[RCL] Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Here in the eighth chapter of Jeremiah, we hear directly from God’s voice, as God laments the waywardness of God’s chosen people. Watching as the people of Israel worship idols and turn away from their relationship with the Divine, God cries, “Grief is…

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 There are times when we feel the weight of life on our shoulders. Jeremiah laments, “My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick” (8:18, NRSV). In this passage, Jeremiah is mourning not only the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem but also the exile of his people. The world is crumbling…

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 There are times of great suffering in which we may feel that all hope is lost and that there may never be joy in our souls again.  This may be triggered by the loss of a loved one or from a tragedy in your local community or nation.  There are painful events in…

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 This passage comes from the section of Jeremiah that contains a series of poetic oracles of God’s judgment in the form of conquest and destruction by Babylon, the foe from the north. It is a dialogue between the prophet Jeremiah, God and the people of Israel. It is not always clear who is…