Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Jeremiah calls to God, “Heed me.” “Listen.” “Remember.” Jeremiah is tired, weary from the scrutiny. He has done his best to be faithful. He has responded to God’s call and proclaimed God’s Word to the people, calling them to change their ways. At best, the people misunderstood him; at worst, they understood and refused to believe. Now they are coming after him.
We meet Jeremiah here, caught between a rock and a hard place. What does he do? Jeremiah surrenders to faithfulness to God. Surrenders to God, whose love and mercy is always faithful. When we are misunderstood or put on trial for answering God’s call, we, too, can call upon God who hears us. We can surrender to God’s love.
The Psalmist sings, “Save me, Oh Lord, in your kindness.” The psalmist trusts that God’s kindness will be ever present. No matter the trials we endure or the dangers that lie ahead, God is our refuge. We can surrender to God’s love.
We yearn with the disciples to sit at near Jesus in the kingdom. We say we are willing to do what it takes. Christ hears our desire, knows how we long to be close. Christ gently prompts us: "If you want to draw nearer to me, serve one another."
Christ invites us to draw near while reminding us that the world often does not understand God’s love. The more purely we live God’s love, the more we are likely to be misunderstood; the more we live from who we are in Christ and treat each person we encounter as Christ, the more we are likely to be judged by the world as unreasonable or illogical. We may endure trials we cannot yet imagine. And yet, in God’s infinite mercy and love, we will draw nearer to God who is Love.
Answer the call. Trust in God’s loving kindness. Draw nearer to God. Surrender, surrender, surrender to Love.
—Kelly Adamson