14 “Here, the days are coming,” says Adonai, “when I will fulfill this good promise which I have proclaimed for the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah.
15 When those days come, at that time,
I will cause to spring up for David
a Branch of Righteousness.
He will do what is just and right in the land.
16 When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved,
Yerushalayim will live in safety,
and the name given to her will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness].”
[Complete Jewish Bible]---------------------
It's important to place these three powerful verses in their proper context. The Israelites are either in exile in Babylon or are being threatened to be exiled. Jerusalem has been sacked. The temple destroyed. No hope, no light, no security, no safety, no control. The outlook was dire and they couldn't imagine a time without this despair. Perhaps we, too, find it hard to imagine a day when war, cancer, poverty, injustice, violence, racism and sexism are no more. We can't see beyond our broken reality of not feeling like we're enough and not having enough. We long for better days, peaceful nights and a future that doesn't cause us more fear and uncertainty. While the world is counting down to opening gifts and nostalgically looking back on how wonderful it used to be, in the church we have Advent, when we can name our reality, our fears and our insecurities and admit that we long for a different future--even if we have a difficult time imagining one. We long for the promises of God to be fulfilled.
God breaks into the Israelites and our fearful realities with a word of promise about the future. "The days are coming," says God, "when my justice and righteousness will prevail." God beckons us to open up our imaginations to what God is doing and will do in the future. Justice will reign and rulers and all people will participate in God's righteousness, humbly living with one another in a just and loving relationship. The waiting of Advent is not simply making the best of a bad situation but trusting in the creative and redemptive purposes of God. Trusting that God has more in store for us than any Christmas gift can offer. "The days are surely coming," when God's peace, love, wholeness, and mercy will be the reality in which we all partake.
God of Promise, you live, move and come to us in each day. You work your justice and righteousness in our lives in seen and unseen ways. Remove our fear of the future and in fear’s place, give us joy and gratitude for your promises that are always true. You are our righteousness. Amen.
Brigette Weier
Pastor, Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
Master of Divinity , 2012
Jeremiah 33:14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."[New Revied Standard Version]
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God breaks into the Israelites and our fearful realities with a word of promise about the future. "The days are coming," says God, "when my justice and righteousness will prevail." God beckons us to open up our imaginations to what God is doing and will do in the future. Justice will reign and rulers and all people will participate in God's righteousness, humbly living with one another in a just and loving relationship. The waiting of Advent is not simply making the best of a bad situation but trusting in the creative and redemptive purposes of God. Trusting that God has more in store for us than any Christmas gift can offer. "The days are surely coming," when God's peace, love, wholeness, and mercy will be the reality in which we all partake.
God of Promise, you live, move and come to us in each day. You work your justice and righteousness in our lives in seen and unseen ways. Remove our fear of the future and in fear’s place, give us joy and gratitude for your promises that are always true. You are our righteousness. Amen.
Brigette Weier
Pastor, Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
Master of Divinity , 2012
Jeremiah 33:14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."[New Revied Standard Version]
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