Repentance and Truth
The 10th Sunday after Trinity - 8/4/24
Jeremiah 7:1-11
Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer
That portion of God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Old Testament lesson from the book of the prophet Jeremiah in the seventh chapter with special emphasis on verses eight through ten which read as follows:
““Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
These words of God given through the prophet Jeremiah are hard. They condemn our hypocrisy, our hardheartedness, and our feeble and half- you-know-what attempts. These words cut deep because they ring true. I know that I’ve certainly done things that I ought not to even though I am a Christian. Worse, I sometimes talk myself out of the right course of action simply because I feel that I can take the Lord’s forgiveness for granted. I imagine you are the same, being with me a sinner. But these words cut deep and remind me of the high standard the Lord sets up for us Christians.
The basic argument here is that since we are those who are in God, of His people, in His salvation, then we can’t act and think like unbelievers. We can’t carry on as if we are just the same as everyone outside of the Christian Church. We must instead live like those who are in Christ. We have been redeemed through the death of Christ, therefore, let us act like the little Christs we are counted as in the courts of heaven.
What does this mean? It means that we prioritize the things God would have us do and live as He would have us. Again, we do this not because we need to earn something before God, but because we have been given salvation.
Jeremiah here teaches us this simple reality. He also warns us of the dangers of false living, of living according to our own desires rather than the will of God. I know that this seems kind of obvious to us, that we should live as God commands. But the sinful nature is subtle and easily leads us astray into doing things that God would have us not. The net result is that we become hypocrites, those who profess one thing and do another. This is a dangerous thing, to act against a conscience that should be captive to Christ. It is dangerous because living contrary to the Gospel, contrary to God brings the great temptation to seek other gods. This simple insight is why Jeremiah also warns us against false teaching that brings false comfort.
Our sinful nature wants the sort of god who will not only permit us to do everything we fancy, but Who will also bless and support these things. We want to do what we want and in order that we ensure that our consciences are free from all possible guilt, we want God to bless us in our decisions no matter how sinful or harmful they might be. This is why the Scriptures teach us about Christian living, indulging the lifestyle of an unbeliever goes hand with idolatry since the true and living God does not tolerate sin.
Jeremiah here specifically condemns the sins of mistreating the powerless, here the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. The sojourner is a newcomer, a foreigner, and he does not have any right of inheritance in the land of Israel. As such, he was without any means or power and was easy to take advantage of. The fatherless are those who lack a father. And at this time, not having a father meant not having any means of being provided for. The bread winner was absent from the situation which would put the person in poverty and destitution. The widow is in a similar state without her husband. As with a fatherless child, she would have had limited means to provide for herself after his death and would have also been in danger of destitution. As such, none of these people are politically powerful. None have wealth or means at their disposal. Consequently, they all are in danger of being mistreated and abused by others.
We still see this same sort of thing today among Christians. The rich and powerful tend to feel entitled to their things, forgetting that they come from the generous hand of God. As such there is a tendency toward stinginess and greed, but also to justify mistreating or taking advantage of the poor and powerless. Yes, even us Christians fall prey to this and it is, as Jeremiah says, an abomination to the Lord. The Christian Church should never give regard to the rich because of their riches, nor should she ever fall all over those of political means because of their power. Rich and poor alike stand in the same salvation of Christ. Those who can bend the ear of the movers and shakers due to their life and station receive the same gifts of mercy as those ignored due to their utter lack of influence. None is to be before or after another in treatment in the Christian Church. All are one in Christ Jesus.[2] And we must never allow our sinful tendency to build a false hierarchy of people due to differences among men to stand, this includes the inversion of the preference for the rich we see in the sinful excusing of the sins of the politically disenfranchised and the poor in modern political discourse simply because of their station.
God also hates the shedding of innocent blood, which the fifth commandment reminds us means that we are not only forbidden from taking the lives of those who have done nothing deserving of capital punishment ranging from those still in the womb to those who are very elderly, infirm, or disabled in some manner, but that we are also forbidden from any unjust harm. Further, we are to seek the bodily welfare of our neighbors. Refusing food or drink to someone who is starving or dying of thirst is the same as wishing that he or she was dead, and such an attitude should not be found among us Christians.
But God also promises blessings and rewards for keeping His law and following His ways. He does not grant us salvation because of our keeping of the Law, instead, salvation comes from the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and is received in faith. But He does promise us that things will work out better when we do. A land filled with people who follow God’s commands will see greater prosperity, love, and care for each other than one that does not. While we cannot control how other people live, we certainly have control over ourselves and we can strive each day to drown our sinful old self in the waters of Baptism and let the new, obedient, righteous new Adam to rise forth each day to live the manner that God desires. This is one of the great difficulties of the Christian life; we must life as Christians, but we cannot guarantee that anyone else will do so. Nevertheless, we must pick up our cross and follow Jesus in this matter!
Above all, Jeremiah here reminds us of the need to be faithfully instructed in and reminded of the Word of God. We need all of it, the law which instructs and condemns, and most especially the Gospel that saves and redeems. We need it because it is where we receive our life and salvation and teaches us to live as those who are saved. We must never indulge soft words from bad preachers who never condemn sin or who make the Gospel a trifle. So much of Christendom is focused on how we ought to live as a product of my own self, forgetting that Christian living is an outgrowth of the faith that comes by the Word of God.[3] So, dear friends in Christ, hear the saving word of Christ. Live like those who have been redeemed, who have been born again of water and the Spirit in holy Baptism. Above all, stand firm in the truth of Christ and Him crucified, for He is your life and salvation.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 7:8-10 English Standard Version
[2] Galatians 3:28
[3] Romans 10:17
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