Proper 8

[Eric Frey]

Anyone preaching Jeremiah? Tough text!

[John Reilly]

Jeremiah 28:5-9
28:5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD;
28:6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles.
28:7 But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
28:8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.
28:9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet."

I plan to connect this passage with Romans 6: 12-23. God breaks the yoke of sin. The false prophet Hananiah was right about restoration but wrong about the time frame. We live in a culture that is in exile. We don't know how long but we do know the freedom that come by being slaves to God. The paradox of slavery is that slave to sin are not free but slaves to God are absolute free. The church is held in bondage byt the culture but we are absolutely free in Christ, cleansed and sanctified. One of the morning news shows, ABC I think, did a short segment on permissive parents aloowing their teens to have sex in the family home. The permissiveness of our culture marches on!