Reflections on Jeremiah

We are finishing out our reading of Jeremiah at NCC this weekend. Such a tough book. Here are a few raw, unfiltered observations, reflections, and reactions from my reading of the book.

• It’s a jumbled mess of poetry, prophecy, history, and biography that follows no chronological order or intuitive organizational structure and yet communicates one very specific message loudly and clearly-- God wants our hearts and will go to extreme measures to win them.
  
• I'm reminded that God is not simply a bigger version of us. He is completely other, wholly righteous, and unreasonably good.
  
• Sunday School might have been more fun if they had given gold stars for memorizing Jeremiah 10:5, "their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field."
• God will send us into temporary exile in order to save us from eternal exile.
• Idolatry is deadly. We all practice it. And it will always enslave us and exile us.
• Some prophets preached a positive message that people wanted to hear. But it was a lie. Half the truth is no truth at all. And a Gospel of comfort will result in no Gospel and no comfort.
  
• God will scandalize our religious systems and beliefs to make us people of pure faith.
  
• Jesus exiled himself from heaven in order to redeem us from our exile and restore us to relationship with him.
• The remedy to idolatry is to be overwhelmed by the majesty and and greatness of God.
• Our idols will be smashed only when we place them under the weight of God's glory.