June 26, 2023

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-13

Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 5:1-23, John 12:20-36a

“Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.” (Jeremiah 20:13 ESV)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you ever feel like Lutheranism has given you a raw deal? Do you think that being part of the people of God is not all that it is cracked up to be?  Are you tired of being ridiculed by others simply for believing in God?  This is what Jeremiah appears to be thinking when he writes, “O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived..”  He has encountered one of the uncomfortable truths of the faith. Belief in God is not a guarantee of a trouble free life. In fact, being faithful to God can bring about trouble in the world. In Jeremiah’s case the very prophecies that God gave him to speak caused the people who heard them to ridicule and persecute him.  Jeremiah is simply doing what God has called him to do, and the entire Israelite cancel culture has risen up against him.   

Jeremiah’s response to this comes in the form of a lament. He makes his complaint directly to God. What is important to realize here is that in all of this Jeremiah remains faithful. Complaining to God is an act of faith. Jeremiah complains because he believes that God can actually  do something about the situation.  His suffering is real, but so is his belief in God. Jeremiah never loses sight of the realities of his faith. God will be the ultimate victor. In the end His kingdom will come and His will will be done. This is why in the midst of his lament Jeremiah can still write, “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.”  

The same is true for you. Being faithful may cause you to suffer at the hands of the enemies of the faith. In the face of your suffering you can make a faithful lament to God. He did not abandon Jeremiah and He will not abandon you. You can bring your complaint right to Him. The God who called you in the waters of Baptism, the God who will bring you forth from the grave, the God whose victory is assured is the God who is with you even when you lament.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Yet even though I suffer The world’s unpleasantness, And though the days grow rougher And bring me great distress, That day of bliss divine, Which knows no end or measure, And Christ, who is my pleasure, Forever shall be mine. (From God Can Nothing Move Me, LSB 713:6) 

-Pastor Grant Knepper is Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Modesto, California.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.