Jeremiah 50 & 51: Against Babylon
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
A re-post from the Third Sunday of Easter, April 22, 2012
Eastertide is the traditional time in the liturgical year when we rejoice that we are loved and rescued by God, that we are redeemed and saved by Jesus, that we are consoled and nurtured by the Holy Spirit. We celebrate our new life; we give thanks that we are not forgotten. Our Noontime Easter journey has taken us, however, in a different direction: we have re-visited the Tales of the Diaspora; we have gone into exile and remained remnant; and we have heard the news that even when we feel abandoned and defeated. We hear that especially at these times God abides with us in our sorrow and pain. Rather than be downcast when we are held captive, we have every reason to experience Easter joy because we know that Christ’s love for us pierces the darkness of addiction and obsession.
Babylon appears to be the winner as she conquers little Israel; but as always we see that God abides with the little and the oppressed, the sorrowing and the broken-hearted. We have been swept away into captivity and exile; but God has remained with us. The tiny remnant becomes the messenger of good news. The rejected lover becomes the cornerstone of the new kingdom. Let us join our voices with Jeremiah’s as we watch mighty Babylon fall . . . as we come to understand that God resides with the homeless; God heals the grieving and wounded; God loves us infinitely . . . and calls us to witness to this amazing love. Jeremiah predicts the fall of the empire that has deported and held captive the people of Israel. He also predicts the coming of the one who will release all nations on earth.
In today’s Gospel Luke (24:35-48) tells the story of Jesus’ appearance on Easter Sunday night when the two disciples who had met the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus joined the apostles to describe their experience with the risen Christ that day. While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you”. But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
We too often tremble in hidden places hoping to escape the notice of oppressors. Jesus comes to us to ask us as he asked the disciples, Why do questions arise in your hearts?
We too suddenly accept gloom and refuse to find hope when all is dark. Jesus comes to us to show us his wounds as he showed them to the disciples as he says, Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.
We too quickly accept the last words of a bully or tyrant as the ultimate outcome in a conflict or as a final decision that will last forever. Jesus comes to us as he came to his apostles and he says, It is written that Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations . . . You are witnesses of these things
And so we pray with the words of Jeremiah as we retell the story of the risen Jesus.
Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord with covenant everlasting, never to be forgotten . . . and let us turn to Christ who comes to us through the locked doors of our hearts.
Lost sheep were my people, their shepherds mislead them, straggling on the mountains . . . let us follow Christ who gathers us up to lead us to our peaceful home with him.
For Israel and Judah are not widowed of their God, the Lord of hosts . . . we have not been left behind by Christ.
You are my hammer, my weapon for war . . . you are Christ’s faithful ones, you are witnesses to the goodness he has done . . . go and tell what you have seen. Amen.
Image from: http://rosemaryl.blogspot.com/2010/09/light-in-darkness-blog-carnival-round-2.html
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