The readings for the second Sunday in Lent are taken from Jeremiah 26:8-15; Philippians 3:17—4:1; and Luke 13:31-35.
What is the disposition of human nature corrupted by Adam toward the Word of God? Jeremiah records how it was priests, prophets, and people who wanted to execute Jeremiah but when Jeremiah repeated his message the princes and the people defended him for speaking the truth. God only commands what is good for us so we might live and only forbids what is bad for us so that we might not die. God’s Word of warning and command to repentance through Jeremiah is what we concentrate on during Lent.
Paul urges the Philippians to join him in walking according to the way of life as received from the Apostles in the New Testament. Paul warns about so many people who are enemies of the redeeming work of Christ. Note the catastrophic results of opposing Christ, just as God warned Israel through Jeremiah. Every one of us suffers from a human nature corrupted by Adam’s opposition to God’s Word. God’s redeeming work includes regenerating our souls in the image of Christ and inspired by God’s own Spirit. Thus, we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven and look forward to the resurrection and recreation of the world, even as we look forward to Easter.
As the prophets and priests in the Old Testament opposed Jeremiah and as many in the time of Paul opposed him, so Luke records how the religious leaders opposed Jesus while they pretended to be pious. But it was the princes in Jeremiah that protected him, as the Roman government protected Paul (Acts 22—28), and Pontius Pilate and Herod agreed that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death. It is shocking but necessary to realize that human nature pretending to be religious and holy on its own terms is the worst and fiercest enemy of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. As in Jeremiah and Philippians, Jesus makes clear the consequences of opposing the truth and grace of God.