Jeremiah 23:9-15 (NRSV)
Concerning the prophets: My heart is crushed within me, all my bones shake; I have become like a drunkard, like one overcome by wine, because of the Lord and because of his holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course has been evil, and their might is not right. Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their wickedness, says the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall; for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord. In the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and let my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a more shocking thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from wickedness; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: “I am going to make them eat wormwood, and give them poisoned water to drink; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.
Devotion
Living simply. It sounds like it should be, well, simple. Unfortunately for us, it is often times easier said than done. Every day it can seem like we’re being pulled in a million different directions with a thousand distractions, how can we possibly “live simply” when so much is being asked of us? In the above passage, Jeremiah rails against the false prophets who have pulled the people away from God, distracting them from living their lives with God. He goes on to describe how God may punish those who are working to turn the people away from Him by bringing “disaster upon them.” This seems all relatively straightforward, but it brings us to the question: How are we supposed to recognize false prophets? False prophets are often not standing there with a proverbial neon sign waiting to lead us astray; instead they can be the seemingly innocuous distractions that pull us further and further from God.
Lent is a time when we are given the opportunity to reflect on our relationship with God. This year’s theme asks us to consider how we might go about making room in our lives for God. In today’s world living simply can, at times, feel like an incredibly complicated task. It is so easy to let ourselves get distracted and pulled away, so this Lent let’s take a few moments each day to try and make room for God. We may not always be able to recognize “false prophets,” but if we take small moments of reprieve from the daily distractions in our lives, we may find ourselves better able to avoid them and in doing so make room in our lives for God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you today acknowledging the many distractions that pull our attention away from you. During this Lenten season, please grant us the strength to resist temptations and to prioritize our time with you. Guide us to identify the things that distract us most and give me the wisdom to manage them effectively as we make space in our lives for you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
LeeLee Hunter
Le veau d’or from Faust by Charles Gounod
Text translations:
The calf of gold is still standing!
One adulates his power,
One adulates his power,
From one end of the world to the other end!
To celebrate the infamous idol,
Kings and the people mixed together,
To the somber sound of golden coins,
They danse a wild round
Around his pedestal
Around his pedestal
And Satan leads the dance, etc, etc.
The calf of gold is the victor over the gods!
In its derisory (absurde) glory,
In its derisory (absurde) glory,
The abject monster insults heaven!
It contemplates, oh weird frenzy!
At his feet the human race,
Hurling itself about, iron in hand,
In blood and in the mire,
Where gleams the burning metal,
Where gleams the burning metal,
And satan leads the dance, etc.