December 2, 2018 Text: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Dear Friends in Christ,
Each of us is no doubt shaken in different ways by different developments in our lives. The news that you or a loved one has a tumor or cancer. Getting that phone call that a friend or parent has died. Receiving word that your son or daughter is in the hospital or in jail. Having your accountant get a hold of you with the words, “Can you come in, we need to talk.” Hearing rumors at your company that jobs are being lost or transferred to another part of the country. Having to be somewhere when bad weather is upon us. Whatever your anxieties, Jeremiah would understand your condition. He was shaken by a number of things in his world.
First, God had called him to be a prophet and to speak God’s Word in a time when people resented God’s messengers. At least twice there were attempts on his life. This all caused Jeremiah great anguish. At the center of his life – his very vocation – there was tension and rejection.
Like us, not only did he have inner turmoil, but the world on the outside was about to collapse. Nebuchadnezzar was leading the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem and enslave its peoples. Jeremiah was at the crossroads of this inner and outer world. He was the one called to let the people know this was all happening because they had rejected God.
What a situation! What message can the prophet bring? Can the unsettled, anxious life be settled? Jeremiah lets us know that . . .
“BEYOND ANXIETIES IS SECURITY THAT IS SECURE”
Into this shaken world, God sends a remarkable word for Jeremiah and each one of us: “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 dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” (vs. 15-16)
A calming, healing word. A restoring, refreshing word. A certain word. And more than a word it is a change in reality. Jeremiah describes the coming of one who would reverse the curse of idolatry. The Jerusalem that would experience violence and bloodshed and enslavement would once again dwell in security and prosperity. God’s Blessings would be lavished on her.
This wonderful reversal would be brought about by the one who would bring justice and righteousness. This would be David’s seed, Jesus the Christ, the Word that fulfills what Jeremiah promised.
You want security in your anxieties, don’t you? It is found in Jesus. Medicines and effort and achievement can’t compare to what Jesus offers. You are in Him – in David’s Seed – for you were joined to his death and his resurrection in your Baptism. His death has done away with Israel’s sin, and Judah’s sin and your sin. His resurrection has given you life. Life eternal and life now.
The medical bad news is only temporary compared to the eternity of unending joy. A Savior who gives life overcomes the death you deal with. Prayer and the strength of the Lord ease the challenges of your children. The loss of monies is overshadowed by the blessings we take for granted from our Creator. The anxiety with your job is in the Lord’s hands because you know through His Word that He has a plan for you. In the bad weather you are kept safe by His holy angels. Beyond our anxieties, our security is secure because the Lord is our Righteousness. He’s here. He cares. He’s listening.
Jesus’ word is certain: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn. 11:25) And our answer, with Jeremiah, with Martha, is “Yes, Lord; I believe.” (Jn. 11:27)
When we put stock in our safety and security through the stock market or financial plans or physical prowess or intelligence or beauty or popularity we know they fall short. They cannot deliver long-term eternal security. If these are made our gods oh how the anxiety level will jump. The heart pounds. The mind starts playing tricks. You feel the tension in your muscles.
We need what Jeremiah spoke to his contemporaries. He faithfully spoke God’s Holy Word. Most rejected his message. But some listened and believed. They saw reality for what it was. They saw the beauty and wonder of the God of Moses and Jeremiah. They confessed their sins and rejoiced in God’s forgiveness for the sake of David’s seed, Jesus. When we do the same the heart beats in a calm rhythm. The mind is clear thinking. The muscles relax and the anxiety takes a hike.
So we rejoice with Jeremiah. Beyond the challenges of our own problems and the disappointment the world keeps delivering, beyond anxieties is security that is secure, the security that the Son of God, the Seed of David, brings and freely bestows upon us. Be at peace inside and as you meet the world on the outside, for you are secure in Jesus.
Amen.