“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and
we are not saved.”
Having served as a pastor in rural
agricultural communities this is a phrase I have heard muttered in various
forms over the years from those members who made their living from either
farming or ranching. It could be that
drought hit or inclement weather—like tornados or hail storms—took out the
crops. Maybe it was that the market fell
out and it was costing more to farm or ranch than the actual product was worth. Or, it could have been a crisis within the
family that made everything get screwed up.
Whatever the situation, the tone was always the same . . .
disappointment.
Disappointment that the work was
completed. Disappointment that the
harvest was brought in. And,
disappointment in the fact that none of it would be enough to save anyone.
That is the lament of the people that
the prophet Jeremiah shares with the Lord.
The harvest has come, and it is not enough . . . the people are not to
be spared of the consequences to their non-compliance to the Lord’s will. Jeremiah hurts for the people. He proclaims: “Since my people are crushed, I
am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me.
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is
there no physician there? Why then is
there no healing for the wound of my people?”
Many biblical commentators write that
the emotions and feelings of Jeremiah are much like those of a parent who ache
for that child that has not admonished the words of warning and are now faced
with the consequences of their choice.
It hurts to see someone who is loved have to suffer. Yet, at the same time, like the parent,
Jeremiah knows that this is the price that is paid for those who choose to go
against the will of the parent . . . in this case, the Lord.
This lament of Jeremiah for the people
is not at the beginning of the story, no this is towards the end of the
story. At the beginning were the words
from God calling upon the people to shape up, change their ways, or face the
consequences of their choices. From the
start it was not like the people were not warned that there would be a price to
pay if they did not change their ways to God’s ways. They knew what they were dealing with. Despite that knowledge, the people did what
most people would do . . . they took the easy way out.
As I have said many times throughout my
ministry, M. Scott Peck in his book, “The
Road Less Traveled”, writes that sin is taking the easy way out . . . of
finding the loophole . . . of avoiding the hard work, and hoping for the
best. This is what the people of
Jeremiah’s time did. They paid lip
service to the demands of God . . . they spoke a pretty talk, but they never
did the walk. In the end, despite
thinking in their minds that they had done the work, their actions betrayed
them. They had failed. When they went to harvest the crops of their
efforts, it was not enough. The
consequences were about to be dealt.
As we know, the consequences were swift
and brutal. They were invaded by the
Babylonians who laid waste to the city and temple. The people were captured and hauled back to Babylon. There they would live in captivity . . . away
from their homes, their temple, and the way of life they had always known. It is terrible. Psalm 137 reflects the despair of the people:
“By
the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion . . . for there
our captors asked us for songs . . . how can we sing the songs of the Lord while
in a foreign land?”
So, to say the least, we have this
morning a scripture reading that deals with disappointment . . . in particular,
disappointment in God. The people are
disappointed that—in their minds—they have done everything they said they would
do, and it is not enough. When things
get tough . . . their expectations aren’t being met . . . they want to know,
“Where is God?” The assumption is that
God is going to be there to stop whatever calamity would befall the
people. When it does not happen . . .
well, there is disappointment.
God is not going to step in and stop the
consequences of the people’s inaction. The
game must be played out to its conclusion.
Sometimes, experience is the toughest teacher of all. This is what the people will find out in the
end.
The problem with the people’s
disappointment is in where they are placing that disappointment . . . they
place it squarely on God; but, where it should be placed is upon
themselves. The situation is that they
are not who they profess and think themselves to be. They are not the faithful, God-abiding people
they proclaim themselves to be. Their
actions betray them. They did nothing of
what was asked of them from God. Instead
they paid lip service and went on as they had always done.
The question that Jeremiah is really
posing for the people is not “where is God?” but “What have we done?” The challenge here is not to God, but to the
people . . . to us. The challenge is for
the people and us to pull back the veil of our appearance of godliness and find
the way to real healing. It is to walk
the talk . . . it is to be faithful.
When God confronts the people through
the prophets, God tells the people exactly what God is expecting from
them. It is no mystery. God expects action . . . expects that the
words of faith they proclaim are the actions that they take in their daily
lives. The people of Jeremiah’s time are
not the only ones guilty of saying one thing and doing another when it comes to
faith. We have all been guilty of this
at times in our lives. Jeremiah wants
the people to see this . . . wants us to see this.
Over the past few years we have seen a
slew of tragedy occur in the world around.
We have seen mass shootings take place in schools and other public
places. We have seen natural disasters
occur. Wars that have broken out . . .
countless things. And, we have seen the
quick response to these tragedies being the words . . . “thoughts and prayers.”
We have seen our leaders use that
phrase, “Our thoughts and prayers are with those touched by these terrible
things.” We, too, have used that phrase
ourselves from time to time when we do not know what words to say.
And, for some, those words are enough;
but, for many those words ring hollow as more and more of these tragedies
happen in the world around us. When
nothings seems to stop all this senseless activity. There is an air of disappointment . . . a
“where is God?” sense to the words.
These people are disappointed . . . not in the fact that it seems that
God has not come through with God’s end of the deal, but that nothing has been
done to quell any of what is happening.
Words are no longer good enough, people are wanting action . . . people
are wanting something done.
So, there is disappointment . . . we
know where Jeremiah is coming from. We
know where the people are coming from.
Yet, God is not going to intervene.
God is expecting everyone to do the right thing . . . to walk the
talk. Until then God is going to let the
cards play where they are . . . whatever the consequences they carry . . . good
or bad.
God expects the faithful . . . the
followers of Jesus . . . to be and live as they claim they are. Nothing less will do. Until that time there will continue to be
harvests of disappointment . . . for us, for God. As it was for the people of Jeremiah’s time,
so it is for us today . . . it is our choice.
It is always our choice. To quote
Joshua: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . but as for me and my household,
we will service the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, NIV)
The choice is ours . . . may we choose
well. Amen.
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