RIGHT EXPECTATIONS AND RIGHT FOCUS

Baruch had been the Prophet Jeremiah’s scribe. He would write down the words that the Lord had given Jeremiah. Sometimes, he would even deliver the message for Jeremiah. Consequently, the rejection experienced by the prophet would also fall upon Baruch, who suffered as a result. Therefore, the Lord sent him a message through Jeremiah, and it wasn’t an empathic or encouraging message:

·       “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.” (Jeremiah 45:2-5 ESV)

The only good news for Baruch was that his life would be spared. Otherwise, he would have to partake of the coming disaster. He therefore instructed Baruch to not “seek great things for yourself” – pleasures, careers, and attainments. He would have to scale back his expectations and accept the “groaning.” As God had been rejected, so shall we.

Rejection is what it means to be a servant of God. If we are walking with the Lord, we will not be in step with the surrounding culture. The things above are not the things of this world. Jesus warned that His fate would also befall us:

·       “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18-20

Jesus also warned that, when the world persecutes us, they will convince themselves that they are performing a righteous service:

·       “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:1-2)

Jesus issued these warnings for the same reason that God had warned Baruch, so that when these things happen to us, we will be prepared and will not fall away in discouragement. Our persecutors will wear the attire of servants of righteousness. They will even seem sincere and likeable and will explain, in all seriousness, that they are doing the right thing. All of this should cause us to place our hopes elsewhere:

·       So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

It seems that we will only become enamored with the things unseen as we grow disappointed with what can be seen. Jeremiah and Baruch had to learn this lesson the hard way. We are no exception.