A Called People
Jeremiah 31 7-14, Ephesians 1 3-14
As I read over the readings for this Sunday, I was struck by just how big our claim and our expectation as Christians really is…we sell ourselves short too often.In Jeremiah today, we heard a great shoot of joy, a prophecy of a time coming when the blessings of the Lord will be poured out on a broken people. And this is not that common for Jeremiah let me tell you. He was usually pronouncing some sort of doom or gloom on the people. But not in Chapter 30 and 31. These chapters are often called the books of consolation.
Listen… I will gather the people, I will gather them from the east and the west, from the north and the south. Form everywhere. People will come home to God.
And is it the strong and the mighty this call is for? No. Jeremiah talks of the sad people, and the lonely and broken people, the lame and the sick and the hurting people. Those are the ones that God's prophet is calling. They will be a weeping people, and God will console them.
This call is a call to a people in difficulty. It is a call to rest. He will lead them beside brooks of water. Water. Water to a desert people.
And to a strait path. Straight home. Come strait home children. Don't waste time. Don't be slow. Come now.
The women will rejoice and dance, the young and old men will rejoice. Mourning into Joy. Gladness for sadness. Come and be with your Lord. Imagine the Joy of dancing at a wedding, or the laughter of families when they are truly together.
Jeremiah wrote to the people of Israel. But Jesus came to say that this call is for you. And that it's not in the future tense any more. It is for right now.
Are you heavy laden? We are all heavy laden in some way. Even if it is just with the realization of how empty success is. Come and throw off your burdens. Rejoice and be glad, for you are a ransomed people. You are forgiven and free. Turn and rejoice!
But when you first read the Ephesians text we read today, you would almost think that there is no freedom at all. Paul says "We were chosen before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love".
How could this work. Does it mean that we have no freedom? That God has called us the fortunate few, the rest to be lost? That we are just helpless pawns in God world? Some would say yes, but I say of course not.
The Gospel we read today sheds light on this I think. "In the beginning was the Word. Jesus was there. The triune God was and is there throughout all history. God is outside of time, and knows our thoughts and plans outside of time, from the deepest past, to the farthest reaches of the future. Have no doubt every action and thought is no secret to God. Not now, not last week, not next week. Read in the light of this it makes sense to me, to read about how God chooses us, from the foundations of the world.
God in Jesus reaches out to all of us. We are each given a choice to make about Jesus. Will we accept the gift that he is offering us. Will we live in the promise that is Jesus? Will we respond to the call and come home?
Those are all good questions to ask ourselves as we face this New Year.
Sometimes we think that this is a decision that needs to be made once and for all. In one life changing moment. Or perhaps that your parents made that decision for you at baptism.
But the truth is, that this is a journey that we are one together, you and me. Sometimes we start suddenly, and sometimes we start slowly, but we each are called day by day to say yes to Jesus, to take a step after step in the direction of a loving God that has reached out to each of us, and we are called to do it together. God is on our side, God is calling each of us to an existence that is far beyond what any of us could imagine or deserve.
Paul goes on in his letter to talk about God's plan. God will gather all things to himself. He will gather his own in both heaven and earth. He will bring all things to a wonderful conclusion that will give meaning and purpose to everything.
And we are to be a people marked by the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. What does that mean? It means many things. It means that we are given the power to live in the kingdom now. It means that we are blessed with the presence of the comforter that allows us to be aware of God's working in our lives. It means that we can expect that God will move in miraculous ways in our lives.
It does not mean our lives will be easy, or wealthy, or that we don't have to work hard. But it does mean that we can expect, should expect, that God will empower our lives to do his will far beyond what we are capable of doing in our own strength. Many of us have stories of how God has touched our lives. We should share them!
I was a metallurgist before I became a priest. I spent years learning about how by putting two materials together you can come up with something that is much stronger than both things alone. And we are called to be a Christian community that strengthens each other in this way. My strength make up for your weaknesses, and yours make up for mine. That is part of why we are called to be in Christian community. But God promises more than that. We are to live and work and expect the Spirit to move and enliven our community, so that it is a blazing torch that lights up our wider community. We, our community here today, is meant to be a light that gives light to the world.
Amen
©2004 Steve E. Timpson
(613) 272-2360
P.O. Box 69
2764 Highway 15, Portland, Ontario
stimpson@ontario.anglican.ca