Psalm 137, 144; Jer. 35:1-19; 1 Cor. 12:27-13:3; Matt. 9:35-10:4
Who in the world are the Rechabites and what relationship do they have to the Israelites? They are descendants of a people group, the Kenites, who accompanied the Israelites when they came into the land (see for instance 1 Samuel 15.6), they were one of the people groups dispossessed by the Israelites. Moses married a Kenite woman and Jael, notable driver of tent pegs (see Judges 4) was the wife of a Kenite man. The Rechabites were descendants of a particular Kenite who had given them two basic commandments, no wine or strong drink and to live as Bedouin. Was Jeremiah speaking to and through them because abstinence from alcohol was important as a principle? No, Jeremiah used them as an example of obedience to the people of Israel who had gone astray. They were able to recite chapter and verse of the commandments that shaped their lives and made them easily identifiable, set them apart from others. The Israelites, through knowledge of and obedience to the law of God, were to be examples in this same way.
How were the people “harassed and helpless”? Those who were supposed to be their shepherds, the scribes and Pharisees, were busy looking after themselves and their own interests rather than being shepherds and looking after the flock. When Jesus came, He was fulfilling the promise of 2 Chronicles 7.14 to heal those who turned to Him and here we see Him “healing every disease and every affliction.” He instructs His followers to pray to the Lord of the harvest for workers for the harvest as He sees so many hurting people who will receive Him. We need to open our eyes to hurting people, harassed and helpless without a shepherd and to reach out in love to them in Jesus’ Name. It is only at this point that Jesus chooses from among those following Him the ones who will be close to Him as disciples. These will be the ones who will carry on this mission and who will be the first workers for the harvest. They are the ones who were commanded to make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey all He commanded them.
What was the “new” commandment Jesus gave to the disciples? Love one another. In speaking of the gifts of the Spirit, Paul lists the gifts then notes that all do not have any particular gift, they are distributed among the believers so that the body of Christ may be complete. In spite of the excellencies of the gifts, Paul says there is a more excellent way, the way of love. In the end, it is people who matter, not the gifts themselves. We can do great things for God but if we do not love one another what people see and hear is not that we do great things but a lot of noise, and not pleasant noise at that. John, in his first epistle, lays out the contours of the Christian life as beginning and ending with obedience to this command, we are to be as steadfast as the Rechabites in obedience to this particular command and its corollary, to love God with all that we have and all that we are. In doing this, we will indeed prove ourselves to be different from the world.
Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart.
Oh let the ancient words impart
Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.
CHORUS:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart
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