Living in the Spirit

September 19, 2022

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

Jeremiah bought some land. He was given the first opportunity to buy it because he was related to the owner, and he did buy it. So what? Would we invest in land offered to us when all signs lead to the land being seized by an enemy? Would we be interested in buying a bombed-out home located in a part of Ukraine that has been seized by Russia right now?

Jeremiah was investing in his faith. He believed that God would rescue his people. He believed that at some point he would return to his land and dig up the deed he had buried starting the rebuilding of Israel. Most people long for peace. The great challenge is living in peace where everyone has enough to survive and work toward thriving. The gods of greed and lust for power must be thwarted if we are to live into such a vision of a beloved community, the Kingdom of God. Such a reality starts with each of us examining ourselves to see where the evils of greed and lust for power have seeped into our being and are so much a part of our lives that we do not recognize them as abnormal. I see that in my attempt to recycle. Why do I keep buying stuff made of plastic in the first place? What could Israel have done in the first place that would have strengthened their beloved community to withstand the evil that overtook it?

Prayer: Lord, help us to see ourselves more clearly so that we might serve thee more nearly. 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.