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Sermon for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, 2026, from Jeremiah 15:15-21
Pastor Peter Ziebell
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
The text for our sermon today is Jeremiah 15:15-21, our First Reading read before.
15 O Lord, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your forbearance take me not away; know that for Your sake I bear reproach. 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts. 17 I did not sit in the company of revellers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because Your hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? 19 Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I shall restore you, and you will stand before Me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you will be as My mouth. They will turn to you, but you will not turn to them. 20 And I shall make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. 21 I shall deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Lord God, heavenly Father, sanctify us through Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ,
Our world is deeply shaped by the idea of justice and equality – the belief that everyone deserves fair treatment, benefits, and outcomes across all areas of life. Whether it’s about wages, gender rights, marriage, or access to opportunities like housing and employment, many of us hold onto the hope that life should be fair and that each person gets what they truly deserve. When someone feels they’ve been treated unfairly, they’re often eager to speak up. Fairness also influences how we relate to God. Concepts like karma in Hinduism, the idea of “paying it forward,” or the belief that “what goes around comes around,” as well as the Christian notion that “a man ought to reap what he sows” (Galatians 6:7), reflect our human tendency to believe we should receive what we deserve — that good people are rewarded and bad people are punished. But is that really how it works? Should we always get what we deserve? Through the prophet Jeremiah, God shares a different perspective, reminding us that He doesn’t always give us what we deserve, offering us reasons to turn back and reasons to celebrate.
The prophet Jeremiah clearly believed he deserved better for his service as God’s spokesman to the people of Israel. Given the circumstances, we may be tempted to agree with him. The 10 northern tribes of Israel had already been defeated and carried away by the Assyrians as punishment for their rebellion and idolatry, and the southern kingdom, Judah, was quickly following suit. The message God had given Jeremiah to proclaim, then, was not the kind you see emblazoned on posters in Christian bookshops. He was called to tell the remaining Israelites that God had run out of patience with their unbelief and that punishment was on the horizon. Through Jeremiah the LORD said, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of My sight, and let them go! And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity’” (Jeremiah 15:1-2).
Is it any surprise that no one desired to listen to that sermon? Is it any surprise that all in Israel—from the humble servant to the monarch—ridiculed Jeremiah, blamed him for their difficulties, declined association with him, and even threatened his life? Nonetheless, despite the persecution and threats, Jeremiah remained steadfast in his faith. He persisted in delivering a challenging message to an even more formidable audience. It is understandable why Jeremiah believed he merited better treatment, and why he felt it was unjust that he was being held accountable for faithfully proclaiming God’s message. Furthermore, Jeremiah exemplifies a response we can all mimic by directing his pain and sorrow to the Lord: “O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your forbearance take me not away; know that for Your sake I bear reproach.”
If Jeremiah had stopped there, we could say “Amen.” But Jeremiah didn’t stop. He went on, “16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”Notice that, at least at first, Jeremiah found joy in preaching God’s message. That may seem strange — he really found joy in being a minister of doom and gloom? Yes. Not because it was easy or because it brought him fame and glory, but because it was God’s Word which brings sinners to repentance. “17 I did not sit in the company of revellers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because Your hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation.”Jeremiah had isolated himself from his society because he hated the rebellion, immorality, and idolatry that contaminated Israel. He was angry at Israel’s faithlessness. “18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?”
Do you notice the two issues present in Jeremiah’s complaint? On what basis does he establish his demand for justice? It is rooted in his steadfastness; his dedication to the Word, and his refusal to partake in Israel’s pagan festivities. In essence, Jeremiah’s demand for justice is founded upon his virtuous deeds for God. Furthermore, whom does he reproach for his difficulties? Not himself, for neglect or indifference in his service. He does not blame the rebellious people, to whom he was called to serve, a people who had forsaken the one true God and worshipped idols. Instead, Jeremiah blames God, accusing Him of deceit—a bait-and-switch—promising an easy, joyful ministry, only to fail to deliver.
Jeremiah had fallen into the trap of delusional self-righteousness. Unfortunately, it’s a trap any believer can fall into. “I’ve been a good Christian, a faithful spouse, parent, employee; I’ve been a generous giver and a willing volunteer, Lord; I deserve better!” That kind of complaint, that demand for justice from God, is so easy, isn’t it? That’s because, while we are often slow to recognise our ungodly attitudes, our selfish behaviours, our pet sins — we are often blind to our failures — we are quick to compile a list of all the good things we do for God: attending worship even when the weather is nice and I could be doing something else, cleaning the church, cutting the grass, bringing my child to Sunday school and attending Bible Study, maybe even serving as an elected leader, not to mention my daily devotions, my commitment to my spouse and family, my diligent work ethic, my better-than-average behaviour and clean language, and we could easily go on. And Satan is always right there, cheering us on – “Yep, you’re one of the good ones, you’ve done a lot for God, He owes you big-time.”
