Encouraged by Enduring

Lamentations 3:19-24; Luke 19:1-10
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, July 4

The book of Lamentations contains five melancholy poems written by Jeremiah. In each poem, the weeping prophet laments the destruction of Jerusalem and the decimation of the Temple by the invading Babylonians. The book is written in “limping meter,” which is a cadence used in funeral dirges.

A mood of bereavement would be the most appropriate way to describe Jeremiah’s emotional state during this period of Israel’s history. Appropriately, the term “lamentations” is derived from a Greek verb, which means “to cry aloud.”

The verses under consideration in this week’s lesson are some of the most recognizable from Lamentations, especially verses 22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” In spite of his mood of despair, these verses describe Jeremiah’s hope in the Lord’s mercies, compassions, faithfulness, and most importantly, His love.

The Israelites continued to turn to idols while starving from the effects of the Babylonian siege, but God’s love never ceased and His affection never faltered.

My pastor used to say that “there is nothing you can do that is so bad that God will love you less, and conversely, there is nothing you can do that is so good that God will love you more.” This little saying helps me to stay balanced when I feel like I’ve blown it, or when I think of how lucky God is to have me on His team. It also illustrates the actions of the Israelites, the attitude of Jeremiah, and the adoration God has for His children.

God’s enduring love is also illustrated in the other passage under consideration this week. The love of God sought Zacchaeus out of a crowd in Luke 19. Zacchaeus was a tax collector for the Romans. The position of tax collector invited abuse and derision from the Jews. And because of the character required to succeed in this vocation, Zacchaeus had a bad reputation and was a social outcast. Yet Jesus didn’t allow the questionable character of Zacchaeus to deter Him from inviting him to be a disciple. Jesus didn’t care that the people muttered, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (vs. 7).

The forgiveness extended to Zacchaeus is also extended to us. He forgives us of our past and gives us a hope for the future. He says to us, “I don’t care what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or how bad you are, I still love you and want to forgive you.”

In a scene from Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel Christ Recrucified, four village men confess their sins to one another in the presence of the Pope. One of the men, Michelis, cries out, “How can God let us live on the earth? Why doesn’t he kill us to purify creation?” The Pope answered, “Because Michelis, God is a potter; he works in mud.”

One of the most encouraging verses about the love of God is Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It is this kind of love that forgives us of our sin and helps remove the stain of guilt from our lives.

Pastor Lee Strobel shares an experience from a baptismal service that further illustrates the power of Jesus’ love to change lives and remove guilt. Before they were to be baptized, the candidates were told to take a piece of paper and write down a few of the sins they had committed. They were told to fold the paper and pin it to a wooden cross that was erected on the stage. Some weeks after her baptism, a lady wrote:

I remember my fear. In fact, it was the most fear I remember in my life. I wrote as tiny as I could on that piece of paper the word “abortion.” I was so scared someone would open the paper and read it and find out it was me. I wanted to get up and walk out of the auditorium during the service, the guilt and fear were that strong.

When my turn came, I walked toward the cross and pinned the paper there. I was directed to a pastor to be baptized. He looked me straight in the eyes, and I thought for sure that he was going to read this terrible secret I kept from everybody for so long. But instead, I felt like God was telling me, “I love you. It’s okay. You’ve been forgiven.” I felt so much love for me, a terrible sinner. It’s the first time I ever really felt forgiveness and unconditional love. It was unbelievable, indescribable.

Those of us who have been born again would certainly agree that the feeling of forgiveness is “unbelievable” and “indescribable.” For Zacchaeus, the joy of being forgiven prompted him to exclaim, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (vs. 8). The words “give” and “pay” are futuristic presents which reflects a change in Zacchaeus’ life as a result of meeting Jesus.

Like Jeremiah, I have confidence that God’s love is great and able to reach even the most hardened of hearts. And like Zacchaeus, I have personally experienced this great love that God has for sinners. Have you?

I hope you’ve been encouraged by the love that God has for you. It really is unbelievable, indescribable, and enduring!