Living in the Spirit
November 27, 2018
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
There is a cartoon being shared on social media that shows a man talking with Jesus. The man asks Jesus why he is letting a long laundry list of bad things happen to the people. Jesus’ responded, “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” That is the prophet’s message in a nutshell. We are called to be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves*.
The people of Israel had gotten themselves in a real mess largely from following their personal interest rather than following God. Jeremiah assures them that God is still God and is sending help but only if the people understand that God’s ways are just and righteous and do not mix well with greed and lust for power among other issues. Justice and righteousness do not exist outside of our relationships with one another. God can show us the way to do justice but for it to be realized we must practice what God teaches.
Russell Westbrook, the point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, had a bad shooting night recently missing several three-point shots. He was asked about it after they lost the game and he said he needed to watch film to see what he was doing wrong and make the necessary corrections. It might be helpful if we all had some film to watch so we could make life corrections that would enhance our skills in doing justice. While we do not have such a film to dissect, we do have a role model in Jesus Christ. A good practice is to examine our own life regarding how he handled life situations. One good exercise is to meditate on one of the people encounters Jesus had and see ourselves in the roles of each participant. For example, imagine ourselves as the woman caught in adultery. How does that feel? How do we react to the stone throwers? How do we react to Jesus? Now go back and review the scene again like a stone thrower, and finally as Jesus.
Prayer: Lord, help me see myself as others might perceive me and help me make any course corrections needed. Amen.
*James 1:22