JEREMIAH 15:15-21

THE BACKGROUND

Jeremiah had a tough job.  He was called to be God’s spokesperson at a time when Judah was desperate need of reform.  The king and his court prophets thought they knew God’s word.  They also knew that God’s house (the temple) was in Jerusalem. They thought that God protected them because of this.  Their minds were made up; they did not want to hear opposing views.  Jeremiah was the only one with the courage to stand up and point out the error of their ways. Jeremiah 7 contains one of his famous prophetic speeches.  He came right to the point, saying “you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, go after other gods that you have not known…” (7:9).   He could have been executed for these proclamations.  Our passage is a dialogue between Jeremiah and God.  Jeremiah is discouraged, beaten down.

THE DETAILS

• The first half of the reading is Jeremiah’s lament; his formal complaint to the Lord.  His request is clearly stated in the first verse—he wants God to even the score with his enemies.  The lament starts out with a beautiful reminder to God of how much Jeremiah loved being a prophet.  He “ate” the word of God, and loved the taste.  But it takes a sharp turn in verse 17. He can’t even celebrate the religious festivals with other believers.  Nobody wants to listen to him or have him around.  He is an outcast.   (vv. 15-17)
• In verse he says that his “wound is incurable”. I take that to mean that he is sensitive to the injustice around him.  He can’t seem to fix the injustice, any more than he can make himself less sensitive to it.  He is condemned to fail, but cannot give up on fighting for the cause.  He’s between a rock and a hard place.  (v. 18)
• God’s answers Jeremiah.  Sure, there will be fighting, but in the end, you will prevail. He does not say that he will “bring down retribution on his persecutors”, as Jeremiah requested in verse 15.  But God does promise to deliver Jeremiah.  In effect, God says “keep doing what you’re doing.  They may not listen, but I’ll protect you.”  (vv. 19-21)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sometimes loving the Lord comes with a cost.  We can take comfort in knowing that God “has our back”.  It is also good to know that we can complain to our Lord, knowing that he will listen and understand. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Some things never change.  Good people are supporting lame causes and lamer politicians.  It seems as though they can’t see beyond the ends of their noses. When you point this out to them, you are confronted with frustration, anger, and name-calling.  People today are no more receptive to hearing other views than they were in Jeremiah’s day.

As disciples of Christ, we are to be His presence in the world around us.  How do we share his good news, when people are so galvanized in their opinions?
 

ROMANS 12:9-21

THE BACKGROUND

The apostle Paul has spent many chapters explaining that our salvation does not come through adherence to the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.  He has made it clear that “…now we are discharged from the law…, but [are] in the new life of the Spirit.” (Romans 7:6)  And “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)  Today’s reading gives us some great examples of what this “life of the Spirit” should look like.  We live this life as a “thank you” to God for all He has done for us.

THE DETAILS

• God, through Paul, presents us with a wonderful list of His expectations.  I believe this is what God expects of those of us who strive to have “new life in the Spirit”. 
• Here’s a list of God’s expectations of us, so we can check them all off each day.    (Good luck!)
  • Be genuine
  • Hate what is evil
  • Hold fast to what is good
  • Love one another
  • Outdo one another in showing honor
  • Do not lag in zeal
  • Be ardent in spirit
  • Persevere in prayer
  • Serve the Lord
  • Rejoice in hope
  • Be patient in suffering
  • Extend hospitality to strangers
  • Bless those who persecute you
  • Do not curse those who persecute you
  • Rejoice with those who rejoice
  • Weep with those who weep
  • Live in harmony with one another
  • Do not be haughty
  • Associate with the lowly
  • Do not claim to be wiser than you are
  • Do not repay anyone evil for evil
  • Take thought for what is noble
  • Live peaceable with all
  • Never avenge yourselves
  • If your enemies are hungry or thirsty, feed them
  • Do not be overcome by evil

THE TAKEAWAY

Panera Bread restaurant has a large menu full of delicious items.  To help people decide, they offer a “You Pick Two” option.  You can pick a half a sandwich and a bowl of soup, a small salad and a half a sandwich, or a small salad and a bowl of soup. I suggest that we have a “You Pick Three” from this list.  Choose one easy, one medium, and one hard “expectation”.  Then, work diligently to do them well.  If you succeed, pick three more! 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

There is a problem with the “You Pick Three” approach suggested above.  We Christians like to pick and choose which of Jesus’ commands we follow, and ignore the harder ones; we treat them like a buffet line.  If I am not mistaken, Jesus never suggests that can choose a few, and ignore the rest.  To be a disciple of Christ, we should do the entire list! 

MATTHEW 16:21-28

THE BACKGROUND

Last week’s lesson were the verses immediately preceding this.  Jesus renames Simon, calling him Peter.  The Rock.  In today’s reading, thinks take a bad turn.

THE DETAILS

• Now that Simon Peter has declared Jesus the Messiah, Jesus lays it all out before them.  He tells them how he must suffer, die, and be raised on the third day.  (v. 21)
• The expectation amongst the Jews (including Jesus’ disciples) was that the Messiah would be a warrior-king, who would liberate them from the tyranny of the Romans.  He would restore the old kingdom of David.  Naturally, then, Peter rebukes Jesus saying “don’t talk like that”!  (v. 22)
• But Jesus knows the big picture.  He knows the Master Plan.  He puts Peter in his place (behind him), and even calls him Satan! (v. 23a)
• Here is the key sentence, in my opinion. “…you are setting your mind not on divine things, but on human things.”  More on that later.  (v. 23b)
• Jesus challenges us to consider our priorities. Clearly, he wants us to “take up our cross, and follow him”.  The cross was a shameful means of execution.  Perhaps Jesus wants us to realize that following him means not only being willing to die for him, but to suffer humiliation as well.  (vv. 24-27)
• If you find verse 28 to be confusing and troubling, you are in good company.  Jesus says that he would return before all of his followers had died.  Yet here it is, some 2,000 years later.  Biblical scholars have discussed and debated this verse for eons.  I remember what Jesus said later in Matthew 24:36.  He said “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  So, he admits that he did not know when this would happen.  Was he just being a little optimistic?  Who knows?  (V.28)

THE TAKEAWAY

We have the benefit of being able to read and analyze the words of Jesus.  The poor disciples had to soak it up live-time.  As they journeyed on foot from village to village, I’m sure there was a lot of talk going on amongst the disciples. Sometimes, quite often in fact, they got it wrong, and reacted poorly.  We know the end of the Gospel story.  We also know that we need to be willing to take up our crosses and follow Jesus. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Verse 23 is worth some serious consideration.  All too often, we are confronted with the fact that God’s way is very different than our way.  If you are wondering what I mean, just look at the Sermon on the Mount.  Who are blessed—the rich, the healthy, the strong? No, God’s blessings fall on quite the opposite.  God’s values are the opposite of ours.  Shouldn’t we set our mind on divine thoughts, rather than our own?

What does it mean to you, for you to “take up your cross, and follow Jesus”?  Are you ready and willing to take that step?