C, Post-Pentecost 19, Proper 24 - Jeremiah 31:27-34 "Sweet and Sour - From Sour Grapes to Sweet Salvation"

When most of us were children, we would have preferred sweet over sour; a lollipop over salad covered in balsamic vinegar. The taste of sugar in the mouth is a delight, but the taste of something unexpectedly sour makes one’s mouth pucker up, as the sharp sour surprise sends a shudder through the body.

How do you know when sour cream is no good? After all, it’s already sour! The point is that sour is generally associated with things being off. Sour cream is already sour to the taste; is it only once it becomes sour to the eye that one knows it’s off? When little orange and blue spores begin to colonise the cream, then we know it’s time to toss it out.

Yet children today seem to have taken a liking to sour lollies. I would prefer my kids to have taken up a liking for sweet and sour cuisine, or salad covered in balsamic vinegar! Nevertheless, they put these lollies in their mouths and shudder, like babies surprised by something so sour, before the sour disappears and sweet takes over, filling their mouths with delight.

We all know what makes things sweet, but what makes something sour? Vinegar is the answer! When I was a child, it was a surprise to me to see what happens when vinegar or lemon juice is put in milk — to see it curdle instantly into lumpy curds and watery whey.

Sweet and sour; sour and sweet!

On behalf of God, Jeremiah speaks about sour grapes: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say: “ ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:27–30 ESV)

God plucks up and breaks down Judah and Israel. He has need to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm to his very own people. But God also watches over them to build up and plant, to preserve them, despite the discipline he needs to unleash to break them down. Just as we heard Paul tell Timothy last week, God had to deny his chosen people of Israel, because they had denied Him. However, even in their faithlessness, God still remained faithful, because He cannot deny Himself.

When Israel became sour in the eyes of God, He was sour towards them, to the third and fourth generation. But now Jeremiah gives the Israelites a new message from God. No longer will children suffer for the sins of their fathers; no longer will the father’s faithfulness or lack of it have repercussions on the rest of the household. Now, every member of the household is responsible for their own sin; all women, sons, and daughters will die for their own iniquity. If one eats sour grapes, that one will have their teeth set on edge. If one eats sour grapes, the sourness will sicken the bellies of those who eat them, causing them to suffer.

This is mixed news for Israel and Judah. No longer will someone be born guilty or innocent as a result of what their fathers did or did not do. Rather, all have a clean slate and were accountable for what they did. However, humanity’s sinful nature was still passed on to the next generation. Being human still meant the children’s being was sinful, causing their very own human sinful deeds to occur. No one can accuse their parents of the evil deeds they themselves did. Likewise, no one was covered by the good deeds their fathers did either. Jeremiah, in effect, was announcing that God only has children, not grandchildren.

Ezekiel was commanded to say the same thing to God’s people. He says: “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.’” (Ezekiel 18:1–4 ESV)

Ezekiel goes on to say: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Ezekiel 18:20 ESV)

This was a hard message that Jeremiah and Ezekiel had to pass on to God’s children in Israel and Judah. So why would these preachers of God’s word take this message to God’s people, knowing that they would not be looked upon favourably?

The answer can be found in what God tells Ezekiel: “’Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.” (Ezekiel 3:1–3 ESV)

The sweetness of God’s word made Ezekiel and Jeremiah strong so they would not compromise on telling the people what God had to say to them.

However, all this was a preface to a new covenant that was to come. In this covenant, those who receive the word of God are taught by God. This new covenant was not a covenant from the fathers, passed down by the fathers. This covenant was a covenant of forgiveness to those who see their sour grapes and have their teeth put on edge, so that they turn and receive the sweet forgiveness of God.

Jeremiah says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33b-34 ESV)

The prophecy of a new covenant was given; it would preserve God’s people despite their sin. Like vinegar and sugar preserve pickles, humanity would be preserved by this new covenant. But how, and when?

Some four hundred years passed, then Jesus came as the sweetness of God and persevered in pleasing Him. He gave up the holiness of heaven, to be born into the sour sewer of humanity. He received the Holy Spirit and preserved the holiness of God in human flesh, that in all others had soured the source of sanctification or holiness.

Yet He allowed Himself to be pickled in the sight of God. Despite His sweetness, His preservation of God’s sanctity, He allowed Himself to be soured on the cross. He said, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psalm 69:21 ESV) A hyssop branch, meant to cleanse a person in the old covenant, was dipped in sour wine and given to Him to wet His mouth. Our sinful nature thrust the spear into His side, and like pouring vinegar in milk, the water and blood separated like curds and whey as they gushed from His side.

Jesus didn’t drink the sour wine! He took on the sourness of sin, so we can savour the sweetness of salvation — your only source of salvation! In this new covenant you have been given the Holy Spirit, who works to feed you on the holy honey of God’s sweet word, to give faith, to feed faith. The more you eat, the sweeter it gets.

Like Jesus Christ, you too can love all scripture and declare: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:103–104 ESV)

Rather than chase the saccharine sickly sweet of the self only to lose the sweet source of eternal salvation, remain in Jesus Christ, in his sweet and sour which he endured to preserve you!  Let the sweetness of God’s word show you your sour and false ways, so the Holy Spirit can daily return you to the cross of Christ.  Don’t let the sweet word of God become bitter in the bellies of those who seek to lead you with God’s word, through a world that’s gone off.  All that’s off will be thrown out when Christ returns!  Persevere in his preservation!

Like a child eating sour lollies, allow the Holy Spirit to help you chew over God’s word to receive the sweetest benefit of the end. Allow faith to be found when Jesus Christ returns. Things are sour now, but sweet salvation is coming.  Like the widow, trust that God our good judge will lead you from the sourness of the sinful self to the sweetness of salvation through the source of holiness, sanctification through Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.