Jr 42:1-12, 43:1-7
19 September 2010
“Is That Your Final Answer?”
There’s a TV game show that, over the past decade or so, has spread all over the globe. Nations around the world have their own versions. If you’ve noticed my sermon title, you know which one I’m talking about: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The movie Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 was inspired by the Indian version of the game.
To be honest, I’ve only seen the show a few times, but I think we’re familiar with the basic concept. The questions presumably get more difficult as you go along, and correct answers are worth more money. Contestants are also offered a limited number of lifelines, in case they get stuck. (I’ve sometimes wondered if, in the “ask the audience” option, anyone deliberately answers the question wrong, simply to skew the results.)
Anyway, with every question, the contestant is asked, “Is that your final answer?” just to make sure that there’s no misunderstanding. It seems to me that it takes a good deal of discipline on the part of the host when asking that question. (Or maybe I’m just projecting myself into the role!)
Especially when somebody gets a question wrong—a question that most people would think is pretty easy—the host needs to maintain a poker face. There could be a temptation to ask, “Is that your final answer?” with a tone of voice that says, “What is wrong with you?”
However, sometimes we ask, “Is that your final answer?” without it being a case of questioning the person’s intelligence. Instead, it can be a case of bargaining or negotiating. There may even be begging or pleading involved. If you would, keep these thoughts in mind as we proceed.
I’ll
be preaching from Jeremiah this week and next week. The Old Testament readings come from
Jeremiah, but I won’t be using those particular ones. I’ll be preaching from parts of the book
closer to the end—an area the lectionary omits.
In the Jeremiah Bible study, we
covered some of this. The chronology of
this book is rather jumbled, so chapters are often followed by other chapters
with stuff that actually happened earlier in time.
Allow me to be unjust to Jeremiah (one of my
favorite prophets), and present a quick summary of his life.
He senses at an early age
that he’s being called to proclaim the word of God. Jeremiah protests, “Ah, Lord God!
Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” And what is the Lord’s response? “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall
go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you”
(1:6-7). Then there’s some stuff about
making him “a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall” to deal with
all the opposition he has in store (v. 18).
Lovely!
Jeremiah does indeed have
a message that very few want to hear.
The Babylonian Empire is expanding.
As the Babylonians look westward, they’re licking their chops as they
chew over the idea of wolfing down the tasty treat that is Egypt. Unfortunately for Judah, they’re on the
highway between Babylon and Egypt, and they’re about to become road kill.
Jeremiah says,
“Resistance is futile. God wants us to
submit to Babylon; going to war is suicide.
It will take a while, but we will be restored.” The prophet tells his people that they have
idolized the temple, that the high and mighty have downtrodden the poor, that
false prophets are speaking lies.
As we turn to today’s
reading, the Babylonians have finally invaded and conquered Jerusalem. There’s division within the defeated
army. One faction, led by Ishmael son of
Nethaniah, has assassinated Gedaliah, the governor installed by the
Babylonians. Another faction, led by
Johanan and Azariah, has a large number of civilians with them. It’s this group that approaches Jeremiah with
the idea of fleeing to Egypt.
They seemingly are asking
the prophet for some divine guidance.
There’s a problem, though. At the
end of chapter 41, we’re told that they’re “intending to go to Egypt” since they’re
afraid of the Babylonians (v. 17).
Johanan and his group have good reason to fear the Babylonians, because
they aren’t exactly thrilled, considering that the guy they put in charge has
been murdered.
Still, as we begin
chapter 42, it appears that the group is sincere when they ask Jeremiah to pray
on their behalf. “Let the Lord your God
show us where we should go and what we should do” (v. 3).
Whether or not Johanan and his group are serious about hearing from God, Jeremiah is. We’re told in verse 7 that it takes ten days for the prophet to hear what God is saying. Earlier I mentioned the discipline needed for the game show hosts to ask the question, “Is that your final answer?” without betraying any emotion.
