Reading: Jeremiah
26:8-15
Have you ever gotten into trouble for doing the right
thing? That is what happened to Jeremiah in our reading today. God had sent him
to proclaim judgement on the people of Israel for a variety of sins, many of
which were rooted in idolatry. Broken away from their foundational faith in the
LORD, the God who rescued Israel with a
mighty hand and an out-stretched arm, Israel pursued all kinds of immorality
and social injustice.
People do not like the revelation of their sin. The confrontation
angers them, makes them feel judged, and causes them to turn to all kinds of
self-justification. The leaders’ response to Jeremiah at his time is a good
example of this kind of behavior. The culture of outrage and identity politics
of our own time displays these attitudes, too.
What is the Christian to do with this reading?
For one thing, it stands as a warning that God’s truth
often rejected, even by people who call upon his name. We must be aware of that
temptation within ourselves so that we will be repentant when God’s Law
convicts us, ever turning to and trusting in Jesus for our justification and salvation.
For another, we see in Jeremiah a similar attitude as the
Apostles had when the religious leaders of their day commanded them to stop
preaching about Jesus. “We must obey God rather than men,” they said, and in so
doing resigned themselves to the potential consequences. Their hope was not
that the courts would judge them innocent, but that God would judge them forgiven
and redeemed.
Their actions displayed faith, courage, humility, and
hope. Those are good attributes for us to emulate and pray for as well.
Have you ever had to choose between being faithful to God
and getting into trouble? How did it turn out for you? How might the outcome of
the lives of people like Jeremiah or the Apostles affect you as you seek to be
faithful to God?
Father in Heaven, Jeremiah
stood before the leaders of your people and was in danger for his life, yet he
put himself in your hands and trusted you for the outcome in the midst of
danger. Thank you for his example, his courage, his firm, but gentle answer,
and his faith in you. Forgive us for times that we have faltered in our courage
and hope at far less than Jeremiah faced. Fill us with hope in Jesus’ salvation
so we do not fear the judgement of people. Rather, fill us with the conviction
that you are our God and you have saved us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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