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At the beginning of Jeremiah 9 you can feel how conflicted Jeremiah is with his people. He is angered by their sin: lying, treachery, adultery, and idolatry which had become common among them. But he also felt compassion. While he knew God had set him apart to accomplish his mission, he also knew he was one of them. Jesus had similar feelings about Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37, 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” This is a great example for us to remember. While our sins may not be the same as others, we all require God’s forgiveness. We are no better than anyone else without the grace and mercy God gave us through His Son.
I find it incredible that Jeremiah weeps for his people. God is laying down all the sins, disobedience etc… and Jeremiah weeps for them. For those of us, i.e. me, who are J’s in the Meyer’s Briggs, we (I) tend to want to see justice and punishment rain down…that is until we(I) see that I’m in that collective that is about to get rained down on. Then we (I) see the amount of pride we (I) carry in my heart. 🙂
But in all seriousness, this is a reminder to my heart to weep and be broken hearted over the brokeness of my community and to pray for both those around me and myself.