Imagine the discipline Jeremiah needs to wait out the fierce urgency of “now.” People who are angry and afraid aren’t very tolerant of delay. There is surely a constant expectation: well, what’s the answer? Remember what we said: “Whether it is good or bad, we will obey” (v. 6). What’s taking so long?
There’s a lesson here for us. How patient are we? How seriously do we take the call to obey God? Do we ever consider it?
So, ten days go by, and the prophet delivers his message. “You asked me to find out what God has to say about it, so here it is.” It really shouldn’t be a huge surprise to anyone when he says that God doesn’t want them to take off to Egypt. I ended our reading at verse 12, but he takes the rest of the chapter to lay it all out.
I say it shouldn’t be a surprise because he
basically tells them what he’s been
telling them—for years. All along, he’s
been trying to make the point that they will have to face the music. But it looks like they need to hear it one
more time, so here we go. “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, as you
have been; do not be afraid of him, says the Lord, for I am with you, to save
you and to rescue you from his hand. I
will grant you mercy, and he will have mercy on you and restore you to your
native soil” (vv. 11-12).
Obviously, this isn’t
what they were hoping for. Is that your final answer? They
already have a plan worked out; they just wanted Jeremiah to give his blessing
to it. William Holladay says, “The mind
of the group is already made up, and they reject the word that Jeremiah shares
with them. But they dare not admit that
it is a word from Yahweh; to them it is a ‘lie.’”[1]
Today’s scripture reading is about the request for
guidance, and then, the rejection of it.
Consequently, Johanan and his group flee to Egypt, with Jeremiah and Baruch
along for the ride. It’s unclear if they
willingly join the caravan (maybe
out of a sense of duty), or I would think more likely, if they’re compelled to (maybe as valuable
hostages).
What we have pictured here is the opposite of repentance. They are quite literally shown that they’re
going the wrong way. The request for
God’s direction is very specific, and when it comes, it is rejected. If we picture life as a series of paths, then
they are zigging when they know they should be zagging.
Throughout the Old Testament, returning to
Egypt is symbolic of many things. It is
nostalgia, a yearning for “the good old days,” especially a romanticized view
of the good old days. The problem with
that is that Egypt was never as glorious as we remember.
Egypt also represents what we know, what is
familiar. The problem with the familiar
is that it can become too easy to stay there.
Egypt is playing it safe. Even
the slavery of Egypt can become a
comfort zone, and when we’re asked to thrown down our chains, the stark freedom
of possibility can be terrifying. How
much of life is slavery that we’ve just come to accept as normal? I’ve heard it said that it’s far easier to
take the people out of Egypt than to take Egypt out of the people.
Our scripture reading is about obedience. Johanan and the others are scared. Remember, the Babylonians are mad because
Gedaliah has been killed. But deeper
than that, they’re scared because Jeremiah offers them what they know, deep in
their souls, is God’s true word of freedom.
It’s a freedom that lies on the other side of some stuff that they don’t
want to deal with.
I’m forced to ask myself, “How readily do I
receive God’s true word of freedom? How
readily do I obey it?” How quickly do I
say, “Is that your final answer?”
I find myself wanting that answer to be,
“Play it safe. Find out what’s expected
of you, and just do that.” But that’s no
way to live! Once we set our course on
that path, we give up on discovery, on new creation—we give up on life. They might as well start throwing the dirt on
us!
According to the scripture, later in chapter
42, that’s the path Johanan and the others choose. They disobey God and say, “We will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not
see war, or hear the sound of the trumpet, or be hungry for bread, and there we
will stay” (42:14). By playing it safe,
they think all will be well. But they’re
mistaken.
The Lord says, “If you are determined to enter
Egypt and go to settle there, then the sword that you fear shall overtake you
there, in the land of Egypt; and the famine that you dread shall follow close
after you into Egypt; and there you shall die” (vv. 15-16).
I know it’s difficult, with whatever Babylonian
army you fear is after you, to avoid fleeing to whatever Egypt beckons
you. But we do have a God who stands
with us, even if like dear prophet Jeremiah, we sometimes doubt it. Remember that, with God, there is no final
answer, only an ongoing journey of new possibilities.