But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
There is an interesting conflict contained within our Hebrew and Christian scriptures that has been part of history from our very beginning – God seeks to heal and reconcile and include; human beings seek to harm and divide and exclude. God calls us to peace; we declare war. God breaks down the dividing walls; we build them back up higher and higher. God forgives us our iniquities; we hold grudges for years and years. God wants to write a covenant of love within each of us; we want a set of rules and regulations that clearly define who is “in” and who is “out.” Thank God our God is so patient!
The Apostle Paul got it. After living a life leading to the hateful condemnation and violence against the disciples of Jesus, the very revelation of the Christ transformed him. The Holy Spirit destroyed his desire to divide, denigrate, and annihilate, replacing it with a passion to unite, reconcile, and embrace. Guilt, prejudice, and judgment disappeared in a wellspring of grace, forgiveness, and love. What a witness!
We are not a people who are running away from sin; we are a people running toward salvation. We are not a people fearing the fires of hell, but a people rejoicing in the realm of the divine. We are not a people of condemnation and judgment, but a people who have been lifted up in the loving arms of God to extend God’s forgiveness and to model for others what it means to be accepted through grace.
There will always be people who tear up, tear down, and tear apart. There will always be people who look at a beloved child of God and instead of seeing the face of the Christ, will see flaws and failings and sin. There will always be people who choose to criticize, attack and condemn. Let us never be this kind of person! For we are a people of the new covenant, the covenant of the heart – the very heart of Jesus.
Our covenant is the Christ. Our call is to the Christ. Our reality is that God binds us together through all our differences to be one – the body of Christ. In Christ, there is no division. In God’s covenant, there is no separation – all who confess Jesus as Lord are welcome, all who confess Jesus as Lord are blessed, and all who confess Jesus as Lord are people of love and grace.
Prayer: Forgiving God, we are lovers of rules and hierarchies and divisions, and sometimes we allow them to get in the way of your grace and love. Remind us that we are a covenant people, a covenant fulfilled for us, and in us, and through us in Jesus Christ, ratified in every way by your mercy, love, and grace. Amen.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
(Jeremiah 31:33-34, Reina Valera 1995)
Hay un conflicto muy interesante contenido en nuestras escrituras Hebrea y Cristiana que ha sido parte de nuestra historia desde el principio---Dios busca sanar, reconciliar, e incluir; los seres humanos buscan dañar, dividir, y excluir. Dios nos llama a paz, nosotros declaramos guerras. Dios rompe los murros que dividen; nosotros los construimos de nuevo y mucho más altos. Dios perdona nuestras iniquidades; nosotros mantenemos rencores por años y años.
Dios quiere escribir un pacto de amor dentro de nosotros; nosotros queremos un grupo de reglas y regulaciones que definan claramente quien está “adentro” o es aceptado y quien está “afuera” o no es aceptado. ¡Gracias a Dios, que nuestro Dios es Paciente!
El apóstol Pablo lo entendió. Después de vivir una vida como líder de la odiosa condenación y violencia en contra de los discípulos de Jesus, la revelación de Cristo lo transformo. El Espíritu Santo destruyo su deseo de dividir, denigrar, aniquilar, reemplazándolo con la pasión para unir, reconciliar, y abrazar. Culpabilidad, prejuicio, y el juzgar desaparecieron y se convirtieron en una fuente de gracia, perdón, y amor. ¡Que testimonio más maravilloso!
Nosotros no somos un pueblo que corre huyendo del pecado; somos un pueblo que corre hacia la salvación. No somos un pueblo que teme el fuego del infierno, sino un pueblo que se goza en todo el reino de lo divino. No somos pueblo de condenación y juicio, sino un pueblo quienes han sido levantados en los brazos amorosos de Dios para extender el perdón de Dios y modelar para otros lo que significa ser aceptado a través de la gracia de Dios.
Siempre habrá gente quienes arrancan, derriban, y desgarraran. Siempre habrá gente que cuando ve a los amados hijos/as de Dios, en lugar de ver el rostro de Cristo vean sus faltas, debilidades, y pecado. Siempre habrá gente que escogen el criticar, atacar, y condenar.
¡Que nunca seamos este tipo de personas! Porque nosotros somos un pueblo de un nuevo pacto, el pacto del corazón---el mero corazón de Jesus.
Nuestro pacto es Cristo. Nuestro llamado es a Cristo. Nuestra realidad es que Dios nos mantiene unidos, juntos a través de todas nuestras diferencias y ser uno—el cuerpo de Cristo.
En Cristo, no hay división. En el pacto de Dios, no hay separación---todos los que confiesan que Jesus es el Señor son bienvenidos, todos los que confiesan a Jesus como el Señor son bendecidos, y todos los que confiesan a Jesus como el Señor son un pueblo de amor y gracia.
Oración: Dios perdonador, somos amantes de las reglas, jerarquías y divisiones, y algunas veces permitimos que se entremetan entre la gracia y el amor. Recuérdanos que somos un pueblo de pacto, un pacto que se cumplió para nosotros, y en nosotros, y a través de Jesucristo, ratificado de todas maneras por su misericordia, amor, y gracia. Amen.
Traducción por Pastor Jorge L Mayorga
Author
Hee-Soo Jung
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung has served as resident bishop of the Wisconsin Annual Conference since September of 2012. Prior to leading the Wisconsin Conference UMC, Bishop Jung served eight years as bishop of the Northern Illinois Conference (Chicago area).