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Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The Lord said to me:
1“Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2Everyone breaks promises
made in my name.”
3I answered, “I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you.”
4Then I thought to myself,
“These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the Lord their God
demands of them.
5So I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands.”
But even they had decided
not to obey the Lord.
6The people have rebelled
and rejected the Lord
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
7People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10I will tell their enemies,
“Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me.”
11In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
* 12Their prophets lie and say,
“The Lord won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food.”
13They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
Reflect
In 2016, Canadians received the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s and its findings of the abuse and mistreatment of our indigenous peoples. For over 150 years, religious and civic leaders exploited, abused and mistreated our native populations. Thousands of children were taken away from their families and communities and placed in residential schools which were government-sponsored religious schools where the goal was to assimilate native children into Euro-Canadian culture. Over 150,000 children were taken from their families and communities. Close to 5,000 died in these schools. They lost their language and their culture. These schools left indelible scars on indigenous peoples.
The result was poverty, marginalization, oppression, the destruction of native cultures, mental and physical illness, violence, high rates of suicide and addiction and the loss of community values. And tragically, the schools were run by priests and pastors, nuns and sisters.
Religious leaders entrusted with the care and welfare of “the least of these” became the perpetrators of abuse and harm. In hindsight we are stunned that the religious leaders of the time might have done such things? “Didn’t they know?” we ask ourselves.
In today’s passage we read of God’s lament for the waywardness of Israel and Judah. Mirroring the edict of Genesis 18:26 against Sodom, God offers to forgive the entire city if he can find one person who is faithful and tries to do what is right. Jeremiah responds that he knows what God desires and is aware of God’s pain. But his strongest indictment is against the religious leaders: “I’ll go and talk to the leaders. They know what God demands. But even they had decided not to obey the Lord.” (v 5)
About 30 years earlier, in Judah, God spoke through another prophet, Micah, and outlined his standard: “The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: ‘See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern and humbly obey your God.’” (Micah 6:8)
At the time of Jeremiah, just as in our recent past, religious leaders had not lived up the God’s standard. They had not always faithfully done what God expected. They had failed to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. And inevitably, the consequence has been that where healing should have taken place, deep hurt has been the inevitable result.
Respond
Lord God, forgive us when we have failed to lead your people as we should. Our disobedience breaks your heart and has hurt those whom you love and cherish. Teach us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly before you. Amen.
Terry Smith
Terry was Executive Director of Canadian Baptist Ministries, the national and global development and outreach arm of Canadian Baptist churches. He and his wife, Heather worked in France for 20 years, with inner-city youth, in urban church planting, inter-faith programs with Muslims in the francophone world, theological education and leadership development. He has co-authored Going Global (2011) with Gary Nelson and Gord King and wrote Wordeed, An Integral Mission Primer (2012). Terry has also written on evangelism, gospel and culture, urban mission and missiology. In addition to his work at CBM, he has taught at seminaries in Canada and around the world. Terry and Heather, live in Toronto, Canada. They have three adult children, Meghan, Caitlyn & Nathaniel.