However, it does not always appear that divine understanding is promptly received. Individuals we cherish endure tragedies, become ill, and pass away. Financial stability and security often remain elusive. Rather than receiving honour and respect from colleagues, family members, and even fellow members of the congregation, we may perceive that our faithfulness and diligent efforts go unnoticed or are met with criticism. Leading a quiet, moral, and devout life does not necessarily garner us widespread admiration or support; in many cases, it results in social exclusion or ridicule. Christian marriages are inherently imperfect because each spouse is fallible. Christian parents can devote themselves entirely to raising their children in reverence and knowledge of the Lord, only to grieve when those children stray from their Saviour. Furthermore, even the church itself is not a utopian sanctuary—comprising sinners who openly confess and strive for repentance—and conflict and difficulties are inevitable. At times, we may feel we have reached our breaking point; the burden of the cross feels overwhelming, and the desire to give up the struggle grows strong. We turn to God with outstretched hands and voice our questions: “What is the reason, God? I am doing my utmost for You, yet I am met with pain and adversity. Do I not deserve better?”
Jeremiah was not the first or the last to hold such beliefs. Many of us have shared this sentiment at various points in time. So, would you like to know the truth? Would you like to hear what we genuinely deserve? Isaiah informs us: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The Apostle Paul further states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12); and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The reality is that none of us has led a life that meets — much less exceeds — God’s expectations; we do not deserve a reward from God for our actions. The only response we truly merit is “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Caution is advised against demanding that God grant you what you believe you deserve—because He will deliver it to those who make such demands.
Whenever a believer is stuck in the rut of deluded self-righteousness and self-pity – they need to be shocked back to reality. And in a calm but firm way, that’s what God did for Jeremiah: “If you return, I shall restore you, and you will stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you will be as My mouth. They will turn to you, but you will not turn to them.”
How did God respond to Jeremiah’s woe-is-me attitude? He didn’t even dignify Jeremiah’s complaint with a direct reply. He didn’t say, “You’re right, Jeremiah, you do deserve better, I apologise.” He didn’t promise to remove all the trouble from Jeremiah’s life; neither did He lift the curtain of divine providence to show Jeremiah why this hardship was happening to him. No, God slapped Jeremiah in the face with the word “repent.” “Stop questioning My wisdom, stop inflating your own goodness, turn to Me, listen to My voice, serve Me, grab hold of My promises, and forget about yourself.” Amid his complaining and self-pity, Jeremiah had become just like the rebellious and idolatrous Israelites he was supposed to be ministering to. But in His grace, God turned Jeremiah from his sin and restored him. He cleansed Jeremiah’s lips of his worthless complaints and gave him worthy words. The LORD said, “I shall deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
With the word “redeem,” God pointed Jeremiah 700 years ahead to Jesus, who would pay the price for his sins of doubt and complaining and buy him back from the punishment in hell he deserved. In His call to repentance, God promised to give Jeremiah the opposite of what he deserved: forgiveness of sins, peace, and eternal life.
We have all received undeserved blessings. When we stray, we shouldn’t expect God to intervene and bring us back; yet, out of His incredible love, He does, because He cares too much to let us wander all the way to hell. When we complain about God’s justice, He would be absolutely justified in sending a bolt of lightning to vaporise us. And yet, God doesn’t. Paul explained why: He is patient, desiring “all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Most importantly, we don’t earn forgiveness, cleansing, or restoration—those are acts of grace because we truly don’t deserve them. As Paul reminds us in Romans, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If we’re honest, the place to talk about inequality and unfairness starts and ends at the cross of Christ. We don’t deserve eternal life, but because Jesus wore a crown of thorns on the cross, we can be confident that we shall someday wear the crown of life. Even serving God, taking up our cross, and suffering for Jesus’ sake are privileges we don’t earn, yet God’s mercy graciously allows us to be part of His divine plan.
All of which means that the lesson Jeremiah learned 2700 years ago still applies today: God never promises that following Jesus in this world of sin will be easy and pain-free — in fact, Jesus tells us the opposite. He says that following Him will mean carrying a cross.[1] But as we struggle, He promises to fortify us. He promises to make us bronze walls — He promises to stand behind His Word — both Law and Gospel — and through it He will give us the strength to stand firm against everything Satan and the world can throw at us. And even when we aren’t firm, even when we fall, Jesus promises to come to us in His Word and in His body and blood in His Supper to pick us up and put us back on our feet. He promises that even our greatest enemies can’t hurt us because He has defeated them once and for all. And in the end, God promises that the struggle of this life is only temporary — it will end.
And even though we may be bruised and broken, even though every one of us will have to admit that nothing we have done meets God’s perfect standard, God will cover us with His Son’s perfect life. He will leave our sins buried and forgotten in Jesus’ tomb. He will welcome us into paradise with open arms and say, well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness![2] The promise God made to Jeremiah still stands for repentant believers: “I shall deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” When the going gets tough, when the cross gets heavy, find relief and a reason to rejoice in the fact that God doesn’t give us what we deserve — He gives us so much more!
In a world that doesn’t really know what it is asking for when it demands absolute justice — we give thanks today that God doesn’t give us what we deserve. When delusional self-righteousness tempts us to believe that we deserve better for our service to Christ, give it what it deserves — put it to death through repentance — and because of Jesus, rejoice that the Lord gives us so much more than we deserve. The Christian life isn’t fair. Thank God! Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1] Matthew 16:24
[2] Matthew 25:31