God Has Not Given Up On Us; Sermon for Nov. 25, 2018

Rev. George Miller
November 25, 2018
Jeremiah 1:4-10; 7:1-11

A few months ago, I was given the critique by a few church members that my sermons had become a bit too inward-focused; that I was spending a bit too much time talking about things like my garden and Little Brother.

These constructive comments were taken as intended and for the past 3 months the messages have been more educational and outward based.

However, sometimes in life we go through an experience that deeply affects us, and the more we try to hide it, the more it shows through.

Such has been the case for me. For those who are unaware, I’ve been dealing with a breakup for the past month.

I had been dating someone for a few months in which everything seemed to be just fine. I had let my guard down and imagined a future for the 2 of us.

Then unexpectedly, in the cruelest of ways, he broke up with me, through a card in the mail, thus taking away my voice and any chance to ask “Why?” or to cry, or be angry, or even express gratitude for the good times we had shared.

In many ways, this unexpected event is more than a break-up, it feels like a death. As if the person has unexpectedly died or disappeared with no chance to say goodbye or be prepared.

I share this for two reasons- to be honest with you instead of wasting energy pretending things are fine when they are not.

Two- how do you celebrate the grace of God or the hope of the upcoming Advent Season when you feel like you’re living in the Heartbreak Hotel?

Any good pastor or counselor would say that the only way through grief is to go through it; that it is Ok to give in to the pain, speak your truth, wallow in your woe, be honest with the world and have a pity party.

Thankfully, today’s reading allows us to do just that as Jeremiah is a prophet who is wracked with pain, sorrow, and concern for the future.

When today’s reading begins, Jeremiah is a young man living during a capricious time of history. The northern part of his country was taken over by the Assyrians.

The current King of the south is about to form an alliance with a well known enemy, setting into motion another major war that will utterly destroy the land, the people, and their house of worship.

Young Jeremiah receives a call from God to be God’s mouthpiece, to speak to the citizens of Jerusalem.

In this seemingly innocent vignette we overhear this conversation between God and Jeremiah.

On the surface it sounds so heartwarming. God says to the youth “I knew you before you were born. When you were still in your Mama’s tummy I made you oh so special.”

Jeremiah protests, claiming he has no idea what to do. To which God says “Oh, Jeremiah- don’t sell yourself short. Everything you need I will provide. Don’t be afraid. I will give you the words to say, and I will stay right by your side.”

How wonderful. How sweet it seems. How so very, very nice- knowing that God has spoken directly to you with your own special job and the assurance that the Holy One will be right there!

Who could resist? Who would want to resist? How many people would’ve loved to be an apprentice to the God Most High?

What could go wrong? Think of all the green pastures, still waters, and prepared meals there would be!

Who would ever want to say no to a god who knew you before you even took your first breath?

…well, there is this teeny-weeny thing that Jeremiah is about to find out.

He’s not being called to baptize babies, or perform weddings, or sip sweet tea with people out on the veranda…

he’s being called to give a message about how God is about to tear things up.

Jeremiah is given the daunting task of telling the nation that they have been acting all wrong and that everything they know is about to be plucked up, pulled down, overthrown and destroyed.

No wonder young Jeremiah wasn’t so keen on being God’s messenger. Who would want to share that news with the people you know?

In fact, it takes awhile for Jeremiah to share this message with the nation, about 18 years.

But when Jeremiah gives this message, he does so in a huge way.

Jeremiah waits until one of the biggest worship days of the year, stands outside the Temple and starts preaching to the people as they walk in.

You know how we like to say “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”?

Well- Jeremiah says the complete opposite!

While everyone is flocking in to get their praise on, Jeremiah starts calling them out on their hypocrisy.

He says to them “God is unhappy with your unholy ways. Don’t think that you can come into this Temple acting like you’re better than everyone else when you’re not.”

“Susan-you know you’ve been shoplifting.”

“Mark- how many folk have you murdered?”

