Jeremiah 33:16 - [The Lord said] "In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'"

This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.

Those who write screenplays for holiday movies are often adept at connecting with a wide range of audiences, young and old. How do they do it? How do they amuse children and warm the hearts of adults with a cozy blanket of nostalgia? Consider the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story, in which the adult narrator embodies his nine-year-old self, Ralphie, and immerses us in the world of a 1940's fourth-grade boy with "triple-dog-dares" and secret decoder rings and Red Ryder BB guns and a humiliating pink bunny-footed-onesie from his overbearing Aunt Clara. Notice how the storyteller puts himself in the place of his audience, including everyone from present-day nine-year-olds to those who remember being nine in 1940, and the rest of us somewhere in between. He connects with us by identifying with us.

So also, God called the prophet Jeremiah to identify with his people, to put himself in their place, to tell a story they can follow—but with one important difference. The purpose of a movie like A Christmas Story is to comfort, like a warm blanket on a cold night. The purpose of a prophet like Jeremiah is to wake us up, to yank off the covers and get us ready for the new day. The purposes are as different as night at day, but the methods are similar. In both cases, the speakers put themselves in the place of their people to connect with them, to reach them.

Admittedly, Jeremiah's job is not as fun. He's got the thankless task of rousing people who'd rather stay asleep, and don't give a hoot if they miss the bus and get detention. And to make it worse, Jeremiah's not in a kids' movie. It's real life and the consequences are adult-sized. The people have forsaken God. They've shacked up with the false gods of short gain and will find themselves in the hell of an abusive relationship, exiled into the evil empire of Babylon. So, God sends Jeremiah to wake them up. But Jeremiah doesn't just say, "I told you so." No, God sends him to identify with them, to suffer with them in the consequences of their choices.

So that he can identify with them when their families are ripped apart by the pain of exile, God forbids Jeremiah to start a family of his own (see Jeremiah 16). So that he can bear the shame of their enslavement, God has Jeremiah walk around with a yoke on his neck, humiliated like a beast of burden (see Jeremiah 27). God commands Jeremiah to so fully identify with the people that, when the Babylonians are invading Jerusalem, he buys a plot of land that will soon be worthless, so that he could know their loss, yet still have reason to hope in God (see Jeremiah 32). The work of a prophet is to identify with your people even when they won't listen, because you represent a God who humbles Himself to identify with us.

In the reading today, God promises a new day after the day of judgment. God will raise up the Messiah, His Son, Jesus, to restore them. God will give then a new name. And the name by which the people will be called is "The LORD is our righteousness." These words are a repeat from earlier in the book, chapter 23, verse 6. There, He said that name by which God's Messiah will be called is "The LORD is our righteousness." It's the same name. In other words, God's Son will so fully identify with His people that their name will be His, and His will be theirs—and by extension, yours, too. Because Jesus came to be with us under the consequences of our sins. He died for us and with us on the cross. And He rose from the dead to rouse us for life in His new creation, and also to cover us in His love like a warm blanket.

WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, wake me up by the comforting power of Your humble love. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour.

Reflection Questions:

1. Think of a favorite holiday movie or story—how does the author/director connect with you?

2. What makes it difficult for you to feel that connection with others, to put yourself in their place?

3. How do the lives of Jeremiah and Jesus rouse you to seek ways to meet others where they're at?

Today's Bible Readings: Ezekiel 35-36    2 Peter 1

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