Remembering No More – Jeremiah 31

A text – Jeremiah 31:31-34

31:31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
31:32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt–a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD.
31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
31:34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

A reflection:

Long before Jesus came, the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah and said that there would be a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. There would need to be no teachings because everyone would already know God and love God and belong to God. In this new promised covenant, the Lord will remember the people’s sin no more.

I am reminded of the story in John of the woman who is caught in adultery and brought before the crowd Jesus is teaching in the temple, surrounded by everyone shaming her, and the church leaders ask what should be done with her – stoning? Jesus is drawing in the dirt with his finger, bent low while this attack is going on, for it’s an attack on the woman and a trap being set for him as well. I can imagine the silence, getting thicker by the minute. He rises and says, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” and then bends low once again as, one by one, the accusers and leaders and students disappear. He asks the woman “Who condemns you?” and she says “No one.” And he says, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” It is as though Jesus has forgiven her and will remember her sin no more.

Human beings have long memories, and we often use them to remind people of every wrong they have ever done. But our Father in heaven is willing to remember our sin no more. Think of how wonderful, how generous, how freeing our heavenly Father is.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for forgiving our sins and forgetting our sins. You are our gracious heavenly Father and we are your beloved children, so grateful for your love.   Amen.