The BreadCast

(Nah.2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7;   Dt.32:35-36,39,41;   Mt.16:24-28) “It is I who bring both death and life, I who inflict wounds and heal them.” When the Lord comes indeed “He will repay each man according to his conduct.”  And the justice and judgment that are the Lord’s alone are evident in His work amongst Israel and their enemies, spoken of in our first reading and psalm today. “The flame of the sword, the flash of the spear, the many slain, the heaping corpses, the endless bodies to stumble upon!” such is the graphic description of the horrors inflicted by the “bloody city” of Ninevah, of Assyria, whose nation is “all lies, full of plunder, whose looting never stops!”  And that which they have visited upon the nations, and upon the children of Israel, shall come to rest upon their own heads.  For “surely, the Lord shall do justice for His people” and prove to the evildoers that it is He alone who “will sharpen [His] flashing sword”; it is He whose “hand shall lay hold of [His] quiver.”  For vengeance is with the Lord alone and it is He who “will repay [His] foes and requite those who hate [Him].” All those who take up the sword, what can be said of them?  “Close at hand is the day of their disaster, and their doom is rushing upon them.”  Like Ninevah they shall be “destroyed, and who can pity her?”  Is she not like he who has “gain[ed] the whole world and ruin[ed] himself in the process?”  And shall not all who trust in “horses a-gallop, chariots bounding, cavalry charging,” themselves hear “the rumbling sound of wheels”?  As the Lord has duly repaid those on earth, so He will more greatly repay all on the Day of salvation. But even as death is visited upon the sinner, life dawns upon the righteous.  For them, “the bearer of good news [comes], announcing peace.”  Those who are pierced to the heart by the cross of Christ in this life, those who bear its weight through this forsaken land, walking in the footsteps of the Lord – even these shall “see the Son of Man come in His kingship.”  For “whoever loses his life for [God’s] sake will find it,” and it shall be preserved unto eternity. Brothers and sisters, though wounded here, the Lord Himself shall heal us.  Let death come to all sin, and salvation shall be assured. ******* O LORD, let us not be trampled underfoot but come rather to see your glory by following in your way. YHWH, it is you alone who bring both death and life, for life itself is in your hands, as is judgment of those who violate it.  Your justice is both sure and true, and so you will repay each man according to his deeds: those who have embraced plunder and looting cannot but come to the death they have made; but those who embrace the Cross and lay down their lives in this world shall be blessed greatly by the sight of the Son of Man coming in His glory.  Although such vision cannot but bring agony to those whose hearts are set on the ill-gotten gain of this evil age, the destruction of all evil in the LORD’s reign brings joy to the heart set upon Him who passes not away. And so, dear LORD, let us be numbered among those who seek to lose their lives that they might be found walking in the way of your only Son.  We pray the angels of Heaven may carry us to your kingdom on the Day He judges the world and all souls.

(Jer.31:1-7;   Jer.31:10-13;   Mt.15:21-28)  “Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings.” In our first reading Jeremiah prophesies the restoration of “all the tribes of Israel” to the grace and “age-old love” of their Lord and God.  The Lord promises His virgin daughter Israel: “Carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.”  He will “turn their mourning into joy” as this “remnant of Israel” returns to the holy heights of Mount Zion, as he “gathers them together” as His chosen once again. And in our gospel the Lord makes clear it is for the lost children of Israel He has come.  Here in the mission of the Christ, Jeremiah’s prophecy is fulfilled.  But more than the restoration of the nation of Israel do we hear of today.  What we find is that not these alone shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings, but indeed all the nations shall find Him whom their hearts desire.  And it is this Canaanite woman who leads the way for all Gentile people to receive the grace and favor of the One God. On her knees she comes, crawling like a dog, this mother of all us not born of Jewish blood, to be grafted to the kingdom’s tree.  Here is a sign of the humility we all must have.  And when rebuffed she does not answer, “Who are you?” and leave in anger, but drops further on her face, pleading for “the leavings that fall from [the] masters’ tables.”  And so she shows the Lord the “great faith” even we Gentiles can exhibit; and so she wins a hearing not only for herself but all people of foreign nations who, like Ruth, are able to say in truth: May your God be my God (see Ru.1:16).  And so her daughter finds the healing touch of the Lord. Brothers and sisters, the promise given the people of Israel is now for all of us to share, if we have but faith – if we but have the love of God burning in our hearts.  And so, “rise up, let us go to Zion, to the Lord, our God” and “enjoy the fruits” He offers forth for all His many sheep.  This Canaanite woman came “shouting after” Him and found the ear of the God of the universe; let us now “shout with joy for Jacob” and with Jacob, as we celebrate the glory of the Lord here present in our midst. ******* O LORD, gather us all into your arms. YHWH, you restore the fortunes of Jacob; his house you rebuild and your blessings he finds.  Jesus has indeed come to the lost sheep of Israel, for they are your chosen sons and daughters.  You have loved them from of old and your mercy remains upon them. But if we come on our knees before you, LORD, we who are but dogs, perhaps the leavings of your table we may find, and so share in your blessings with the chosen ones.  Faith is open to men of all nations, and it is this alone that will enable us to enter your House. O let us rise up and go to Zion!  Let us climb the heights of your mountain and fall at the feet of your Son.  His mercy He cannot withhold from any who beg of Him.  As a Shepherd guide us, O LORD, that we might find rest in you, that we might be fruitful in your NAME and come to praise you in the joy of your kingdom.

