We push closer to Lent, but still hold on to the remnants of Epiphany, reminding us that Christmas was not as long ago as it seems.

The lectionary returns to Jeremiah and continues on with readings from Luke and 1^st Corinthians.

• Jeremiah 17:5-10
• 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
• Luke 6:17-26
• Psalm 1

In the Old Testament lesson, it’s always tough to read this section of Jeremiah and not think about politics and other cult of personality.  How often do we think we’ll be delivered from one thing or the other by a certain politician or someone who promises to make all our financial dreams come true, through gold, crypto, or some other “can’t miss” idea?  With every leader and every season come new and different challenges, if we’re honest about it, we typically trade one issue for another, just ones we feel more comfortable with.  As the Scripture here says, our lives will be stable if our trust is in the Lord.  All others around us may feel the effects of whatever it is, but our roots will be planted firmly and have a constant source of strength and sustenance.  Just like the grace we talked about Sunday morning that Paul didn’t waste, the final verses of this text call on us to bear fruit, not to waste the great provision God offers us.

Not hard to figure out why the lectionary folks used this Psalm to go with the OT lesson.  We are reminded again about the trees planted by the water, but there is a much less direct call to bear fruit, instead it is implied.  You could have also used this Psalm with this past Sunday’s Gospel text, where Peter tells Jesus to get away from him because he (Peter) is too sinful.  I joked from the pulpit that Peter must have thought his sin was contagious. Maybe the Psalmist doesn’t find it to be such a joke. I have known many people who have been influenced greatly by their circle of friends, some to the positive and some very much not.  I’ll have to spend some extra time this week thinking about the first several lines, especially about not lingering in the wat of sinners.   I don’t want to add words or manipulate the text, but I can wonder what I’m willing to let pass or what I’m willing to allow to be around me, not just people, but places and behaviors.

Paul channeling Shakespeare here it seems with the way that this passage reads.  Geesh.  Despite the way it's written, it is pretty easy to understand what he’s saying.  He affirms Christ’s resurrection and then asks what it would all mean if that hadn’t happened.  The answer he gives is that there would be no hope and faith in God would be futile.  Paul seems to be asking us what type of God would create a world with no hope.  Why would God sentence us all to death immediately upon birth?  Mercifully, we do have hope because as Paul says at the end of the text, “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead…”

We continue, at least in the first half the Gospel, the idea of hope.  I’ll focus on that part of what Jesus said to the disciples.  Folks whose station and situation in life seems less than, find a Jesus who speaks of restoration.  Maybe jumping off of what Paul said in the Epistle to color my thoughts on what the message is to those who are struggling.  You could imagine walking along an alley and telling a homeless person to be filled with joy, might be met with skepticism (and maybe some colorful language).  Similarly, when we comfort people who have suffered the loss of a loved one, the first words out of our mouths are not, “rejoice!”  However, if we were to look at it through the lens of these two readings, we do rejoice and we do have hope in full restoration because of Jesus.  This earthly life is temporary and the wonder and greatness of what’s waiting on the other side is something we can hardly fathom.   Whatever ills are in our lives, they are but a part of the shortest season as long as our hope and faith remain in our Redeemer Jesus Christ.