Instruction
Scripture: Jeremiah23:1-6
Jeremiah wrote in a time when the leaders of God’s people
were largely unfaithful to him. They sought wealth and power and neglected the
needy God had appointed them to care for. Through Jeremiah, God speaks words of
condemnation on those leaders, and then prophesies a new king who will rule
with justice and righteousness. This prophecy points us forward to Jesus as
both the Messiah (the anointed king) and savior who makes his people righteous.
Teaching
God cares deeply about the wellbeing of his people – both
physically and spiritually. The physical aspect of God’s care for his people
should not be ignored in favor of a more spiritual understanding of this text.
Both must be held even though the spiritual meaning must, in the end, be the
emphasis. It is the place of government and the leaders God appoints to promote
peace and justice even as it is the responsibility of the church and its
leaders to proclaim the truth and teach pure doctrine. Both are necessary for
God’s people to thrive in this life, but the Lord’s righteousness carries on
into eternal life.
As Jeremiah prophesies about a righteous branch from David
and proclaims his name, “The LORD is our righteousness,” this points us forward
to Jesus. He is the king that reigns on David’s throne forever – the Good
Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. And by laying down his life for
us sinful sheep, he made us righteous by faith. Apart from him we have no
holiness or righteousness, so the prophecy is fulfilled in him. The Lord –
Jesus – is our righteousness.
Life
Some have complained that Christians can be so heavenly
minded as to be no earthly good. This passage in Jeremiah encourages us to promote
acts of justice and righteousness in this life because Jesus has secured and
become our righteousness before God. He makes us righteous, so our lives
reflect what he has done for us.
Where do you see injustice in this world? What can you do –
even in a small way – about it? Certainly we should pray to the Good Shepherd
for the needs of others, yet he has placed us here in this time to serve him by
serving them. Righteousness is given to us in Christ. How might it be shown in
your life for the sake of others?
Prayer
This prayer is written
in the theme of Confession.
The Lord is our righteousness; yet we often live
un-righteously. The Lord is our righteousness; but too often righteousness and
justice are hard to find among us. Woe to us if we join the shepherds who
destroy and scatter your flock, O Lord, instead of following your Shepherd, the
righteous branch! And we know that there are times that we have done just that!
By our inaction we have allowed injustice in our land. By our actions we have
participated in injustice. If it were up to our actions, O Lord, we would be
lost and without hope. Even so, there have been times that we’ve thought that
our actions were sufficient to declare us righteous. Bring us back to your
fold. Forgive us. Comfort us in our dismay at our sin. Care for us and be our
righteousness in truth. Amen.
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