(Jer.30:1-2,12-15,18-22;   Ps.102:16-23,29;   Mt.15:1-2,10-14) “Every planting not put down by my heavenly Father will be uprooted.” Is it not these Pharisees of whom Jeremiah speaks when he prophesies, “Incurable is your wound, grievous your bruise”?  Truly there is “no remedy for [their] running sore, no healing for [them].”  Blind shall they ever be, for they do but harden their hearts when their sin is brought up before their eyes. And so, though Jesus comes to “restore the tents of Jacob,” “when the Lord has rebuilt Zion and appeared in His glory,” where shall they be?  Where are they now as He brings this to pass in their very presence?  Is it not so that they cannot see?  And so, as “the peoples gather together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord,” they can only remain outside His house knocking so vainly... “It is not what goes into a man’s mouth that makes him impure; it is what comes out of his mouth.”  With this simple declaration the Lord turns the eyes of all ancient religions – set so much on the letter of the law, witnessed in the washing of hands and the preparation of food for the body (which shall but die one day) – in upon themselves.  With this essential challenge all are forced to examine their faith and discover upon what it rests.  Is it truly upon the Almighty God, who is “heavenly,” who is Spirit?  Or is it upon their own belly?  It is a hard look that must be taken if one is to be drawn into the renewed covenant and anointed by its blood.  (How else shall one stand in the overwhelming light of His glory?) It shall be so that “all your lovers have forgotten you”: anything upon which you set your heart that is short of the Almighty God shall indeed but rot, shall be exposed for all its vanity.  And though it seems at this time that the Lord has “struck you as an enemy would strike,” that He has “punished you cruelly,” know that it is “because of your great guilt, your numerous sins, [He has] done this to you,” that He might uproot these from your midst – that you might not be uprooted from His presence. ******* O LORD, keep us from the pit; forgive our sins and let our house be rebuilt from its ruins. YHWH, you open the eyes of the blind and save those who have strayed so far from your love.  You desire to rebuild the ruins of Zion, and so you send your Son to teach us of your presence within.  Help us to set our hearts on your kingdom that we might be as your temple, as your own kin. It is through Jesus your compassion comes to us, LORD.  We were destined for death, sitting in a land of darkness and gloom, overwhelmed by our sins; but you enabled us to approach your throne and find healing for our souls through the grace and mercy of your only Son.  Remember us, that we might praise you through all generations. How sick we were, LORD, indeed at the point of death, headed for an empty pit.  But you turn our eyes from our running sore to look upon your majesty.  In your pity you heard the groaning of these prisoners and raised us from the mire.  O may we stand firm on your holy mountain, planted securely in your love.

