4th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8
Scripture: Jeremiah
28:5–9
This brief reading is part of a larger narrative that goes
back to the beginning of chapter 27. Both chapter 27 & 28 note that these
events took place when Zedekiah became king of Judah. Jeremiah meets this event
by proclaiming that God had given Judah to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,
and that God had placed Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Judah like a yoke; a
prophecy which God told Jeremiah to dramatize by wearing a yoke. Hananiah was a false prophet, and he greeted
Zedekiah’s ascension to the throne with a prophecy of triumph declaring that
God had broken Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke, and after our reading he theatrically
took Jeremiah’s yoke and broke it. Jeremiah, however, reminded his hearers that
the way to know if God sent a prophet is if his prophecy came true and pointed
out that usually the Lord sent his prophets to proclaim judgement. While no one
enjoys receiving bad news or focusing on the consequences of sin in our world,
we are reminded in this lesson that this is an important part of the word of
God for it calls us to repentance and faith in the God who judges sin and saves
sinners in Jesus’ cross.
Teaching
God’s judgement is real. While there are voices among God’s
people (false prophets!) who proclaim that hell is an outmoded idea and that all
people go to heaven, that message is simply not consistent with Scripture. As
it was with Noah when God destroyed the world in judgement, he will do so
again; this time with fire. Even so, in his mercy he has provided salvation
from his judgement by pouring out his wrath on Jesus on the cross. Through faith
in Jesus we are shielded from God’s wrath, because he absorbed it all in his
body. Nevertheless, the only way to be protected from God’s eternal wrath is to
be covered in Jesus’ blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
Life
There is a saying: “God will not give you more than you can
handle.” That saying is a bald-faced lie. The yoke of the consequence of our
sin is far more than we can handle, and it is placed upon us by God’s Law. We
are often overwhelmed and incapable of handling the problems and pains that are
the result of God’s righteous judgment against the sins of humanity – including
the “little” sins and the sins we don’t even count as sins. God has, however,
given a way out of his judgement. The way is faith in Jesus who was crucified,
rose, and ascended to heaven for us. He protects us from God’s wrath because of
our sin, and in the end he will remove the yoke of sin from our necks and free
us to live in his holiness.
Prayer
O God, we thank you for faithful Jeremiah who longed for
days of peace and happiness, and yet recognized that these cannot long exist
for people who are separated from you by their sin. You have shown us
throughout history that our sin brings terrible consequences from your judgement.
Forgive us for longing good news and listening to the false prophets of our age
who declare that your judgement won’t come, that our sin isn’t sin, or that you
have set us free in such a way that we might do whatever we want with no
consequence. Help us to love your Law and see in your judgement that you work
for our salvation, especially when we look to the cross and see our judgement
placed on Jesus because of his love for us. Amen.
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