Exiles in a Foreign Land
Jeremiah 29:1-9
Original Meaning
Jeremiah writes a letter to the Judean community in
Babylonian exile, and they are instructed to settle down in Babylon and to pray
for the city. The exiles are to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to
which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it
prospers, you too will prosper” (29:7).
This letter contains a shocking truth, but it points to good
news to come. God is the subject of the phrase “all the exiles whom I have sent
into exile.” Of course, the previous verses noted that Nebuchadnezzar was the
historical person God used who took the people into exile, but in verse 4 the
point is made that it is actually the work of God himself. The affirmation is
followed by the commands to settle down in exile and to carry out such
functions as building, planting, and marriage. Exile is not the end of
existence as God’s people, but is the beginning of a new phase of relating to
God. The people are not to rebel against the authority of Babylon because, in
effect, it is the authority of God over them for a prescribed time. More
positively, the people are to seek the prosperity of Babylon because it will
affect them as well. Most important, they are to pray for their captors.
Bridging Context
GOD’S PEOPLE AS ALIENS.
Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry extends even to God’s people
taken into exile. While his influence was profound in the decades after the
final destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Jeremiah exhibits concern for the
exiles in a variety of ways, since a very obvious goal is to demonstrate that
Jeremiah is a true prophet to the nations (including the exiles and Babylon
itself). This chapter also finds itself as a part of the scriptural witness to
God’s people who are addressed as pilgrims, as wandering people, even as aliens,
whose true home is with the Lord…… From the perspective of the New Testament,
God’s people are both “at home” as
members of the body of the risen Christ (regardless of their geographical
location) and are “in transit” as
they live out their witness in this age (regardless of their geographical
location). The exiles in Babylon have not been ejected from their place among
God’s people; rather, they have been called
to reconsider their place in God’s
family in light of new circumstances. Here I think maybe is a bridge to any
generation of God’s people.
When we think about the decline of Christianity from a
biblical perspective, many people turn to the metaphor of exile. It is popular
to think about Christians living as exiles, very similar to the nation of Israel
when they were taken into Babylonian captivity in 586 BC. And, there are certainly
parallels between our current Christian experience of displacement, uncertainty
and irrelevance, and the struggles of the Jews in Babylon. However, this may
not be the best metaphor. The idea of exile presupposes a desire to be restored
to a previous way of life. The exiled Jews hoped for a time when their lost
kingdom would be reestablished. When applied to our world today, it may lead
some to place their hope in the return of the way things were. This is not what
we, or the world for that matter, needs today.
Instead, the church would be better served by looking at the
words of Jeremiah. Jeremiah challenged the Jews who had been taken into exile
to withstand the desire to return to a restored Israel. He urged them to accept
the new situation as the will of God and to seek God’s blessing for those they
perceived as their enemies. Jeremiah called on them to seek the welfare of the
city where God had sent them into exile.
So, while we today may fell a sense of exile, brought to a
place of uncertainly and unfamiliarity, let’s not desire to return to another
time. God is not calling us to return to
the things of old, but to participate in something completely new.
We’re Not in Kansas
Anymore
Do you remember the famous line from the 1939 film Wizard of
Oz, when Dorothy first arrives in Oz and realizes she is now in a world that is
strangely different? “Toto” she says to her little dog, “I have a feeling we’re
not in Kansas anymore.” Dorothy’s surroundings were now unfamiliar. The people
and places she was used to seeing no longer existed. She had no idea where she
was, but one thing was certain-everything around her had drastically changed.
A place that is strangely different describes the setting
for us today. The world has seemingly changed so quickly and radically that
many Christians feel like exiles in a foreign land. Like Dorothy, many Christians
no longer recognize their surroundings. They don’t completely understand the
changes that have taken place; they only know that things are not like they
used to be.
Now, there are in fact numerous factors that have influenced
the change we see today in Western culture.
Issues such as globalization, urbanization, post-modernism, and the rise of the
information age have all had significant influence on the church.
In this new era we in many places once again return to the
margins of society. We have lost our position of prominence and control. While
once the majority, in this time we are once again the minority. We have shifted
from being marginalized, to in control, and now back again.
What Difference Does It Make?
So you might ask, pastor what
difference does it make. The problem is that at a time when the church is less
and less effective at reaching a changing world, many if not most members in
most churches continue to believe that the church maintains a central role in
the life of the community around it. So instead of leaning toward a missionary
vision of the church, which we began talking about in the first sermon, we
default to our old traditional ways, where church is a place where certain
things happen, and we assume, we wrongly assume that those outside these walls
will be interested in what we are doing if we just create the right atmosphere
and find the events that will attract them. Every single statistic relevant to
the church tells us they are not.
So, back to Oz, there is a scene later in the film where
Dorothy reaches up to pick an apple from a tree, and the tree grabs the apple
and slaps her hand. Ouch! Dorothy cries out. What d’ya think you’re doing? Says
the tree. We have been walking a long way and I was hungry, replies Dorothy.
The tree responds well, how would you like to have someone come along and pick
something off you? Dorothy answers, Oh dear, I keep forgetting I’m not in
Kansas!
My friends, I want to say this to you with love and in all
sincerity. We must stop forgetting that the landscape around us has drastically
changed. We are in a new land. At times we are going to feel like exiles in an
unknown foreign land but, unlike many exiles, let’s not yearn for what once
was. Instead, let’s seek to bring life and vitality to the land where God has
placed us. Let us pray and work for God’s Kingdom to come to the city and
neighborhoods in which we live.
Like in the days of Jeremiah, many people do not want to
hear this. But the reality is everything has changed. And the sooner we come to
grips with this reality, the sooner we can return to the radical,
revolutionary, missional movement that is demonstrated for us in the early
church!
Response:
As part of our grasping this world we live in and making the
changes we can:
This week, be mindful of examples you see of a changed culture.
What do you hear in people’s conversation? On Television. In Movies? In social
media?
Then think of changes that you need to make in your life to
live as a missionary in a foreign land. What steps will you take to incorporate
the first change?
And, think of what needs to change about the way you think
of church. How can we connect with those who are no longer interested in things
of the church? What can change about the way you live out being part of the
body of Christ.
And lastly, most important… Know that prayer is the
foundation of our confidence in God. It was in Jeremiah’s day, and it remains a
key to seeking God with all one’s heart. God’s promises are freely given, but
not all of them can be freely accepted—that is, they have little relevancy to
an uncaring, uninterested people. For many though, it should come as good news
that God knows the future and is committed to the redemption of His people.
“Seek and you will find” is our Lord’s gracious command!
Amen
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