(Jer.28:1-17;   Ps.119:29,43,68,79-80,95,102;   Mt.14:22-36)  “Let those turn to me who fear you and acknowledge your decrees.” Hananiah does not fear the Lord; he cares nothing for His decrees.  And so he prophesies that the Lord will bring “the vessels of the house of the Lord and all the exiles back from Babylon” within two years, though the Lord has not said this.  And he refuses to turn to Jeremiah – who does acknowledge the Lord’s decrees and speaks only truth – hardening himself against the word and the will of the Lord even unto his death.  How foolish to have “false confidence,” to have no fear of God and His prophets.  “Rebellion against the Lord” can but bring destruction to the proud soul. And what of the fear the disciples exhibit throughout our gospel today: the fear of the boat “being tossed about in the waves raised by strong head winds”; their terror at seeing Jesus “walking on the water” in the middle of the night (“‘It is a ghost!’ they said.”); Peter’s fear of sinking in the water...  Is this the fear the Lord desires of His chosen ones?  No.  For this is the fear of a faithless soul disturbed by the distractions the devil might raise, not the fear of the Lord.  The fear the Lord requires we see after Jesus “had climbed into the boat, [and] the wind died down.”  Here read of the fear of the Lord: “Those who were in the boat showed Him reverence, declaring, ‘Undoubtedly you are the Son of God!’” Acknowledge Him we must.  To His feet we must bring all our sickness, all our blindness.  Knowing that by His word alone we are saved, that in His presence alone do we find our home, our harbor in this storm – this is the fear which must burn in our hearts.  There is no other way.  There is no other word which has weight.  Only His hand reaches out and lifts us up from drowning in the waves.  And for this we honor Him.  For the law of His mouth we praise His name.  For what does He speak but our salvation?  What does He come across the lake bringing us but assistance in our exile here?  And so, what should we do but reverence His eminent grace?  Let the Lord be praised! ******* O LORD, by your Word save me; with your hand raise me up. YHWH, you destroy all falsehood from among us; from our hearts you remove all fear.  And so, we praise you for your glory, for truly you are our LORD and God. Across the waters you send your Son, to calm our hearts and remove all fear.  Into our boats He climbs, bringing your peace, LORD, and by His hand all are healed. Let us not be blind to His presence; let us not lack the faith to walk with Him.  For His arms are always outstretched to catch us and gather us into your heart, O LORD. There indeed is no falsehood in Him, or in the words He speaks to our souls.  He is the true Prophet sent in your NAME, LORD, and we find refuge in obedience to His call. O LORD, may our boat come soon to the shore we seek; with your Son at our side we are already with you.  And let your Word of truth be in our mouth as well – let us speak only the words you inspire.

(Jer.26:11-16,24;   Ps.69:14-16,30-31,33-34;   Mt.14:1-12)  “In truth it was the Lord who sent me to you, to speak all these things for you to hear.” Jeremiah speaks to the people in the Lord’s name, even as he is threatened with death: “Reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the Lord your God, so that the Lord will repent of the evil with which He threatens you,” he declares at his trial – he does not hide the truth.  And the words of David’s psalm are proven genuine: “His own who are in bonds He spurns not”; for the prophet’s words find a hearing in the people, and Ahikam advocates for his release. It is the truth which John the Baptist, the greatest of prophets, comes to declare most boldly.  Even from Herod’s dungeon this voice crying in the wilderness continues to proclaim the sinfulness of the king’s taking his own sister-in-law to wife, repeatedly telling him, “It is not right for you to live with her.”  He, too, does not back down in the face of trials, in the dark of prison, and he, too, is released from bonds – though bonds of a different kind.  He, too, is “rescued from [his] foes, and from the watery depths…  The pit [does not] close its mouth over [him].”  For though he be beheaded, though death at the hands of his persecutor he does not escape, yet it is his message which lives and has power, power shown now in the presence of the Truth walking the earth in the Person of Jesus Christ – a power which causes the evil king to shake in his boots at the voice which still comes to his ears.  Indeed, John yet lives.  In Jesus he makes his home. “I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.”  For all His “lowly ones” He sees; all who “seek God” are known to Him.  And these shall be released from all bonds of this earth, even as they speak His truth. The party shall soon be over, the dance of the daughter of lust come to an end.  And who shall stand justified then?  Who shall hear His soothing words?  And who shall be condemned?  Turn to Him in your hearts this day.  Listen to His voice. ******* O LORD, save us from the dungeon of death; lift us from the mire of this corrupted world – let us repent that we might praise you. YHWH, it is you who are our secure protection, you who save us even from death, you who raise our heads in the joy of your presence.  And so, what need we fear?  Let the wicked of this world tremble before your voice, but let us be blessed to dwell with you in your kingdom. O LORD, though your prophets and disciples be cast into dungeons, though they be beheaded for your NAME’s sake, though the princes of this world call for the death of those who proclaim your truth to their unyielding hearts… yet you are there to protect your own, for your power is beyond any creature crawling upon this desolate earth. And so we take refuge in you, LORD; and so we stand strong in the face of our persecutors.  For we shall not die at their hands but live in your presence, as your saints do even this day.  Give us the strength we need to place our trust entirely in you and in your Son, for we know even as we die with Him we shall live with Him forever.

