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Text: Jeremiah 31 ● The prophets never attempted to ‘study’ God, but to understand him [i.e. having an idea of friendship is not the same as having a friend; having a theory about marriage is not the same as being married]. The prophets seemed to come to understand God either through some form of divine revelation or through observation and contemplation about God’s involvement in history. In the process, they became not only sympathetic toward the people, but toward God as well. ● Jeremiah saw the signs of unfaithfulness all around him. He witnessed a hardness of heart (4:4) which had developed to the point where the Israelites had practiced evil for so long that they could no longer tell the difference between evil and good, and therefore saw no reason to change; in fact, Jeremiah said they could not change (3:24, 4:22; cf. 13:23). 3:24- “they’ve squandered everything on a delusion” 4:22- “they are stupid children with no understanding who are clever at doing wrong, but no idea how to do right” 13:23- “just as an Ethiopian can’t change his skin color or a leopard change his spots, neither can you start doing good because you’ve become so accustomed to evil” ● And yet, the people continued to go through the motions of religious expression thinking that their ‘chosenness’ guaranteed, to some extent, God’s favor--- he was on “their” side. Their delusion had become so pervasive that they could not recognize how shallow, empty and hypocritical their religious systems had become [their worship had become detached from glory rendering it ‘worthless’]. ● In this context, the prophets observed the actions of a God who does not simply make commands and then expect obedience, but a God who is apparently effected by what happens in the world; that what effects his creation effects him. Human actions sometimes arouse his compassion, sometimes cause him to delight, sometimes make him angry, sometimes causes him pain. He is never conceived or portrayed as being detached or distant, but the prophets spoke of him as being overwhelming present and involved while the gods of the prevailing culture remained, for the most part, unknowable and indifferent, oblivious to and unaffected by what was happening in the world. Deuteronomy 10:14-15 “Look, the highest heavens and earth and everything in it belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendents, above all other nations…” ● Such involvement expressed in his response toward the children of Israel. God is especially sensitive to exiles; their cries always catch his attention; somehow their plight always rouses his compassion: it usually starts with a cry! [sign of new life] “Why does God love exiles?” -- Exile means the illusion of control has been shattered; exile means bankruptcy (in essence, you’ve managed your own demise). --- Exile means the loss of dependence upon your structures and strategies for making life work. -- Exiles are forced to admit that they have no potential to alter their circumstances; no hope without advocacy or intervention. -- Exiles finally have the capacity to see a future with no hope of returning to their past. -- Most importantly, exiles are vulnerable--- capable of being wounded; broken: hopeless… therein lies their hope! ● Our response? Lament (‘lament’- meaning, “to mourn aloud”; “to express sorrow”; “to regret strongly”). A means of exploring a wide variety of emotional responses and helping move someone from hurt, anger, grief or despair toward hope. ● The movement is not simply some ‘psychological tactic’ we employ in attempt to “go to our happy place!” It’s a movement from the depths of who we are; it’s excruciating and unedited; it’s raw and spontaneous. These are means of experiencing God in H-D… in the vivid clarity of our circumstances. ● They follow a general pattern: [Psalm 77] - Cry - Sarcastic complaint [often highlighting all the ways that we have been ‘victimized’] - Clarification [who’s ‘really’ to blame; this is where we ‘get God up to speed’ on our circumstance because he’s obviously not been paying attention!] - PIVOT (“nevertheless”); the crucial moment which turns us toward God in surrender (where we become teachable) or where we succumb to the pain, turn away from God and become defiant and cynical. - “Help!” - Thanks ►The human dilemma is a divine dilemma as well. “evil” (Gr)- not as it ought to be ● Evil is portrayed as more than just this ‘mess’ that humanity has gotten themselves into, but as a frustration to God [because of the ways he has committed himself to us, what happens to us matters]. We would use the term ‘evil’ to describe not just a set of specific behaviors and attitudes which are to be avoided, but ways of thinking, practices and systems of belief which have led to “disorder”, or, “the distortion of all of God’s good creation”. ● It’s being conscious of all the ways that our lives are either contributing to the ‘continued disorder’ or actually ‘prevailing over’ evil and helping to put things back in order; back the way they ought to be! [How does God desire for this to function? Am I contributing to the disorder or helping return things to the way they ‘ought to be’?]
And, it’s not that we don’t love good, it’s
just that we don’t hate evil! [convinced that ‘disorder’ can co-exist and
not have profound impact on our lives] |
