RBWords

     The prophet Jeremiah is one of the most prominent of the biblical prophets.  He is known as the "reluctant" prophet because he resisted his call and often lamented the task that God had called him to do.  One could hardly blame him.  He lived at a time when Judah, which included Jerusalem, was caught between two big political powers in the Middle East, Babylon and Egypt.  The political leadership in Jerusalem was weak and a mixture of Babylonian, Assyrian and Egyptian religious practices had taken over.  A revival of the covenant occurred during the reign of Josiah, but was short lived.  Jeremiah's task was politically impossible, so he continually had to remind the people of the covenant while realizing that pagan powers were going to destroy Jerusalem and Judah.  

     The important message from Jeremiah is to recognize that no political power has God's approval.  Reliance by a nation on political salvation without faith in God will lead to disaster.  This lesson has to be learned over and over again.  The tendency to allow politics to shape faith instead of the other way around leads to a false confidence in secular and civic institutions.  Patriotism takes over faith and morality becomes whatever the lawmakers legislate.  Jeremiah's warning should remind us that we will not be asked at the final judgment if we were "Republican" or "Democrat," but rather whether we were faithful to Jesus' teaching.  AMEN