Stubborn and Rebellious
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Jeremiah 5:20-24
20. Declare this in the house of Jacob, proclaim it in Judah: 21. "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. 22. Do you not fear me? says the Lord; Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the bound for the sea, a perpetual barrier which it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail, though they roar, they cannot pass over it. 23. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. 24. They do not say in their hearts, `Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.'
Mark 8:14-21
14. Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15. And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16. And they discussed it with one another, saying, "We have no bread." 17. And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18. Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19. When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20. "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." 21. And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
In the first scripture, Jeremiah declares God’s dismay at man’s refusal to trust in him. Though God sent prophets, like Jeremiah, and many others into the world, man did not listen to them. We are so slow to learn, and then don’t remember the lessons! The Israelites have once again turned away from God. They have worshipped other gods and the list of their sinfulness is quite extensive. Jeremiah warns his people to repent, turn back to the one true God, in order to be spared the great destruction that God will allow otherwise.
Fast forward several hundred years. The promised Messiah walks the earth. And even those who have lived with him, learned from him, grown to know and love him, just don’t get it. Jesus uses these words from Jeremiah, with which the disciples would have been familiar to make his point. Throughout history, God has demonstrated over and over and over again how much he loves us. He has proven that he will never leave us completely alone, or allow us to wander too far that we will be out of his reach.
Still today, after thousands of years of evidence, we turn away from God when things get rough. We turn to the world when we perceive a need. We fail to trust the God who parts seas, sends floods, overthrew armies, created the heavens and the very earth upon which we dwell. Doesn’t it follow that a God who can make an ocean, a planet, a tiny human baby, can provide everything necessary to sustain his creations? More than that, to allow them to flourish?
I’m not railing about the “editorial we” here! I have more examples of this behavior in my own life than I care to admit OR share here! God loves us so very much. He asks only that we trust and obey him. It sounds so simple. But it is not so easy! He made us in his image and likeness, but remember, the fallen angels were too. We have speck of them within us. I imagine that’s what keeps us from being like God! But it is what makes us want to BE our own god, isn’t it?
As long as things are running smoothly in our lives, we feel pretty comfortable thanking God for his many blessings. The minute things start to go wrong, though, we leap into action. We make decisions based on “human wisdom.” We act before we think, let alone pray! We charge ahead, trying to prevent a “worse case scenario” without even consulting God! We fail to stop, pray, wait for an answer from God. And man acted that way even before the age of microwaves, instant messaging, drive thru’s and fax machines!
I hope today you stop, pray, and then thank God that he is with you, and will sustain you in whatever circumstance you find yourself. And that you hear and see and believe the word of God as the foundation of your life.
Mary