“Cory- everyone knows your cheating on your wife.”

“Geraldine- ain’t it about time you stopped your gossiping?

“And Bobby- you’ve been going to the house of Baal all week long worshipping another god!”

Jeremiah is unrelentless.

He calls them out for mistreating foreigners, abusing children and the elderly, for robbery and all kinds of injustice.

Speaking on behalf of God, Jeremiah says “How dare you come to this holy place and put on an act like you’re all goody-goody when you’re bringing pain upon others.”

“And how dare you ignore God’s voice and commandments and think God is going to keep you safe and condone your evil actions just because you come to praise him once a week?”

It should be no surprise to hear that Jeremiah is arrested and put on trial for his life.

He learned the hard way that you can’t call religious people on their stuff without suffering some kind of consequence.

If you read all 52 chapters of Jeremiah you will discover just how much pain the prophet and God are going through.

It is a deeply disturbing collection in which either God or the prophet or both are suffering, in deep tears, and experiencing great anguish.

Sorrow permeates every page, as the prophet shares God’s disappointment over the people God loves, and the awareness that their abuse of power, mistreatment of immigrants, and disregard for human life is going to result in the nation’s demise.

The people thought they could do whatever they wanted to do as long as they made an appearance in the Temple once a week; instead they are soon going to experience how God will pluck up and pull down, destroy and overthrow.

But…if that was all there was to today’s reading, if that’s all there was to Jeremiah’s message, then none of us would be here today.

Fortunately, there is more that is going on.

Because in the midst of the accusations and the ramifications, there is hope.

Because as Jeremiah states, there just won’t be a plucking up and a pulling down, but there is also going to be planting and building.

Though there will be a shuffling of circumstances, God assures them that if they reclaim the ways of justice, and kindness, if they live with true humility, then God would have no problem dwelling amongst them again.

In other words, God is saying something truly amazing to the people: God has not given up on them.

Even though it appears they have walked out on God, God has not walked out on them.

Even though they turn a deaf ear to God, God has not stopped speaking.

Even though they ceased coming to the Temple for holy reasons, God has not stopped being holy, fair, and full of grace.

The people may have forgotten the stories of their ancestors and what it means to be Children of God, but God has not forgotten the narrative and the promises he made so long ago.

God remembers the promises made via Moses on the mountaintop. God remembers the covenant made with a childless couple about people, land and blessings.

God remembers the rainbow that was cast across the sky as a promise.

Today’s reading deals with the joys and pains of being in a relationship and just what a relationship with God truly means.

A part of that relationship is knowing that no matter how bad things get, no matter how bad things seem, no matter how much we mess up and fail, no matter how severe the consequences may be…

…God does give up.

Even when we give up on others, even when we give up on God, even when we give up on ourselves, God does not give up on us.

God is present. God is constant. God is there. Good times or bad; happy or sad.

BUT this does not mean everything will be hunky-dory; it doesn’t mean things will be green pastures, still waters, and prepared meals.

Nor does it mean that when bad things come to an end, we will go back to being the same.

Because when things happen, no one ever goes back to being the same.

When tragedy occurs and life circumstances take place, there will always be a change.

No one plucks up and pulls down, to only plant and build the exact same thing.

Today’s reading is a difficult one because it speaks of God’s pain and of God’s disappointment.

Today’s reading reaches across time to point a finger towards us to ask “What are we doing here if we continue to turn our back on justice, kindness, and humility?

Today’s reading asks us as a nation “How can we claim to follow God if we oppress immigrants, refuse to help the vulnerable, and hurt the innocent?”

But today’s reading also has that ember of hope, that gift of grace, as it assures us that as bad as things may seem, God has not left us; God will not leave us.

As long as there is a still a remnant of humanity, as long as there is still the hope of a 2nd, 3rd, 30th, or 3 millionth chance, God will remember us, and God will be right here.

Ready to plant, ready to build.

Ready to continue the narrative and to do something new.

Amen and amen.