Is It Only My Fault?

Scripture: Jeremiah 10:23-24 – “I know, O Lord, that the way of humans is not in their control, that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure; not in your anger, or you will bring me to nothing.” (NRSVUE)

I have been reading a lot of the Book of Jeremiah lately, and to be honest, it’s not very happy. The vast majority of Jeremiah’s oracles (more like sermons than predictions about the future) are of God’s wrath and destruction. Jeremiah spells out, often in graphic detail, that the people deserve their fate because of their idolatry, their greed and exploitation of the poor, and their trust in foreign powers rather than the Lord. But sometimes, he wonders about whether God’s wrath is fair and whether the people should have a second chance.

Jeremiah cries, “I know, O Lord, that the way of humans is not in their control, that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps.” This is a remarkable statement. If people have unquestioned free will and they turn their back on God, they deserve to be crushed. But people don’t have complete control over their actions. Sometimes, habits become so ingrained that it can be unfair to expect people to change their lives quickly. Sometimes, societal expectations might conflict with God’s will, but people never know what they are doing is wrong. Sometimes, people want to do the right thing, but unjust systems and the whims of the powerful keep them from doing what they should. This verse indicates that Jeremiah understands that morality is more than just punishing people who are bad.

When Jeremiah says this, he is not decrying God’s unfairness but asking for mercy. If moral choices are often outside our control, then God should take that into consideration when dispensing justice. “Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure; not in your anger, or you will bring me to nothing.” To Jeremiah, God’s wrath is meant to teach people a lesson and get them back on the track of good behavior. Total destruction has no purpose. One might say that a god who puts personal feelings before the well-being of others is not a god worth loving.

There are many lessons we can take from Jeremiah’s words regarding punishment. The first is that while people do have free will, they don’t always have complete control over their lives. We should show compassion. The second is that the purpose of punishment is correction, not revenge. Many people turn their back on faith in God if they are told that God is only a judgmental force out to destroy them. We need to do a better job showing the same kind of mercy and forgiveness that God does while still holding people accountable for their actions. And we need to recognize our weaknesses are worthy of forgiveness.

When your world is falling apart around you, it is right to look inwards to see what you may have done to cause it. But it is also right to ask for God’s help and mercy, especially for the things beyond your control. If we are all more sympathetic and forgiving, perhaps the world would be the place God wants it to be.

Prayer: O God, have mercy on me and bring hope into my heart. Amen.