Jeremiah 2:4-13 and Luke 14:1, 7-14

St Augustine said that what we worship we become. The opening words of Jeremiah in his first ‘thus saith the Lord’ moment is effectively a pre-cursor to St Augustine. The people have chased after other things - worthless things at that. Like magpies that steal all that glitters - the people have taken a shine to the glittery jazzy things around them. They have chased after supposedly more attractive gods - like the people at Mt Zion. They have preferred material gods, they can make in their own image, where the leaders will have their ears tickled by the easy words of false prophets.

In v11 the Lord says ‘They have changed their glory for something that does not profit’ - they have forgotten who they were called to be. Jeremiah’s harsh task is to remind them of their call to be the glory of God, and seek their repentance. The words come ringing with disbelief - ‘be appalled, be shocked, be utterly desolate O heavens ... the people have forsaken me’ says the Lord. They have sought their own way - but their way is weak and broken. Whereas God gave the water of life, like the water running from the rock when Moses struck it in the desert, they have sought their own water wells. This water of life was for all, to quench the thirst of the world. But this people have tried to keep it for themselves. By becoming fixated on their own needs and desires they have lost the true meaning of life, to discover the real life is found when you stop serving your own interests. To discover the truism you become what you worship.

These words sound just as meaningful for today. People in the West have by and large chased and run after ‘other things’ - the shiny trinkets of consumerism and wealth have led us to feel that we can provide for ourselves endlessly. We have succumbed to the values of our age - shop, buy, be happy, we can have anything (if have the money). We have sold ourselves for a few easy products. We have forgotten what it really means to be human, What it really means to live. We have become what we worship.

Jesus’ encounter with the guests at the dinner where important religious leaders have gathered is also a reminder of how we can so easily lose of our grasp on what it means to live a real life. We can become preoccupied in climbing the ladder. These leaders were doing so and had forgotten what their true calling was - the feed the hungry, to shine with God’s glory in a confused and selfish world. If you try to look after number one - you will be very lonely. The real guests at the banquet of the Messiah will be the outcast, the poor, the lame, the blind. Live generously without any thought of a return. In a consumer society where the pressure is to create hovels of wealth and security, we can lose sight of what it means to live a generous, hospitable life that seeks the needs of others. When we look to give our life we will find it. No amount of material stuff will be able to replace the reality and joy of seeing God’s kingdom being lived out. And at the same time we will discover our true image which made in the image of God, not of the advertiser. We will become what we worship.