Jeremiah 2: 4-13; Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
August 28, 2016
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,
where no one lives?’
I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
Therefore once more I accuse you,
says the Lord,
and I accuse your children’s children.
Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has ever been such a thing.
Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for something that does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no water. - Jeremiah 2: 4-13
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence,
‘The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?’
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. - Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16
There is an intersection where two roads cross. At this intersection the flat Mississippi Delta spans for miles and miles. A car approaches this intersection with three young men; all prison escapees. Their names are Everett, Pete, and Delmar. You may remember them from the movie, “O Brother Where Art Thou” (2000). They stop as Tommy Johnson asks if they are going past Tishomingo and Tommy hops in the back seat to catch a ride.
Everett is driving and does all the introductions and then Pete asks Tommy why he was standing at the roadside in the middle of nowhere. Tommy replies “I had to be there at the crossroads just before midnight to sell my soul to the devil.”
Everett chimes in, “Well ain’t it a small world, spiritually speaking! Pete and Delmar here were just baptized and saved. I guess I am the only one that remains unaffiliated.” Pete, still wet behind the ears with baptismal water, replies “This ain’t no laughing matter Everett.”
So Everett stands in check and asks, “Tommy, what did you get for selling your soul to the devil?” Tommy replied, “He told me to play this guitar here real good.” Pete said, “Oh son, for that you traded your everlastin’ soul?” And Tommy just shrugged his shoulders and answered, “Well, I wasn’t using it.”
Like this scene, Jeremiah describes how the people of God had also come to a barren intersection in their communal lives. At this intersection they had forgotten God’s story. Jeremiah says, “What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me?” (Jeremiah 2:5). Of course the question implies a negative answer. God did nothing wrong.
Over the generations God led our spiritual ancestors through the wilderness. Even as they felt lost in their forty years of wandering from Egypt, God always led the way. God’s deliverance in the book of Exodus is a hallmark story because God’s grace changes things. God’s grace led the people from oppression to freedom (Exodus 6:6-8). God’s grace was a light shining in the darkest days (Exodus 13:21-22). God’s grace was like life-giving water in the desert even when the people complained (Exodus 17:5-7). God’s grace provided a place to find a sense of identity, belonging, a hope, and a future (Exodus 15:13).
But over the generations the people and the religious leaders had shifted the focus of their spiritual eyes. They stopped looking for God (Jeremiah 2:6, 8). Instead of following the path that God was still creating on the highway of faith, the people turned onto a secondary road to follow other things.
And Jeremiah says, “My people have changed their glory for something that does not profit” (Jeremiah 2:11). God’s people had exchanged their reverence for God’s amazing grace for something that would not benefit them or give what they needed to thrive. So as the people lost touch with God’s story they replaced God with other things, other gods, other idols. Jeremiah recognizes that God’s people have gotten lost along the way.
Throughout our lifetimes we all will experience a time of getting lost. It is a part of being human. What we allow our hearts and minds to focus on often influences our next steps along the path of life.
When we focus on the fear of not having enough we shift from having an attitude of gratitude and generosity to greed. When we perceive the grass is greener on the other side then we forget to nurture and water the spot where our feet are already planted. When we tell ourselves that more money will bring happiness then we forget how to be content with what we have been given. When we believe that we will never fall to the temptations of the world then we deny our own vulnerability. When we pride ourselves on being self-sufficient then we forget to depend upon God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Fear, coveting, greed, denial, and pride cause us to lose our way as we take our spiritual eyes off God.
But there is another lostness that we may experience too. It is when we feel like we are standing in the middle of nowhere. This barren crossroads in the wilderness can be scary and isolating. We find ourselves overwhelmed by the brokenness we are experiencing. Sometimes we do not even know how we have arrived here. The compass of our faith feels shattered and we truly do not know what road or which direction will lead us out to a better place. It is tempting to stop looking for God when nothing seems to change. It is tempting to just stop believing. It happened to Israel and it easily happens to us too.
You have heard me mention Barbara Brown Taylor a time or two in the past. Taylor is a former Episcopal priest, a religious professor at Piedmont College in Georgia, an adjunct professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, an author, and a speaker. Taylor always has a way with words and this is what she says about getting lost:
Popular religion focuses so hard on spiritual success that most of us do not know the first thing about the spiritual fruits of failure. When we fall ill, lose our jobs, wreck our marriages, or alienate our children, most of us are left alone to pick up the pieces. Even those of us who are ministered to by brave friends can find it hard to shake the shame of getting lost in our lives. And yet, if someone asked us to pinpoint the times in our lives that changed us for the better, a lot of those time would be wilderness times.
As you and I find ourselves at the various intersections in life – the chaotic and disillusioned ones, the barren ones in the middle of nowhere, or the ones that press us to make a big decision – there is one important question that faith moves us to ask. That question is this: where is God?
So stand at this intersection – this crossroads – and look behind you and consider where God has been in your life. What situation in your past has God delivered you from? When did God shine the light of hope into your darkness? What did God’s life-giving water taste like when it quenched your thirst that nothing else could satisfy? How did God move you to follow and trust God a little more? Where is God still at work to clear a way forward in the messiness of life?
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of remembering the story of where God has been in our lives. It matters.
It empowers our faith to guide us through the wilderness to experience places of redemption and wholeness. It is a heritage of faith we pass down to our children to shape their identity in Christ. It is a lived experience we share with others to offer encouragement and hope. It is a window of seeing and learning where God is active in other people’s lives and gives us a sense of awe and wonder.
Not only does remembering God’s story reassure us of God’s faithfulness but it also gives us the courage to look down the road ahead into tomorrow’s uncertainty and say with a growing conviction, “The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid.” Remembering God’s story guides us through the next intersection by the right road even when we stumble and get lost.
While each of us has a unique and different story to tell of God’s deliverance, God’s promises do not change.
God promises to break down our fears with God’s abundant love and hospitality (Romans 8:31-32). God promises to nurture us where we are so that we might thrive (Isaiah 58:11). God promises to provide and give us our daily bread (Mathew 6:11). God promises to meet us where we are and share our vulnerabilities (Romans 8:26-27). God promises a steadfast love that we can always depend on (Psalm 89:1-2). We see the fullness of God’s promises take shape in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Later on in Jeremiah God says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29: 11-13).
As you step back out into the world today I want you to do three things. First, notice the spiritual intersection of where you stand along the journey of faith. Second, look back into the past days, weeks, and years and remember the story of God’s presence in your life. And third, as you look down the uncertain roads ahead, ask which direction God is leading you to give you a future hope.
May the Spirit continue leading us by the right road.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Source Referenced:
Barbara Brown Taylor, “An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith (New York: Harper One, 2009), p. 78.
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