Old Testament reading: Jeremiah 13-14
The parable of the linen sash (Jer 13:1-11). I am ashamed to admit that I have never studied this text until now. We often think of parables as being New Testament literature, but the Old Testament is filled with parables, most notably the one Nathan told David in 2 Samuel 12:1-15. The linen sash was a precious item and required great care. Keeping it free from water, at God’s command Jeremiah traveled to the land of the Babylonians and hid it in a rock near the Euphrates River. Many days later, Jeremiah was instructed to return and fetch the sash, only to find it ruined and “profitable for nothing.” So was the state of Judah. Filled with great pride (v 9), God would soon carry Judah to Babylon in throes of captivity, represented by the ruin of the sash. A second parable follows this one in the bottles of wine. Again Judah’s sickening pride is on display as Jeremiah speaks of the bottles being filled with wine. “Well of course they are going to be filled! Everyone knows that!” was the response of the people. But what God had in mind and what Judah thought were not the same. God was going to smite the people with drunkenness, a reference to their staggering and helplessness in the day of their destruction. They would run to and fro and dash themselves against one another. Once again (14:11), Jeremiah is instructed not to pray for the good of Judah.
New Testament reading: Mark 5-6
It was a test of faith from Day One. Although all the accounts of our Lord calling the twelve are not recorded, the five that we have in Mark 1-2 are intriguing. Jesus gave a simple command to “Follow Me.” All five left their jobs behind and followed Jesus. In Mark 6, Jesus takes it a step further… a BIG step further. It is one thing to forsake all to follow a man whom you have seen and believe to be the Messiah. It is another altogether to leave His side and start traveling to preach with nothing but a staff and the clothes on one’s back. No money, no food, no change of clothes, nothing but faith in the man Jesus. Moreover, the message they were sent to preach was the same as John’s (Matt 3:2) and of Jesus Himself (Matt 4:17) – “Repent!” Preaching repentance is no way to fill one’s coffers or his stomach, but they went and preached as they were told. Now that’s faith!
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