(Jer.26:1-9;   Ps.69:5,8-10,14;   Mt.13:54-58)  “No prophet is without honor, except in his native place, indeed in his own house.” How consonant are our readings today, speaking all of the persecution the prophet of God must bear in bringing the truth to His people.  (Indeed I had thought to refer to the incident in our gospel before having even come to it, while still reading the words from Jeremiah, for elsewhere in the gospels the same quote of Jesus written above causes His people to lead Him to the brow of a hill, intending to throw Him down.) As Jesus was rejected when He “went to His native place and spent His time teaching in their synagogue,” so when Jeremiah is obedient to the Lord’s command to “stand in the court of the house of the Lord and speak to the people of all the cities of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord … all the people gathered about [him],” not to “listen and turn back, each from his evil way,” but to join with “the priests and prophets [who] laid hold of him, crying, ‘You must be put to death!’”  And David bemoans the same treatment in our psalm: “I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons,” as for the sake of the Lord he “bear[s] insult.” What does the prophet come to do; what does Jesus speak to His people but truth?  They themselves recognize that He has great “wisdom and miraculous powers.”  With these He would save their very lives; His sword of truth would incise every cancerous growth of sin from their souls – He would heal them with the Word of God.  In fact, it is their health He is so zealous to effect.  But “because zeal for [the Lord’s] house consumes [Him]… the insults of those who blaspheme [God] fall upon [Him].”  As they do upon Jeremiah.  As they do upon David…  As they do upon every faithful prophet of God. Those who “disobey [God], not living according to the law [He] placed before [them] and not listening to the words of [His] servants the prophets,” do not wish to hear of their sin: foolishly, they would be left to die in their rebellion.  And so they kill the prophet, attempting vainly to destroy His message.  And it must be those of the Lord’s own house that reject His word, that kill the Christ, for it is only they who know His voice speaking in their heart. “This city shall be desolate and deserted.”  Hear these words, brothers and sisters.  Let them sink deeply into your ears and take root in your hearts.  Be not afraid of the death that must come to this earthen vessel.  Nor reject the word because it comes from one who is your own brother.  It is this sword of truth alone that will save you. ******* O LORD, your Son’s own brothers surrounded Him and condemned Him to death – forgive us, LORD, and let us be faithful as He. YHWH, why are our hearts so set against your will that we would persecute your prophets and kill your only Son?  Why are we so stubborn in our rejection of your love, of your chastising word that would bring us to your holy presence?  It should be your temple in which we desire to dwell, and yet we seek to build our own. O holy LORD, take the blasphemy from our lips, the anger and hatred from our hands and tongue.  Let us see and recognize that you are God and treasure the wisdom you bring to us.  Let us not turn our backs or raise our hands against you, but rather bear the insult of those who suffer for the sake of your NAME. You look upon our zeal for you and for your house, LORD, and so hear us as we cry to you.  Protect us well from the devastation of this fallen race, that we might accomplish your will and come to stand with you in Heaven.  In your House alone let us seek to dwell.

(Jer.18:1-6;   Ps.146:1-6;   Mt.13:47-53) “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” “I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel.”  According to the Lord’s words Jeremiah goes, and a marvelous sign is provided him.  For there in the hands of the potter and in his work, he sees the Lord huddled over His creation.  And what in particular does he witness in this vision: “Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.”  Are we not indeed like this clay in the potter’s hands?  Does He not send His only Son to remake us in His image?  And so, should we not be as pliable as clay in the holy hands of our Lord and God? And are we not as those caught in the net of the fishermen who, having “collected all sorts of things… put what was worthwhile into containers.  [But] what was useless they threw away.”  Yes, at the end of the world “angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just,” and then the hand of the Lord will be at work in its fullness.  So, while there is yet time, let us do all we can to be remade in God’s image, that we might avoid “the fiery furnace” – let us not be hardened in our sin.  For once cast in this kiln, what shall they do but “wail and grind their teeth”? Brothers and sisters, do you not see that it is the Lord “who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them”?  It is the Lord who holds all in His holy hands, and does what He will with the universe.  And so, should you not take refuge in Him?  “Put not your trust in princes, in men, in whom there is no salvation.”  What is man who “when his spirit departs he returns to the earth”?  When God removes His breath from man, indeed he becomes as nothing but clay in a potter’s hands.  But “happy he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord, his God.”  For the one who trusts in Him, He shall remake in His own eternal image; upon this clay His breath shall remain.  And so his soul shall ever “praise the Lord.” ******* O LORD, all is in your hands; may our hands and our hearts be conformed to your own. YHWH, we are indeed as clay in your holy hands; you can make of us what you will.  And so we pray you make us in the image of your Son, that we will be gathered into your kingdom and not cast aside. We are but dust, O LORD, except that you breathe upon us.  And should you take your Spirit from us, to dust we would return.  Yet we fail to recognize your power and glory and put our trust in the dust of this earth, in the things you have created.  It is you who have made the heavens and the earth and all that dwell in them.  It is you who hold the life breath of all men.  O let us worship you alone and seek to be remade in your image!  Then to eternal life we shall come. The fiery furnace awaits the wicked; let us not forget that you will separate the evil from the good at the end of the age.  May your angels’ hands be upon us this day, preparing our souls for the end of the world, forming us by your grace as your blessed children.  Praise you, LORD!

