Lenten Reflections: Jeremiah 8, John 8

The deepest desire of God, as seen throughout the Prophet Jeremiah, is that his people would “know” him. In Jeremiah 2:8, the LORD mourns, “The priests, who are supposed to know me, do not know me.” In Jeremiah 2:13, he mourns, “My people have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.” This is expressed clearly in our Lenten meditation text, Jeremiah 8:7, “Even the stork in the heavens knows its times . . . but my people do not know . . .” In the next chapter also God goes on to mourn, “they have grown strong in the land for falsehood, and not for truth, for they proceed from evil to evil and they do not know me.” (Jeremiah 9:3)

The prophet Jeremiah makes it clear that when people do not seek to know the LORD, they will always come up with false religions, which would create systemic forms of injustice. This was the problem in Genesis 3. The primeval parents, Adam and Eve, did not seek to know the Lord. Instead they chose to observe a spiritualist religious practice, which we read about in Mesopotamian religious texts. They sought to become gods by sitting under the fig tree and mystically partaking of the fig fruit. When human beings do not seek “to know” the LORD, they eventually come up with false religions which subjugate others, and causes them to fall into a state of sinfulness. The prophet Jeremiah mourned this.

In the Gospel reading, John 8, there is a poignant reminder of the results of the utter lack of the knowledge of God. When there is no knowledge of God, even his word is grossly misinterpreted. The religious leaders, in this text, bring “a woman who had been caught in adultery.” They do not bring the man. They do not ask the questions which would lead them to the reasons behind deep systemic evil in society that lead to things like sexual immorality and crimes against women. Instead, they just seek to kill the woman, who may have been raped by many men in her life. Jesus says that the root cause of this problem is, “You do not know me, nor the Father who sent me.” (John 8:19). Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

During these days of Lent, may we desire to truly “know” the Lord. May we truly come to the Light, so that darkness of injustice and evil around us may be dispelled. This is the only antidote to avoiding the pitfalls into which the religious leaders during Jeremiah and Jesus’ day fell.

Rev. Dr. R. Boaz Johnson, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies

Comments

[Jeff Ganim]

I loved this post. Though I know I am filled with faults, getting to know God (even if only a molecule of Him) has saved me from much greater sins. People sometimes seem to act as if the great evil in the world is just a small thing which can be fixed by Western science or just exhorting people to do good. I think it is evidence of a great problem with the human heart. Just (symbolically) crumbs from most anyone's table in Western society can save lives in the third world. Truly, we need a savior to forgive us for every crumb we horde and help us not only to not spare our crumbs, but to invite the suffering of this world up to our table with us. I don't do enough, and most people reading this are probably in the same boat, but God forbid that we should pretend that we don't see that there is someone begging at our table, or that this person doesn't have the same right to eat at our table as we do.

[Andy Hayes]

I find it very interesting, yet it makes so much sense, how Jeremiah makes it clear that when you don't seek to know the LORD, that you will create other gods. I find this very true in today's world. When we don't actively seek God, it becomes very easy to allow other things to take his place. It is so easy to get distracted and put schoolwork, friends, or even television as our priority about the Lord. Thanks for this reminder on the importance of truly seeking to know the LORD

[Kristi Orton]

I think a majority of people today, including Christians are so caught up in logic and understanding. Because of our many technological and medical advances we believe that in order for to truly know something, we need to completely understand that. Therefore, we as a society are caught up in knowing all we can about God in a way so that we understand every aspect of Him. This is not the true meaning, God mentions when He says He wants us to know Him. We do not and will not ever be able to understand God on every level, because He is just so complex and mighty that our small human brains cannot begin to comprehend. Instead, we should look to His teachings, and take note of His never ending love and compassion, and know that everything He does is because He loves us. Knowing God in this way can completely change your life.