Sunday, August 28, 2022
/Proper 17
Jeremiah 2: 4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16, Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16; Luke 14: 1, 7-14
The Rev. James M.L. Grace
In the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Years ago, a woman made an appointment with me for confession. She and I came into church and it was here that she disclosed to me the grief that was upon their heart – a heavy burden she had carried through a marriage of many years which pertained to her infidelity, an affair (at the time of our meeting) she had yet to disclose to her husband.
Infidelity is of course nothing new, and if we are going to be honest with ourselves, we must admit that all of us bear the same guilt in regard to our important relationship, which is our relationship with God.
Infidelity is the theme of the reading today from the prophet Jeremiah. In the verses which were read shortly ago from chapter 2, God addresses the infidelity of the people of Israel in verse 5, which reads: “Thus says the Lord, What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
It is here that we see the story of Israel from God’s perspective. In God’s perspective, the story of Israel is not a story of successful kings and rulers, or of prosperity and growth. That might be how Israel wants to look at themselves. But from God’s perspective the story of Israel is a long story of Israel forsaking God’s perfect love again and again and again. God is righteous, and Israel is accused of infidelity to the truth.
Jeremiah says that those who go after worthless things become worthless themselves. How many of us are drawn away from our true love by worthless things? I have pursued worthless things before, and have felt worthless because of my pursuit.
Infidelity makes us worthless not simply because it is wrong or evil, but because infidelity is like amnesia – we forget who we are when we choose to love the wrong things, we forget that we have value and dignity because we are made in God’s image, and so we become worthless.
Israel forgot who they were and sought to become like other people living around them. The person who confessed infidelity to me I would say forgot she was were, and was subsequently drawn to another person pursuing the mirage that such a relationship could fill human emptiness. We forget ourselves, every day. You are precious in God’s eyes. We have all been unfaithful, but God does not condemn us for our infidelity.
A consequence of our infidelity is that we hurt people we may not even know. I had a conversation with a person just yesterday, whom I don’t know well, and she (not knowing what I do for a job) said organized religion is one of the greatest hoaxes of all time. Now I cannot be sure, but I imagine that if this person would not feel this way if their experience of religion was of faithful, accountable, and humble people. If her experience of religion led to an encounter with judgmental, hypocritical people who follow worthless things, then yes, I agree – the religion is a hoax.
There are two ways to solve infidelity: First is God’s way, and the second, is God’s way. Both ways draw us to look inward and take inventory of our heart. It is in our heart, where God reveals to us our true and faithful purpose. AMEN.