(Jer.15:10,16-21;   Ps.59:2-4,10-11,17-18;   Mt.13:44-46) “If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand.” The Lord called Jeremiah even from before he was formed in his mother’s womb, but it seems he falls short of fulfilling that call, for the Lord says to His prophet today, “If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece.”  Indeed it seemed that Christ’s words in His parable today – “The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field” – had been realized in Jeremiah, who declares, “When I found your words, I devoured them; they became the joy and the happiness of my heart.”  Yet it seems the prophet struggles to heed the Lord’s instruction to “put up for sale all he had,” to give up all else to receive fully the gift of God’s gracious presence. Jeremiah complains to God, “Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?”  And what is this pain but the persecution he continually finds as “a man of strife and contention to all the land”?  The Lord has called him to be a continual sign of contradiction toward His rebellious house, and the difficulties of this cross he must bear move the prophet toward despair. What is the “vile” matter of which Jeremiah must “repent” to become “a solid wall of brass” in his mission for God?  It is, I believe, the “indignation” he says he has toward his fellow people, who, though evil in the sight of God, must be borne with patience, according to the Lord’s call.  It is his failure to be as really only Christ is – able to forgive His persecutors even as He stands nailed to the cross.  Jeremiah must accept his weakness and trials, as does Paul later, but struggles greatly in this time before the coming of the Son. Yet the Lord promises to “free [him] from the hand of the wicked, and rescue [him] from the grasp of the violent.”  Yet the Lord is with him to answer his prayer when he cries out as has David, “Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; from my adversaries defend me.”  And yet he will know what David proclaims: “You have been my stronghold, my refuge in the day of distress.”  For whoever cries out to Him from the cross, the Lord hears; and to him He brings the greatest treasure of all – His own presence within him. (If you would find this “pearl” of greatest value, brothers and sisters, in a word, learn to love thy enemy.) ******* O LORD, you will defend us if we but trust in you; why do we not make you our pearl of great price? YHWH, you free us from the hand of the wicked, the grasp of the violent, for you are our refuge, our stronghold; and so, what need we fear?  Let us trust in you and bear our Cross in joy. LORD, if we are to be your disciples, your prophets – your light – we cannot be less than you are.  If with anger or indignation we speak to your people, how can it be you who are calling them to repentance?  We must first repent ourselves of any vile matter that may be polluting our souls, and then we can serve as your image in this world.  Help us to set aside all sin and attachment to sin that we might find you at work in our lives. O LORD, it is you who are the pearl of great price and so we should treasure above all our service of you and the persecution it necessarily brings.  Would we be other than you were among us?  Should we lay down our cross?  Never, I pray.  Rather, let us freely lay down our lives that we might find them in you.

