Unrelenting Homiletic Bummer

The title of this post is how Eric Metaxas describes Dietrich Bonhoeffer's January 1934 sermon on the prophet Jeremiah, at least from the perspective of the congregation that undoubtedly was wanting or at least expecting something more upbeat.

This sermon, delivered in London while the Third Reich was rising ominously in Germany, was powerful and even prophetic. You can't help but imagine that Bonhoeffer saw his own future as he described the woes of Jeremiah:

"The path will lead right down into the deepest situation of human powerlessness. The follower [of God] becomes a laughingstock, scorned and taken for a fool, but a fool who is extremely dangerous to people's peace and comfort, so that he or she must be beaten, locked up, tortured, if not put to death right away. That is exactly what became of this man Jeremiah, because he could not get away from God...He is a prisoner and he has to follow. His path is prescribed. It is the path of the man whom God will not let go, who will never be rid of God."

Wow! Take THAT Joel Osteen! The life of Jeremiah is indeed intriguing, even troubling, if a person tends to believe that being a Christian is easy and nice. Victory isn't wealth, it isn't health, and it isn't marshmallowy sweet relationships. More from the sermon:

"The triumphal procession of truth and justice, the triumphal procession of God and His Scriptures through the world, drags in the wake of the chariot of victory a train of prisoners in chains. May he at the last bind us to his triumphal carriage so that, although in bonds oppressed, we may participate in his victory."

Victory is identification with Christ and His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that we will one day identify with Him in His resurrection!