Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading
Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.

Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ ” Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, “Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out the silver to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the silver on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase containing the terms and conditions and the open copy, and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” (NRSV)

Reflection
When he was in eighth grade, my paternal grandfather took over the family farm in Iowa following a farming accident that led to his father’s death. It fell to him to put his siblings through school rather than being able to have that luxury himself. A deeply religious man, he saw it as his job to leave the farm and its land as inheritance to his progeny.

The land remains in the family, having survived the Great Depression as well as several recessions and other challenges along the way. It provides both a sense of accomplishment and a sense of pride to know that it remains, and likely will remain, in family hands for generations to come.

I think this may be why God told Jeremiah to buy the plot of land from his cousin. It didn’t seem to make much sense since the land was about to be taken over by the Babylonians. But Jeremiah listened to God. The transaction was done in such a way that one could trace the records when the land was returned to the Israelites and, as verse 15 says, “houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.”

What a challenge it must have been to find the courage to invest when faced with such challenges! Even though the immediate future was dark, Jeremiah’s faithful investment witnessed to the power of God’s promise to God’s people.

Still, regardless of the dark clouds that have gathered or the threats to so many of God’s people, we are called to invest in the land, the land where we have staked our claim. For me, that claim is in this group project called church, Fourth Presbyterian Church specifically.

There is investment to be made so that it can be handed down with pride. Held in “family” hands for generations to come. A church family that is welcoming, inclusive, and intentional about what it does, whom it serves, and how it interacts with the world.

Prayer
God of all that is, guide my feet that they may take me where I am needed. Guide my actions that they might witness to your grace and ever-inclusive love. Help me to invest my time and resources so that, generations from now, your kingdom has come and your will is done. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

Written by Robert Sinclair, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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