Boasting!

Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

We have mastered the boast! We know how to build ourselves up and in the process put others down. Maybe we don’t put others down on purpose, but our boasting implies that we are better than someone else, that we rise above the rest.

Science will solve all our problems. Education will take care of prejudice. Redistribution will rectify past injustices. Give us the reigns of power and we will do it right, this time, in contrast to all the other times when this same thing was tried and failed. But we know better now.

But it isn’t only those outside that boast, we boast as well. Let’s be honest for a moment, at moments in our lives we act as though we have it all together, don’t we. We ‘take control’ and ‘just handle it.’ The problem isn’t an external one, it resides in each and every one of us.

But there is a legitimate boast we can make, or at least it is possible to make. Our text for today spells out this boast, but it isn’t like our normal boasts. It isn’t about us at all!

The one ‘boast’ we can make is that we know the LORD. What I find interesting is what follows that statement in the text. Knowing the LORD is tied to knowing His character acted out in the world. And how does His character get acted out?

The LORD sees kindness, justice and righteousness and he delights in them. He does these things in connection to His people and His people do it to each other, or at least that is the way it is supposed to be. There are actions we take that reflect His character.

But the prophet Jeremiah is calling the people to account for their actions. They have been confident in the Jewishness, their outward trappings of religiosity. They practice circumcision in hopes that it will cover over their idolatry. They look the part, but their actions betray the real object of their trust.

They were supposed to know the LORD, but instead they trust idols, false gods made with their own hands, voiceless and inanimate objects. They had the opportunity to follow the LORD and avoid the pitfalls that their ancestors consistently fell into, but they chose to reject the LORD. They saw His kindness, justice and righteousness, but they said they had a better way.

Are we in danger of doing the same thing today? Is the Gospel really sufficient to meet the needs of today’s challenges? Or will we pick up some human created solution that will fall short.

It will take boasting to present the solution. But the boasting isn’t about us and our solution. Our boasting must be about Him and His solution. He is the one who wants to bring kindness, justice and righteousness. Will we line up with Him in His mission, or will we follow the long line of boasters? What will it be today?