Thursday • 3/30/2023 •
Week of 5 Lent
This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 131; Psalm 132; Psalm 133; Jeremiah 26:1–16; Romans 11:1–12; John 10:19–42
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 8 (“The Song of Moses,” Exodus 15, BCP, p. 85); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)
Welcome to Daily Office Devotions, where every Monday through Friday we consider some aspect of that day’s Scripture readings, as given in the Book of Common Prayer. I’m Reggie Kidd, and I’m grateful to be with you. This is Thursday of the fifth week of Lent.
Through Jeremiah and Paul, God calls us today to embrace, and live with, a couple of challenging but encouraging truths.
Jeremiah says that we can change God’s mind. God’s absolute control over everything could mean that nothing I do matters. It could be that his decisions are final, and there’s nothing I can do to make him change his mind about anything. But Jeremiah says that that isn’t quite true.
Yahweh, in today’s reading, sends Jeremiah to the courtyard of the temple to tell the people of Jerusalem that the coming desolation he’s predicted is not inevitable: “It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings” (Jeremiah 26:3).
There was precedent for this. When the pagan king of Nineveh heard about Jonah’s prophecies of doom, he called for people to cry out to God and turn from their evil and violent ways. “‘Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.’ When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it” (Jonah 3:9–10). And thus Nineveh was spared. However, because in Jeremiah’s day, the Jerusalemites did not “turn from their evil way,” Yahweh’s purpose of a punishing destruction does come to pass.
Image: Daybreak, Reggie Kidd photo
Lent is a time for taking stock. When I am walking on a rebellious path that can only lead to destruction, there’s nothing inevitable about my remaining on that path. Which means the consequences aren’t inevitable either. As the apostle John later writes: “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Paul says human failure can produce God’s greater good. Paul wrestles mightily with the failure of his fellow Israelites to embrace Jesus as their Messiah. Once he has seen that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises of Scripture, it’s mystifying to him that others who have been shaped by Scripture’s story don’t see that as well. But then he comes to understand that the failure of the Jewish mission has forced a Gentile mission that is wildly successful. He realizes that that Gentile mission is the very means by which God is fulfilling his promise that Abraham would be the father of nations (Genesis 12). Through Israel’s failure to believe, other people groups can experience the mercy of God. Paul calls this a mystery, a truth long hidden in Scripture that has now been revealed: “…how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Gentiles who were living in darkness and undeserving of God’s mercy have now been offered mercy, thanks to Israel’s rejection of the gospel. Ironically, Israelites are now in the Gentiles’ position, living in darkness and in need of just as much mercy. “Just as [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of [Israel’s] disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all” (Romans 11:30–32). What a wonderful punchline: “…that he may be merciful to all.”
The long and the short of it is that biblical faith is a faith in redemption, because God has a way of turning evil on its head and producing good out of it. That’s something for all of us to keep in mind when we find relationships to be challenging, self-discoveries to be disappointing, and headlines to be depressing. Paul closes today’s passage in Romans this way: “Now if [Israel’s] stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” (Romans 11:12). There’s a wonderful hopefulness here. With his pointing to the prospect of “full inclusion” for Israel, Paul opens for us an always-buoyant approach to life under our God of mercy.
Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+