Only A Youth - Jeremiah 1:7

Jeremiah 1:7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” (NRSV)

            Ever since the tragic Parkland massacre, High School students in the United States have been at the forefront of our daily news. Our young people are gravely concerned about the violence in our nation and want to make changes. Their voice is raw with intense feeling and their statements are unfettered by any cultural niceties or social courtesy. They feel insecure and outraged; they express a strong desire to make a difference, so that their generation can live in a more peaceable world and a less intolerant one. They are determined not to let this moment pass away, so they are showing a high amount of solidarity which may eventually define this upcoming generation.

            Sadly, some people are dismissing their views because they are young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. There is a pushback against any proposed changes to our current laws and some folks are even disparaging the sincerity of the young people, accusing them of being political foils for clandestine groups. I find this difficult to accept because I’ve watched and listened to these young people on all sorts of different occasions, but I guess those who falsely promoted the Sandy Hook conspiracy theories are jumping on the same cynical bandwagon once more.

            When God chose Jeremiah to be a prophet to his generation, Jeremiah pushed back against God’s choice because he thought he was too young. He couldn’t see himself as being effective because of his age and inexperience, so he tried to get God to change His mind and pick someone else. But, as always, God knew what He was doing. He needed someone to be the voice of prophecy for an entire generation, someone who had decades of life ahead of him. God was enlisting Jeremiah’s youthful zeal to a prophetic call that would constantly challenge God’s people for many years. In other words, God knew what He was doing when He appointed Jeremiah to the role of prophecy. No matter how young he was initially, God would use Jeremiah’s voice for justice and mercy, truth and change; perhaps He is still doing this with our own High Schoolers today.

Point to ponder

What kind of world do I want young people to live in? Am I willing to help them accomplish this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when You were a teenager, You asked many questions in the Temple which amazed the elders and priests who heard You. Your life challenged traditional values and contemporary customs. You came to both save and change the world. Allow us to continue Your ministry in our communities, so that we may make this planet a more peaceable and less fearful place. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s devotion, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings of a Celtic Peace Cross with the Liturgical colors surrounding it. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Peace.

Gospel devotion - Gospel Readers - 2 Corinthians 9:13

2 Corinthians 9:13     Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 

            Sharing the Gospel these days is very different from how it was done during the Apostle Paul’s time. Usually, we try to encapsulate the whole Gospel into a couple of positive phrases like “love one another” and “do not judge,” making it easy to remember and simple to apply. However, Christ’s Gospel mainly comes to us in four New Testament books, compromising of eighty-nine separate chapters. Condensing the Good News into a couple of words can unintentionally diminish Christ’s life, ministry, and teaching. It may be convenient for us to carry a couple of verses in our hearts and minds, but we could end up with a very superficial understanding of what the Gospel can actually teach us.

In the first couple of centuries of our faith, people laid their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel. They wouldn’t have done that for just a couple of moralistic mottoes. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection meant everything to them, even if it cost them their livelihood or existence. Those First Christians understood that the Gospel was greater than anything they encountered or experienced; to them, it was infinitely more important than life or death itself.

            Currently, our church’s Confirmation students are reading and studying the Gospel of Mark. By the time their classes are concluded, they will have read all of it, as well as completing homework assignments about each chapter. The young people also have their own questions, ideas, and opinions about Christ’s life, ministry, and death. They are learning that the Gospel has much more depth to it, as well as how it can radically influence their daily decisions and challenge their personal lives.

Perhaps if more church members were to consistently read and re-read the Gospels, they would also embrace and understand the real message of the New Testament narratives. Having only a couple of biblical verses in our hearts and minds is not enough to sustain our spirits or grow our faith. If we truly want to become committed Christians, then surely we need to know what the entire Gospel is about, so that we can positively apply and generously share Christ’s teachings.

Questions for reflection

What was the last Gospel that I fully read? How can I organize reading the Gospels on a regular basis?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, all that we know about You comes mainly from the Gospels. Without them, we would not know what You said or did. Help us to read and re-read the Gospels on a regular basis, so that we can learn to understand and know what You want us to do with the remainder of our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s devotion, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Gospel drawings called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: Gospel.