EXTREME FAMILY DEVOTIONS
LESSONS 29
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Session 29: Who is Jeremiah?
Guided Reading: Jeremiah 1-2, 7, 25, 30-33, 52
This book is a collection of works of Jeremiah mixed with a storyline. Of course, you should read the whole book. However, I have highlighted some chapters that tell the story.
Kids Zone: Superbook clips from the episode of Jeremiah.
Clip 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f5erbw-TQc
Clips 2-10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL5z1K80fiE&list=PLzr9I-oDvIPmDg6PNG4ykLZAsvynAgQB4
Lesson: Crying. I'm sure you have heard a few sayings in your lifetime about crying. Here are a few: “Big girls don’t cry;” “There’s no crying in baseball;” “Crying is for babies;” and “Don’t be such a crybaby.” I could go on, but the point has been made. Crying makes people feel uncomfortable and so we tend to avoid it or try to shut it down.
I will admit that I cry from time to time. Some of you perhaps have seen me cry. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. I will share some stories about times that I have cried. 1) I was told that one time I cried for six hours in my crib. Now, before you jump on my parents for using the ‘cry it out’ method, this was recommended by the pediatrician at the time. 2) The older the onion is the more likely you are to cry from cutting it. 3) One time I rub pure capsicum in my eye. If you don’t know what that is, it's what makes hot peppers hot. 4) I cry when my pets have died. 5) I cried when my grandparents died. 6) I have cried at disappointments in life. For instance, when my wife and I went through a miscarriage.
Side note: did you know that crying releases oxytocin and endorphins? These chemicals make people feel better and help to reduce pain.
Jeremiah is a crier. All through the book we read that Jeremiah has been weeping for and on behalf of the people of Israel. He weeps for their impending doom. He also weeps for their ongoing suffering. He also weeps for himself; no one will listen to him and he is often alone. Israel is desperate for peace.
I think if we only look at stories of the Old Testament we get a view of God that looks like a king sitting in an ivory tower looking down and not caring about all the suffering of the world. Even though we may get an image of that from the Old Testament stories, that is not what is happening. God is the same and will remain the same.
Jesus is like Jeremiah. He weeps for and on behalf of us. He is not looking down on us. He is with us. He shares in our pain and walks with us. I am about to be a parent. I have read some books about child care. From what I read it looks like I will be inflicting some pain on my child. I have to take the child to get shots and use that snot sucker tool. I may have to use the ‘cry it out’ method every once in a while. I am inflicting this pain knowingly. I must be some cruel person. The baby might be thinking, why are you doing this? Well we all know that those things are what's best for the child. Even though the pain is given on purpose as a parent you can bet I will be there with my sad face on and give the baby lots of hugs when they have to endure that pain. As a baby they will never understand.
I propose this: Jesus is that comfort through our pain that we can’t comprehend. He walked on this Earth and endured all the pain and suffering that we also face. He is not some distant king too busy to care about us. He is with us.
Watch Yourself: Watch this movie of Jeremiah: https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Bible-Collection-Jeremiah/1252919
The movie is free, but you do need an account to watch. You will enjoy this, especially if you like McDreamy. Not my word.