Moses by John August Swanson. Image from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, Tenn. Original source © 1983 by John August Swanson.
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Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
Jeremiah 1:4-10; 7:1-11 Commentary
by Juliana Claassens
Reading the call of Jeremiah in Jeremiah1:4-10 together with the opening verses of the book (vs 1-3), offers the reader insight into the particular moment in time that Jeremiah is called to be God’s prophet.
In Jeremiah 1:3 it is said that Jeremiah heard the divine word during the reign of King Josiah, Johiakim, and Zedekiah -- thus the tumultuous years during which time Israel was attacked by the Babylonians and the inhabitants of Jerusalem taken into exile. For an exceedingly trying time such as this, the prophet Jeremiah is called.
A central theme in this first of the two lectionary texts for today regards the important role of God’s presence in the life of the prophet which calls to mind other famous call narratives such as Moses seeing the divine presence in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6), Gideon being reassured of God’s presence in Judges 6:11-12 by being offered a sign, and Isaiah finding himself in the divine throne room, his lips being touched by a burning coal (Isaiah 6:1-5).
For people who had serious doubts about whether God is still with them, particularly as circumstances caused them to wonder whether God had not forsaken them, the call of Jeremiah emphasizes ...
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The narrative lectionary is a four-year cycle of readings. Read more.
Narrative Lectionary 150: Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
November 23, 2014
Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Craig Koester and Kathryn Schifferdecker for "I Love to Tell the Story," a conversation on Year 1 of the narrative lectionary. This podcast covers the readings for Nov. 23, 2014: Jeremiah 1:4-10; 7:1-11. Accompanying reading: Matthew 21:12-13.