namely the nation of Israel, which has been subjugated at the hands of the Babylonians for the past fifty years. God comes to bind up the brokenhearted, the Hebrew community that possibly had lost faith in itself and in God. The Lord comes to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners; God comes, in other words, to release the Hebrews from their bondage of exile. Having been captives and prisoners of the Babylonians for two generations, God will now proclaim a year of favor. God will comfort those who mourn; no longer will sadness prevail. Instead of ashes, God will provide a garland of flowers. Instead of a faint spirit, God will provide a mantle of praise.
God's rescue of the Hebrews will continue upon their arrival in their home country. God will build up the ancient ruins; the cities and the nation, in general, will be restored. The devastation of the land will be transformed and once again the pride of people in their land will be restored.
God will make an everlasting covenant with the people. God's faithfulness to the people will be complete and manifest in many ways. As a community is restored, the descendents of the Hebrews will be known among all the nations in the region. These lands will see that the Lord has blessed his people. The people will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations; God will be ever present to Israel.
God's rescue of the people will bring them rejoicing. God will clothe the people with new garments of salvation; God will favor Israel as a bridegroom and bride are adorned. Yes, it will be a new day for Israel, a time for the people to renew their spirits and their relationship to God. God will rescue his people from all their troubles.
The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in many ways. A new day did come to Israel. The temple was rebuilt and the people once again felt a sense of community as they lived in the presence of God. God did not abandon Israel to its own senses, however, but rather continued to shower upon his chosen people more and more blessings. He continued to rescue them over the centuries. Ultimately, God sent Jesus to rescue the people from their slavery to sin and the law, but the people never recognized him, his message, or his mission. Because the Jews failed to recognize the presence of God in Jesus and the message that he brought, his great promise was passed on to us. Saint Paul put it very beautifully: "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:5-6).
Jesus came to rescue us from many things. He came to rescue us from fear. People are instinctively afraid of the unknown and the future; uncertainty is always filled with fear. People are also fearful of many present-day realities and day-to-day worries. Jesus is the solution to the fears and worries that many times plague our lives, weighing us down and not allowing us to move forward. But, as Jesus released Lazarus from death saying, "Unbind him, and let him go" (John 11:44c) so he will release us. But we must believe; we must know in our hearts that Jesus can act on our behalf. Jesus puts the challenge in this way: "Do not fear. Only believe ..." (Luke 8:50b).
Jesus came to rescue us from ourselves. Too often harmful practices, addictions, laziness, apathy, and indifference enter our lives causing a sense of malaise or possible darkness that obscures the light. Many times we think that we can defeat these manifest forms of evil by our own merits or efforts. But, as all twelve-step programs suggest, we must give our lives over to God, realizing that we cannot solve these problems alone. Apathy and indifference are major problems in our world. How often have we heard or even said ourselves, "I don't want to get involved. It is not my responsibility." Too often, as well, we hear people say that there are no differences in our options; that all things in the created world are equally good. But a moment's reflection tells us that such ideas simply are not true. We can convince ourselves at times, but in the end reality hits us between the eyes and we must admit that God's ways alone are proper.
Jesus came to rescue us from sin. During his three-year public life traveling about his native land of Israel, he clearly showed the people of his day, and all of us by extension, the proper road to take. It is generally not the easy path, but it is the only path that leads to life. Jesus told us, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Through his example, teachings, and charismatic personality, Jesus gave us a formula for life today and the path that will lead to eternal life tomorrow. Jesus died to set us free. The apostle Peter wrote, "For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit" (1 Peter 3:18).
As God rescued the Jews from exile in Babylon and Jesus rescues us from fear, sin, and ourselves, we have the obligation to do what we can to rescue others from their many difficulties. We have the responsibility to rescue people from problematic situations. Tough love may be required, but it is our responsibility to rescue people from addictions, absorption by the world, or loneliness. We assist people by our presence; we must provide alternative answers and solutions, ones that have more attraction than the destructive behavior we seek to eliminate in others. We have a responsibility, as well, to rescue our world. We cannot change the world overnight; we may never be able to bring about systemic change, but we must do as the expression says: "Think globally, but act locally." We must combine our individual efforts with those of our sisters and brothers in Christ to bring about change in our world. We must rescue the world from discrimination, racism, poverty, and ignorance. Social sin, those problems in which we all participate, knowingly or unknowingly, must be the objective of our rescue mission. We cannot sit idly by and presume that others are responsible and we are not. On the contrary, we should take the lead and provide the proper example, so that others will follow in our footsteps. We should be proud to have such opportunities and responsibilities in our life.
Oskar Schindler was a great hero, earning the distinction "Righteous Among Nations," the highest award the state of Israel can confer on a Gentile, for his rescue of over 1,000 Jews during World War II. He saved his workers and gave them new life when death was all around them. In a similar way, God rescued and gave new life to the Hebrews in exile in Babylon. Jesus came centuries later to rescue us from the many ways we are prisoners. He died to set us free. As we continue to walk this Advent journey, as we await the coming of Jesus into our lives, let us emulate his actions and die to self so others may live. Let us rescue others and through our actions find eternal life, God's promise to all who believe. Amen.