From Mourning to Joy—Lectionary Reflection for Christmas 2 (A, B, C ) (Jeremiah 31:7-14)

Jeremiah 31:7-14 Revised Standard Version

⁷ For thus says the Lord:
“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
    and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
    ‘The Lord has saved his people,
    the remnant of Israel.’
⁸ Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
    and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
    the woman with child and her who is in travail, together;
    a great company, they shall return here.
⁹ With weeping they shall come,
    and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
    in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I am a father to Israel,
    and E′phraim is my first-born.

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
    and declare it in the coastlands afar off;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
    and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
¹¹ For the Lord has ransomed Jacob,
    and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
¹² They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
    and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
    and they shall languish no more.
¹³ Then shall the maidens rejoice in the dance,
    and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
    I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
¹⁴ I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
    and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
                says the Lord.”

****************

                Christmas has reached its conclusion. The Day of Epiphany is at the doorstep. The Gospel reading for the day comes from John 1:10-18, a passage that speaks loudly of the incarnation: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (Jn. 1:14). John’s prologue reminds us that standing at the center of the Christian confession of faith is this word about God taking flesh and dwelling in our midst so that we might behold God’s glory in the person of Jesus. In the reading from Jeremiah 31, a chapter will speak in time of a new covenant that Christians have embraced as providing a definition of the Gospel. Our reading for this Second Sunday of Christmas speaks of God’s work of redeeming the remnant of Israel. It is a word given to people living in exile, offering them hope of a new beginning after exile ends. Read from a Christian perspective, this passage speaks of God’s acts of redemption, such that we might move from mourning to joy.

                Jeremiah opens by proclaiming Yahweh’s directive to people living in exile: “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel’” (Jer. 31:7). This word goes to a people scattered to the winds, promising that they would be regathered. Those reclaimed by Yahweh include not only exiles but the blind and lame, as well as those who are pregnant or labor, so that a great number will return. Jeremiah could deliver messages of judgment, but he was also known to offer words of comfort to those who mourn. So, Jeremiah declares here that God will lead back home those who weep with consolation.  Walter Brueggemann comments: “The faithfulness of God makes possible a great homecoming procession of those valued by God whom the nations have devalued (cf. Isa. 35:3–6; 43:5–7). The homecoming throng will be deeply moved, overwhelmed with both memory and hope (Jer. 31:9a)” [Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming (Kindle, p. 284)].  So, in words reminiscent of Psalm 23, Yahweh promises to lead them along brooks of water as well as on straight paths, so they don’t stumble. The latter is reminiscent of words the Gospels apply to John the Baptist’s ministry of preparation. Then the true nature of Yahweh’s relationship with Israel (Ephraim). Ultimately, the message to Israel is one of joy, as their fortunes begin to change. In these verses, Jeremiah reveals two roles undertaken by God. First, Yahweh is the shepherd of the people, leading the lost sheep back home. Secondly, God serves as a father to the people, offering an even more intimate relationship between God and the people.

                The first word goes to Israel, while the second goes to the nations. The prophet lets them know that “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.” The first message here is that it is God, not the nations that scattered Israel. This serves as a reminder to the nations that their power and authority is limited. At the same time, Jeremiah reminds the same nations that even as God is the one who scatters, God is also the shepherd who regathers the people. Yes, as the shepherd of the people, God will ransom and redeem the people from ones who are, at least on paper, stronger than Israel. That is, while the nations seem too strong for Israel to effectively resist, “The strong hand of Yahweh, however, is stronger than ‘hands too strong for him.’ The strong hand of Yahweh will prevail, and so Israel will be safe” [Brueggemann, A Commentary on Jeremiah (Kindle p. 285)]. This word would have served as a good reminder to the people of Israel that while the nation was small and even weak, that doesn’t mean God is small and weak.

                The next word speaks of Israel’s demeanor as they journey home: “They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, . . . their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.” Jeremiah depicts Israel returning home in a procession that includes singing with radiance. They are depicted experiencing God’s goodness, such that they will “be like a watered garden.” Therefore, they will no longer languish. Jeremiah promises the people whom God regathers to Zion (Jerusalem), the good life. When this takes place, the young women will dance, and the young and old men will be merry. Indeed, God “will turn their mourning into joy” as God comforts them and replaces their sorrow with gladness. Finally, God will provide the priests with fatness, which would mean the Temple sacrifices would be restored, while the people would be satisfied with God’s abundance.

                This passage appears during the Christmas season (on a Sunday that doesn’t occur every year—that is, depending on the liturgical calendar, reaching the Second Sunday of Christmas is hit and miss). As noted earlier, the companion reading from the Gospel of John tells us that while the world came into existence through him (the Word of God) the World did not recognize him or accept him, though those who did receive him became the children of God. That is, they were counted among the redeemed. Therefore, being among the redeemed, they would experience God’s abundance, such that their mourning would be turned into joy. If this is true, as Jeremiah promised, then it would seem like a good time to sing Isaac Watt’s hymn/carol: “Joy to the World.”

1.      Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

 

2.      Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

 

3.      He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.