Kingdom Building

September 24, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land. –Jeremiah 32:9-15

There are a lot of innocent people caught in the lust for power and greed rampant in our world. Both are the foundation of much violence. Both we may practice without even being aware of our actions. Much of the Bible tells the stories of such instances. We do not learn from the wisdom of the situations and outcomes the Bible shares. Just as our ancestors in faith did, we too tend to let history repeat itself. There is a better way which Jesus taught us. Learning to love one another and help others have enough would be a good start—enough food, clothing, and shelter, enough education, a living wage. Working to prevent disability, disease, addiction, and unwanted pregnancies would vastly improve the lives of many. Meaningfully addressing climate change is crucial to our survival.

God does not wave a magic wand and make all things right. He created us to do the work of caring for the earth and all that is within it.

Prayer: Lord, guide us away from the distractions of the world and lead us into a deeper understanding of your vision for our world and how we can help in making it a reality. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.