Jeremiah: 23:1. ‘Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: ‘Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,’ declares the Lord. 3 ‘I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,’ declares the Lord.
5
‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
6
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.
Today's Sunday reading according to the CoE features Jeremiah and Luke. Always one from the old and one from the new testaments.
Sometimes the speakers follow them!
Not being able to make it today, a result of rain and rusty knees, I read these passages and guess what the visiting speaker today would have said. This is difficult as I have no knowledge of him whatsoever. Indeed, as I must acknowledge, I have no knowledge whatsoever!
One thing is clear from a quick reading here, as always it is not what we do, it is what God does that matters. The leaders have failed, it is the Lord who takes action. Sin is the problem, it is the Lord who deals with it, at least for those who repent.
The Lord creates, the Lord leads, and when we follow life is indeed life abundant. This, unfortunately, does not imply it will be easy. Christians suffer the usual diseases, famines, and life problems all others have. Christians also have sin within and have to fight sin daily in themselves. No 'Holy Willies' in the Christian Church. They also walk contrary to the thinking of the world. This causes problems with governments who wish to follow the world or just be obeyed.
This passage begins with a warning to those leaders in Jerusalem around 600 BC, he could just as easily have been speaking to the CoE Bishops now under the leadership of 'Stonewall,' and influenced by the worlds outlook rather than scripture truth. I wonder if their attitude is because far too many have a middle class, well educated Oxbridge background, and have risen too fast and too far in ecclesiastical circles rather than spend time on the ground at parish level, thus being removed from the man in the pew? Mixing only with our peers limits our understanding. This leads to the flock being badly led, God will take a hand once again, in the CoE as he has done in the past.
The Jeremiah story is amazing. A very reluctant young man, forced into a position he did not want, who stood up in public and proclaimed the 'Word of the Lord' to the unwilling citizens. Jerusalem had fallen far from Yahweh. From the King down corruption reigned, God forgotten, society ruined, murder, crime, corrupt judges, and few worshipping Yahweh. He spent many years loudly abused and opposed by the majority of the townsfolk, laughed at and ridiculed, and almost killed. Yet he preached on until the end when he was proved right. They still rejected him!
Because all people agree with a course of action, this does not make it right.
The people of Jerusalem were attacked by the Babylonians. They did not change their ways, and ten years later they were completely destroyed by the same Babylonians, and many were removed to Babylon itself, never to return. The Lord had spoken.
The present Anglican church has many who seek God, however, instead of following scripture they preach 'Love,' and 'inclusion,' and avoid 'repentance. Repentance, the giving our self over to follow Jesus. The CoE will end badly.
As is the case so often, when the Lord speaks into a situation it does not confine itself to the time, the whole old testament is looking forward to the Lords dealing with the nature we all possess, the Self, the sin sick self that puts itself on the throne and ruins life for all others.
I know about that.
Gods answer, 'The Lord, our righteous saviour.'
Luke 23:33. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' 43 Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’
The Lord, a righteous saviour did arrive. He came at a time when a 'Messiah' of some sort was expected. He did not however, arrive as expected. Born, probably in a cave used as a stable, round the corner from everyone else, out of sight. Raised in an obscure, unimportant village way up north, a mere jobbing builder of limited income. Uneducated according to the 'Eton' standards of the Jewish leaders of his day, and a man indistinguishable from the crowd, yet here was the saviour.
After a short period teaching and encouraging repentance and faith in himself, this man from 'up north,' was then crucified by the Jewish leaders through the unwilling Romans. Fear for their position, fear that he was the Messiah, and demonic activity saw to the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
However, a closer reading of any of the gospel reports reveals Jesus, not as a victim of oppression but as one willingly laying down his self, taking the eternal punishment for the sinful nature we all share, and yet as he did so offering forgiveness and eternal life to all around him. Few, while six in iron nails are thumped into their hands and feet would offer such forgiveness. He was no victim like the two beside him, he was a man, fully God and fully man, laying down his life, his Self, for you and me, and all who would receive him.
By this means God, Yahweh, had dealt with sin for all who come to him in repentance, that is those who change their ways and 'follow' Jesus.' This is indeed a righteous saviour, one who did no wrong, upset those who do, and paid the punishment price for those unable to endure eternity separate from God.
No wonder they sing songs like this...
