Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 32 verse 41, “Thus says the Lord: I will rejoice in doing good to them,” (NRSVB). The prophet Jeremiah was locked up in the court of king Zedekiah of Judah, for Jeremiah continued to prophecy in the public square that the city would be given into the hands of the king of Babylon. Zedekiah thought that he could keep the prophet from upsetting the people, for they were growing tired of Jeremiah’s doom prophecies. Even there, where Jeremiah was held in a type of arrest, he continued to warn the king and the people. Despite Jeremiah’s unenviable situation, being an imprisoned prophet, some people still came to the king’s court to talk to Jeremiah and listen to him. Jeremiah warned Israel and Judah against engaging in practices that were hallmarks of the religious festivals of the cults around them. However, they engaged in ceremonies to honour idols. One cannot serve two masters, and choosing to worship other deities meant that Israel and Judah chose not to worship the God of Israel. The prophet warned that the nations whose idols are being worshipped will over-power Israel and Judah, they will be captives and driven into exile. The proverb says: “A prophet is not honoured in his own land,” and Jeremiah was no exception. Jeremiah’s prophecies included God’s promise to bring Israel and Judah back to their God and their land, once the wrongs have been set right. God’s promises are to bless and prosper humankind. He rejoices when people turn from their wrong ways and wrong practices. Because God is perfectly just, he cannot bless that which is wrong. God must correct the wrongs and bring righteousness to the nations.
God’s plan for humankind has always been that they would enjoy a loving relationship with Him, their Father, their Creator. When disobedience caused the fall of humankind, God had redemptive plans at work to restore this relationship, culminating in His Son, Jesus Christ, coming to dwell on earth. When Jesus dwelled on earth and started his ministry he had a great popular following. Many thought that he would herald in a new age of liberation for the Jews who were ruled by foreign client-kings who sworn allegiance to Rome. When the followers saw that Jesus was proclaiming a different kind of kingdom, a kingdom not of this world, many deserted him. Jesus reached out to those who were on the fringes of society and taught them how to be in right standing before God. Zacchaeus was one such a person. He was a tax collector, hated by his countrymen, because he taxed them unfairly, enriching himself and the Roman authorities. He heard that Jesus was visiting his hometown and he wanted to see him, but due to his short stature he had to climb up a tree to gain a glimpse of Jesus. He thought he was hidden by the branches, but Jesus knew about this man, and looked up, called him down, and pronounced that he was coming to visit him. The people were outraged, for didn’t Jesus, the prophet, know what kind of man this was? Jesus answered them, “The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost,” Luke 19:10. Unlike the self-righteous Pharisees, Zacchaeus immediately owned his wrongs, confessed and pledged to right his evil deeds by repaying those from whom he stole reparation, four times that which he took. The presence of Jesus and his forgiveness removed this tax collector’s spiritual and moral burden. He was given the insight to right the wrongs that he committed, by giving back much more than what he took. Those who are lost are found by Jesus and they are restored to right-standing with God and men.
Father, we thank you that the angelic hosts rejoice when humans turn to You, their God. You rejoice and in turn bless all who come to you, through your Son, our Lord, Amen.