Recently I read through Jeremiah again, and I was struck by one illustration that the prophet uses. In chapter 13, God directs Jeremiah to get a brand new personal article of clothing and put it on. A short while later He tells Jeremiah to go to a riverbank and hide it there in the rocks. Some significant time later he speaks to Jeremiah one more time and tells him to retrieve it. Of course, it’s completely ruined - which is a real shame, because it was perfectly usable when it was in original condition, and it wasn’t used hardly at all before it was hidden in a crag by the river. It’s a somewhat confusing episode until we hear what God says about it; “For as a belt is bound around a man’s waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.” (NIV, underlining mine)
Perhaps it is that same prophetic image that Jesus had in mind when He spoke of the man who hid his talent instead of investing it (Matt 25:18, 24-30). The point being that: What is kept from its intended use and hidden away is not being used appropriately for God’s glory. In the end, it is completely wasted. Worse than that actually, because such a waste brings God’s judgment (as Jeremiah preached to Judah, and as Christ made clear in His later parable).
The implication is ironic and profound. It’s ironic because it teaches that what we might think to keep for ourselves (as something precious and close to us and so not ‘waste’ on Kingdom purposes) ultimately becomes truly wasteful -and that to our own hurt. It is profound because it’s not a teaching so much about material things (although that’s also clearly seen in Jeremiah’s prophetic object lesson) but about us ourselves! After all, Jeremiah’s message was to and about God’s people. Reading it for ourselves, the question comes to mind - are we hiding ourselves in the crags of life’s river, or are we going to the nations to make His Name great, confident that He who indwells us will be clearly seen?
God made Israel to make His Name great among the nations, but they did not listen. What then of us, the body of Christ? He has made us for that same purpose, gifted us for that purpose, given us provision for that purpose and called us to that purpose. May He find us faithful to give, to pray and to go, and to be about making His Name great among the nations!
