We all want to be accepted and acceptable. It's natural. But what about when the situation calls for going against what is accepted and acceptable? Prophet Jeremiah did this regularly and Jesus teaches his missionary disciples about accepting the unacceptable.
Jeremiah not only steps out in challenging what is accepted and acceptable from his position as a royal prophet to the king, he is often instructed by God to demonstrate it in some way. On this occasion, when Judah has been conquered by the Babylonians, has had its great Temple looted and destroyed, and its best people carted off to Babylon, Jeremiah is told to wear a yoke around his neck. The message is that the yoke of Babylonian subjugation is God's punishment of Judah for its sins.
Another royal court prophet, Hananiah, has a different prophecy, one that is far more accepted and acceptable. It is a bit nuts, suggesting that Judah revolt to overthrow the Babylonians, that God will set the people free and have their losses restored in a short period of time. The priests of the court think this is great!
Jeremiah begs to differ, intoning God's prophecy to him that the yoke of Babylon must be worn and that lessons need to be learned. See how this plays out.
Jesus's missionary discourse is closing in Matthew 10. Here he counsels his mission-going disciples about how they will be doing what those in power will find unacceptable. Those who assist them may be called out for supporting their work and become endangered. For the community for which Matthew is writing, this is meant to encourage the faithful who have been experiencing persecution in Matthew's own time. There is reward for those who support the Kingdom-building mission of Jesus.
Get the whole story in the service video below.
This week, we were able to add music from Doogie in a Prelude and Postlude. Enjoy!
Jeremiah not only steps out in challenging what is accepted and acceptable from his position as a royal prophet to the king, he is often instructed by God to demonstrate it in some way. On this occasion, when Judah has been conquered by the Babylonians, has had its great Temple looted and destroyed, and its best people carted off to Babylon, Jeremiah is told to wear a yoke around his neck. The message is that the yoke of Babylonian subjugation is God's punishment of Judah for its sins.
Another royal court prophet, Hananiah, has a different prophecy, one that is far more accepted and acceptable. It is a bit nuts, suggesting that Judah revolt to overthrow the Babylonians, that God will set the people free and have their losses restored in a short period of time. The priests of the court think this is great!
Jeremiah begs to differ, intoning God's prophecy to him that the yoke of Babylon must be worn and that lessons need to be learned. See how this plays out.
Jesus's missionary discourse is closing in Matthew 10. Here he counsels his mission-going disciples about how they will be doing what those in power will find unacceptable. Those who assist them may be called out for supporting their work and become endangered. For the community for which Matthew is writing, this is meant to encourage the faithful who have been experiencing persecution in Matthew's own time. There is reward for those who support the Kingdom-building mission of Jesus.
Get the whole story in the service video below.
This week, we were able to add music from Doogie in a Prelude and Postlude. Enjoy!
| 06-28-20-ff-answers.pdf |
| 06-28-20-contrary_to_acceptable.pdf |