Jeremiah was NOT a joker. He was a very serious prophetin the ancient Hebrew world. But when we ask ‘Are you joking Jeremiah?’ what we are really asking is ‘Are you serious?’ And the reason is because of a 180 degree turn that Jeremiah made in conveying God’s message to the Hebrew people.
Jeremiah’s prophecy began as he attacked the spiritual values, or lack of spiritual values, the people displayed. Jeremiah in letters to the editor, talk-shows, and from any platform he could find communicated a harsh message of “Get back to your relationship with God or suffer the consequences.
His message was annoying and hit too close to home which upset the religious leaders who saw Jeremiah as a real threat to their own positions of status and authority. Their response was a plot to kill him and do away with his annoying message.
But, before they could do away with him, the predicted consequences happened and Israel and Judah were defeated by the Babylonian Army, led by King Nebuchadnezzar one of the ancient world’s great innovators in military tactics and weaponry. He was also smart. After conquest he forced the leadership of the Hebrew nation to march back to Babylon where they became the leaders of Babylon’s infra-structure.
Now the Hebrew people expected Jeremiah to lash them with judgement and “I told you so” but instead he delivered a totally different kind of message. Instead of judgment Jeremiah tells the people in exile that God forgives them for their past errors and will create a new kind of relationship with them. And they shake their heads and ask, “Are you joking Jeremiah? Where’s all the punishment? Where’s the guilt we expect to be laid upon us? You’ve got to be kidding!”
And fortunately for us as the spiritual descendents of those Hebrew exiles, they experienced a spiritual rebirth based on God’s love and grace.It was during those 40 years, two generations in exile that the book of Creation we name “Genesis” was written. It was their faith statement, and under another Babylonian king the Hebrews returned to their homeland and helped renewed the country and the spiritual life.
Thousands of years later, people also were asking “Are you joking Jesus?” because he too was preaching and teaching radical new ideas about God’s power and love for people The gospel story is only mentioned in this gospel—not the other 3. It has the power of the same magnitude that Jeremiah offered to the exiles.
It’s the first hint that Jesus’ good news for people is to go out to the entire world. Prior to this Jesus’ focus his strategy was upon the group of Jews called “The God-fearers.”The God-Fearers were Jewish alumni who because of marriage, or neglect of the Jewish law, no longer fit within the approved categories to be a good Jew. Today, we might find them in church alumni, who still believe in God, but don’t actively put their faith into action.
In the story Greeks were present in the Temple, in the Court of the Gentiles—which was open to everyone. Scholars inform me that the Greeks were the 1st tourists of the ancient world. The only people who traveled were armies or traders, but the Greeks were curious about the rest of the world and were known as “Truth Seekers,” They come and approach Philip and ask if they can see Jesus. Why Philip? Maybe it’s because Philip is a Greek name and they might have thought he would be approachable.
But Philip, did not know how to welcome visitors—he didn’t have that gift, so he asks his brother Andrew and Andrew brings them right to Jesus. Andrew knew that Jesus never turned away a person who was s sincere seeker. Jesus goes right into his sermon, to Jews and these Greeks.What he says is that the crisis I’ve been predicting about what will happen to me has arrived.
And he uses a very meaningful term that they would understand. Jesus says, “it’s time for the Son of Man to be glorified.” That term came from the book of Daniel where a heavenly vision has a warrior king, like the Hebrew hero, King David, coming to defeat all of Israel’s enemies and restore the glory and power of the nation. But Jesus tosses his listeners a curve ball. He identifies himself as the son of man, not a conquering military warrior, but an ordinary human personwho will be “glorified” in mysterious manner not of conquest but in the vision of a cross—a well-known and dreaded symbol of death and torture.
The lessons for our spirituality come from this story:(1) Only by death does life come. Only by service and self-sacrifice does greatness come. The people the world remembers and honors with love are those who serve others. Jesus uses the image of the grain of wheat that does nothing until it is buried in the earth to provide it’s potential
In an English grammar class the teacher asked her students, “What parts of speech are “my” and “mine?” The wise little girl student answered, “They are AGGRESSIVE pronouns.
Now, the ability and willingness to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, the higher purpose is not easy to do. Jesus struggled with his own death in the Garden of Gethsemane, but the tension in Jesus is not the end of the story. The end of the story is triumph and faith—a new kind of triumph, a new quality.
What’s between Jesus’ resistance and the triumph of Easter, I believe is the presence of the Creator calling Jesus to the mission entrusted to him. Jesus was obedient in answering that call and being faithful to it. And here’s where the two jokers, Jeremiah and Jesus’ lives intersect.
Jeremiah’s message was that God’s grace for them would not be a one time, big bank draft of spiritual power—but rather God’s grace would be given as a person needs it, day by day. In the Jew’s escape from slavery in Egypt, God provided daily “manna from heaven” so they would rely on God day by day. That’s in Jesus’ prayer, “give us THIS day our daily bread.”Not our week’s bread or month’s bread, but for this day.
An ancient rabbi was asked by a student why God did not furnish enough manna at one time to last for the entire year. The rabbi answered with this parable: Once there was a rich man who had a son and daughter and he promised each of them an annual allowance. Every year, at the same day, he would give them each their whole amount for the year. After a while it happened that the only time the family say the son and daughter was on the day of giving the allowances. So the father changed the plan and give his children their allowance—enough for one day. Then the next day the daughter and son had to return to give the next day’s allowance. From then on, the father and mother saw their son and daughter every day. God apparently wants to meet us every day.
God’s grace comes in daily portions.
(3) Another lesson from the story is that only by spending life do we retain it. Again the focus is to be on others. A person who is only focused on themselves is motivated by two forces: selfishness(greed) and the desire for safety and security for themselves. Jesus preached this spiritual life-truth, not just once or twice, but many times.
A passionate evangelist Christian Evans was on the go preaching, often three times a day. His friends counseled, “Slow down, take it easy, relax, you deserve a rest.”Evans replied “I’d rather burn out than rust out.”
Likewise when Joan of Arc realized her enemies were gaining strength and numbers, she prayed to God, “I know I will only last a year, use me as you can in that time.”Spend your life-energy, give it away so that you will gain your life.
When we look at the values of today’s culture and we see the gods (small g) we have made most important, and we look and listen to the radical message of Jesus’ inclusive love, I think the joke’s on us. Use this crazy, chaotic, changing time to reflect upon the values’ choices you are making, and consider making choices that are consistent with a message of life-giving, authentic living.
