Consequences of Unfaithfulness

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
TRADITION AND LOVE

Jeremiah 3:1-5

The Message

Your Sex-and-Religion Obsessions

 ¹ God's Message came to me as follows: "If a man's wife
   walks out on him
And marries another man,
   can he take her back as if nothing had happened?
Wouldn't that raise a huge stink
   in the land?
And isn't that what you've done—
   'whored' your way with god after god?
And now you want to come back as if nothing had happened."
   God's Decree. ^2-5"Look around at the hills.
   Where have you not had sex?
You've camped out like hunters stalking deer.
   You've solicited many lover-gods,
Like a streetwalking whore
   chasing after other gods.
And so the rain has stopped.
   No more rain from the skies!
But it doesn't even faze you. Brazen as whores,
   you carry on as if you've done nothing wrong.
Then you have the nerve to call out, 'My father!
   You took care of me when I was a child. Why not now?
Are you going to keep up your anger nonstop?'
   That's your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop."

For Reflection
Of Americans it has been said that we are obsessed with sex and religion. So what's new?  It seems that this obsession has a long history.  Procreation and a longing for knowing who we are has always been paramount.  We seem to carry a lot of guilt about these obsessions.  The guilt drives us to many destructive actions as we attempt to wash the symptoms of sin from our hands.

We self-destruct when we substitute the ways of the flesh for God-centered lives.  We worship the material world as though it were a god.  That's the sin.  By our own doing we separate ourselves from the God who made us. We blame God for the consequences of our own action.

Pray
That you will worship no other than God.  Pray prayers of thanksgiving for the abiding love and grace of God.