A New Time
Our text from Jeremiah today is one that is familiar to Lutherans, at least it should be We read this Old Testament text on Reformation Day every year. It is a prophetic proclamation of God’s promise of a new covenant. Think of the contrast between the two. For the first covenant God had to lead the people by their hand, just as you lead a child around the store or for a walk. You need to keep them close because they are apt to wander away. But with the new covenant, God no longer will need to lead you by the hand because you will already know where to go and what to do. Instead of a long list of things you must do and not do as part of the covenant, you have love as a guide.
Although there seems to be a slight flaw in God’s reasoning here. Even though the new covenant is written in our hearts we do not always seem to follow it. Sometimes it looks as if we have no idea what God’s covenant is. We still make mistakes. We still do not always act as God desires. We confess that when we gather to worship God. That is because, as Luther said, we are both sinner and saint. The new covenant, written in our hearts, reminds us of that fact. We usually know when we are not sharing God’s love. We often know what we should do as a child of God but do not do it. Sometimes we believe we are doing as God calls us to and later realize we were wrong. Life is a complex thing. Our lives are woven into a society that is filled with family and friends, acquaintances and chance encounters, and enemies. What to do, how to act in all these situations can be confusing at best.
The good news is that God already knows that. The fact that we often fail at living up to our new covenant is built into the covenant itself. We are forgiven those times that we do not live up to the covenant that is written in our hearts. When we do not share God’s love with others, God’s love was so great that God gave his only son to be lifted up for us. Lifted up on the cross for us. Yes, no longer do we need to ask to be introduced to Jesus, he has come to us through the waters of Baptism and at his Holy Supper.
We have been filled with God’s love because the new covenant has been written on our hearts by the blood of Jesus. The bonds that hold us in sin and death has been destroyed. Now we can share God’s love and answer Jesus call to pick up our cross and follow him. There it is, you know it, your cross, pick it up again this week and bear it for all people to see and experience God’s love in all that you do and say. That is the new covenant. Th gift of love so great that the only thing that you can do is share it with others. Be Jesus’ hands, feet, and mouth this week and show others God’s love. And when you fall know that Jesus will pick you up, dust off your sin, and maybe give you a little shove toward your call as a child of God.