| Sun 4 Mar 31 | am: Psalms 66, 67 pm: 19, 46 | Jeremiah 14:1-9, 17-22 | Galatians 4:21-5:1 | Mark 8:11-21 |
Jeremiah 14:20 We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,
and the guilt of our ancestors;
we have indeed sinned against you.
21 For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us
and do not break it.
22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.
Wicked
Evil. Nefarious. Vicious. Wicked. These are not words we generally want to be associated with. If we run into a person with these attributes we instinctively turn in the other direction. To call or be called any of these words is never a compliment and is an indication something needs to be done. A change is in order. The world we live in has a flirtatious love affair with wickedness and evil. As I write right now my heart is heavy with the news of a young rapper named Nipsey Hussel who was gunned down today. Watching the nightly news highlights the condition of many in our world. When we see acts of violence and innocent children being locked up and taken from their parents we come face to face with evil. With as a backdrop very rarely will we be willing to confess our actions or behaviors as wicked. We like softer more gentle words to define our bad behavior, and this may be the problem. By not confronting our sin as wicked acts against a loving GOD, we minimize the motivation to address our actions.
The writer here in Jeremiah takes a different approach. The writer appears to have adopted the idea that one cannot erase what one will not face. Jeremiah calls it what it is, wickedness. Jeremiah says we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our ancestors. The truth may be unpleasant at the time but a lie will only perpetuate itself. The season of Lent is a time to get real with who we have been. We must face how our action and inaction has caused harm to ourselves and others. If we are to grow closer to GOD we must make sure our hope remains in the GOD who is able to forgive us and give us life more glorious and abundant than we have ever imagined. Our hope remains that wickedness can be turned into worthiness as we face our faults and fears. This is either a launch pad to greatness or a landing strip to grovel. The choice is up to us.
Point to Ponder: What have you been unwilling to face about yourself? How has wickedness and sin affected your faith journey? Today how will you make a difference and combat wickedness in our society?
40 Days of Lenten Meditations 