Jeremiah 31:7-9

“See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.” vs. 8

Jeremiah was a hard-nosed prophet, and as we read his book we get an earful of judgment. The Lord was not pleased with the faithlessness of Israel and Judea. They were the Chosen People and they had disregarded the commandments of God and profaned worship. Surely they would be defeated by their enemies and driven into exile. People in Jerusalem were tired of Jeremiah and refused to listen to his fiery blasts of condemnation. But that isn’t the whole picture of Jeremiah and it certainly doesn’t reflect his full teaching about the grace and mercy of God. You see, Jeremiah knew that the bottom line with even the God of the Hebrew scriptures was grace. Even though the people had turned their backs on God and deserved punishment, there would be a return to the land, there would be restoration and healing, and no one would be left behind! There was a future for the people of God! Wow! What a powerful message, it’s not what we might expect from Jeremiah. And the best news is that this is also the word that we hear from the mouth of Jesus. It’s the message that should be shouted from the pulpit of every church in the land. Our past never defines our future.

Thought for the Day: When do we need a word of judgment?