Jeremiah 17 is divided in three parts. In part one, the LORD tells Judah she will be judged and judged severely. He tells her He will never forget her punishment. She will be sent among peoples she doesn’t know. In part two, Jeremiah prays to the LORD for protection and deliverance, and in part three, the LORD tells the people He will restore them. So, which is it? Eternal separation from the LORD or restoration? Yes. It is what the people choose. The LORD gives us the opportunity to trust Him and be saved, or to turn away from Him and be punished. We start in sin, and we will remain that way unless we turn to the LORD and accept His grace and mercy.
In Jeremiah 18 the LORD sends Jeremiah to watch a potter. As the potter creates a pot on the wheel, something happens and he reshapes it into something else. The LORD compares Himself to that potter. He notes He has the right to make a nation anything He wants. He tells Jeremiah if He intends good for a nation, but it turns to evil, He will destroy it, but if He intends to destroy a nation and it returns to good, He will save it. Jeremiah then cries out to the LORD, because the king and people of Judah are determined to destroy him. Jeremiah asks the LORD how it is that he who has done good is to be repaid with evil, and he asks the LORD to protect Him.
In Jeremiah 19 the LORD tells Jeremiah to take a potter’s flask and take it before the leaders and people of Judah and Jerusalem and proclaim that as such a flask is broken and cannot be repaired, so will they be. He tells them the valley will be called the valley of Slaughter, because the people will be slaughtered by their enemies, and during the time of siege they will eat one another and their children. The picture is horrendous, and demonstrates the LORD’s judgment for the people’s turning away from Him to all the gods of the people of Canaan. The LORD will not be second in our lives. He will only accept first place. That was true in Jeremiah’s day, and it is true today. The main difference in our day, is the LORD doesn’t tend to use other nations to judge us. He waits for the judgment day to judge us Himself. We can certainly experience the judgment of our actions in this life, yet through Jesus, He has shown us His patience and love for us, which tempers His wrath and judgment.
As we return to John 21, the conclusion of John’s Gospel, we read of the poignant reinstatement of Peter by Jesus. As Peter and a handful of other disciples have spent the night fishing, catching nothing, Jesus appears on the shore. He calls out, “Children, have you caught any fish?” When they tell Him they haven’t, Jesus tells them to throw the nets in the water on the other side of the boat. Suddenly their nets are full! John tells Peter, “It’s the LORD.” Peter, recognizing the truth, puts on his clothes, jumps in the water and swims to shore. Jesus already has breakfast cooking for the crew. After breakfast, Jesus takes Peter aside and asks him three times whether he loves Him? Each time Peter tells Jesus he does love Him. The third time, Jesus asked, Peter was grieved. We don’t know for certain, but it certainly seems as if the three questions relate to the three denials. Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to affirm his love for Jesus once for each time he denied knowing Him. When the episode nears an end, Jesus tells Peter he will die affirming His faith in Jesus as LORD. Imagine the comfort that must have been to Peter, yet, being human Peter wanted to know what was going to happen to John. Jesus didn’t tell Peter. He said, “What is it to you if I want Him to stay until I return? Follow me.” Jesus didn’t say John wouldn’t die. He asked Peter, “What is that to you? Peter’s only business, as our only business, is to put Jesus first. As we do that, whatever happens to others will be cause for us to pray or to celebrate. We pray when others have need, and we celebrate when others are blessed or praised. That isn’t natural, but in the supernatural realm of Jesus’ family we help those in need, and we celebrate the victories of our brothers and sisters.