(Jer.14:17-22;   Ps.79:8-9,11,13;   Mt.13:36-43) “Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.” If the prophet’s “eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of [his] people, over her incurable wound,” how many more tears will there be “at the end of the world” when the “weeds are collected and burned”?  For in our first reading Jeremiah sees “those slain by the sword” and “those consumed by hunger,” suffering enough to bring tears – but this “blow” struck by the Lord is not one which “cannot be healed.”  “A time of healing” shall indeed come as the nation is brought back from exile only seventy years after its being taken; and soon Jesus shall come to “free [all] those doomed to death,” to set prisoners free… to make permanent the compassionate deliverance of the Lord God.  But at the end of the age, when Jesus comes again and finally, the sentence that is passed against those who have sinned shall have no means of repeal; the death upon souls shall be everlasting. In our gospel today Jesus speaks in plain terms as He explains “the parable of the weeds in the field.”  This is no mere fable but the delineation of the harvest time that shall come upon all.  To heaven or to hell all shall go, and there shall be no more changing: no more opportunity for redemption for those set upon evil, and no more faltering into wickedness for those set upon good.  Great shall be the eternal gifts showered upon the blessed, but what of the wailing then… what of the wailing? “We have sinned against you.”  “We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness.”  We pray you shall “remember your covenant with us,” and from all our sin set us free.  “Deliver us and pardon our sins” and we “will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.”  Keep us safe from your judgment on the Last Day.  Do not “cast [us] off completely,” but raise our lowly hearts unto your kingdom. ******* O LORD, we are doomed to death for our sin, but Jesus comes to save us from the fiery furnace that we might shine your light forever in the kingdom. YHWH, remember not against us the iniquities of the past but let us be purged of all sin, that we might shine with you in your kingdom.  For the glory of your NAME forgive our wickedness and let us share your glory in your holy Day. You are right to punish us, LORD, and to condemn us if we harden our hearts on the day of judgment.  But we beg you to hear the sighing of the prisoners and free those doomed to death.  Make us as the sheep of your pasture and we will give thanks to you forever. Our very lives are dependent on you, LORD our God.  We cannot eat or breathe except that you feed us, except that you give life to our souls.  If you remove your providential hand, we cannot but be destroyed, we cannot but perish in our sins.  But you are our Savior – let your will be accomplished among us and let us be redeemed!  Save us from the fiery furnace and let us stand as citizens of your kingdom, Father of us all.

(Jer.13:1-11;   Dt.32:18-21;   Mt.13:31-35) “You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you. You forgot the God who gave you birth.” So Moses says of the people he led through the desert.  So Jeremiah is told of the Lord’s chosen at the time of the Babylonian exile.  So it is with those who are deaf to Jesus’ parables.  And so we, too, forget the Lord whenever we turn from Him in sin. So close were the Lord’s children to Him and His blessings: “As close as the loincloth clings to a man’s loins, so had I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord.”  The God of earth and heaven calls them “my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty.”  He has set them aside to be His own, to make them holy in the eyes of the world.  “But they did not listen.”  But they did not remain faithful.  Going after “strange gods to serve and adore them,” they showed themselves to be “sons with no loyalty in them.”  And so they became “rotted, good for nothing.” How sad is sin.  “What a fickle race [we] are.”  For all we need the Lord provides, yet we “walk in the stubbornness of [our] hearts” a path away from Him, apart from His love.  And now Jesus “announce[s] what has lain hidden since the creation of the world.”  In parables He speaks of the kingdom of God.  But how many hearts are closed to His teaching?  How many “refuse to obey [His] words?”  And should the Lord not therefore be “filled with loathing and anger toward His sons and daughters”? The kingdom of heaven cannot grow in us if we separate ourselves from Jesus.  As Israel and Judah were cast off, so shall we be, if we do not heed His commands.  Following the “vain idols” of the nations will not bring us to His kingdom, but only make us abominable in His sight.  And what horror to lose His blessing, to turn our renown and beauty to an everlasting curse. It need not be so.  To Him we can return, with open ears and understanding hearts and light thus filling our eyes.  Remaining ever in His presence, remembering His Name, He who has planted us as seed “in His field,” He who has given birth to new life within us, will see that each day we grow.  And on the last Day we shall be formed in His image. ******* O LORD, your Son announces the kingdom of God; let us listen to His voice and turn from our disloyalty, that we might enter His reign. YHWH, you are hidden within Creation and so within us; from the beginning you are with us, though we be blind to your presence.  But your Son comes to reveal your glory, your blessing upon our souls.  You are our very life – let us not turn away from your love. To the Word of your Son let us listen, LORD, that the humble seed He is might be planted well within our hearts and so grow unto eternity, and we might come to dwell with you.  Let us rise with Him who has died for us, who has taken upon Himself the rottenness of our sin and stubborn pride. We are good for nothing, LORD.  Having provoked you with our disloyalty, what can we be but cut off from your grace and the light of your holy face.  Yet you come to speak to our souls and call us home to you, if we would but listen.  O let us heed your word of chastisement wherein is your call; let us understand the wisdom so hidden from our limited vision.  May we learn our lesson well and so come to dwell in Heaven.