From Destruction to Renewal: Jeremiah’s Message of Hope and Beyond
August 7, 2024 - Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jer 31:1-7
Until now, we have heard Jeremiah castigating his people for idolatry and the lack of social justice. He has been calling them to repent and warning them of the consequences of their sins. However, as disaster fell upon them, Jeremiah changed his message. It was not a message of doom but a message of hope. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple did not mean the end of everything. Yes, a certain world ceased to exist, but a new one was about about to emerge.
Jeremiah's message sounds similar to Hananiah's earlier prophecy (see Jer.28:1-17). The difference lies in the context and timeframe. At that time, Babylon was God's tool for punishing His people. Hananiah and the people failed to realize this and did not want to submit to God's will. Hananiah also set a date of return for 591 BC, which was too early. First, Jerusalem would be conquered, and the second deportation of the Jews to Babylon would take place. Only then would God's educational punishment be completed, and His mercy would arrange the historical circumstances for the people to return from 539 BC onwards.
The return from exile is compared to Israel's liberation from Egypt and their subsequent journey through the desert. Jeremiah's prediction speaks of God's everlasting love for Israel that nothing can nullify. The vision of a bright future for a nation that was just crushed by a ruthless empire aimed to sustain their faith and hope. The salvation that the people are called to celebrate affects "the remnant of Israel" (see Jer. 31:7), "the decimated people of Israel who will form the basis of the restoration" (see Jewish Study Bible, commentary on Jer. 31:1, page 988).
The statement about "the remnant of Israel" brings to mind an image of the old world destroyed by the flood, with Noah and his family forming the basis for a new beginning and a new world. It also brings to mind Jesus' twelve apostles forming the basis of the renewed community of "Israel," composed of the Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. It reminds me of Jesus' parable which compared God's kingdom to a tiny mustard seed. Finally, all those images lead us again with Jeremiah to a potter's house, where we see a potter working at the wheel, shaping and reshaping the vessel he wants to make until it comes out perfect (see Jer. 18:1-4).
God's love is everlasting, which means it does not end. It was out of love that He created us for Himself to be His bride, and the Lord will never tire in His efforts to "win" our love. This is clear as we move to the story of Jesus, the story of God's love for humanity to the point of offering His life for us. This eternal love of God led Saint Paul to proclaim that not just the remnant of Israel would be saved but all of Israel as well. But before this happens, the fullness of the Gentiles will come into the Church (see Rom. 11:25-26). Then, the bright future that Jeremiah spoke about to the shattered people of Israel will extend to the whole of humanity. The Jews and the Gentiles, the people of all races and languages, will realize that in God's eyes, every life matters and that we are all one big family, a brotherhood of men and women destined to inherit a new heaven and a new earth.