8 Stations toward the Humility to See

"For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are."
—C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew chapter X on Uncle Andrew's misperception

Jeremiah 32, Psalm 32, and Acts 9 are replete with words about seeing and showing — those with eyes to apprehend — that perspicacity requires humility, for the proud regard only the proud. Here is an inter-textual responsive reading weaving together excerpts from these three passages in eight thematic sections largely following the narrative arc of Jeremiah. Lectionary aficionados will recognize these chapters from the Year C Easter 3 readings.

I'm using the Lexham English Bible (LEB, by Logos 2012) for the Old Testament texts, and the New Testament for Everyone (NTFE, by Nicholas Thomas Wright 2019) for Acts. I've edited three verses in the Jeremiah text as follows: using "your cousin" in verse 6, using the ESV's vessel instead of LEB's jar in verse 14, and using the Hebrew Adam in verse 19 (as well as in Psalm 33.13).

A lector could read Jeremiah, women the psalm, and men Acts.

I: God Wants a Vessel

Jeremiah 32
6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 7 ‘Look, [your cousin] is going to come to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field . . . for you have the right of redemption to buy it.”’ . . . 9 And I bought the field . . . 14 ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds . . . and you must put them in an earthenware vessel so that they may be kept preserved many days.” 15 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’

Acts 9
13 “Well, Lord,” replied Ananias, “I’ve heard about this man from several people . . . all about how he’s done wicked things to your holy people in Jerusalem . . . 14 and now he’s come here with authority from the chief priests to tie up everybody who calls on your Name!”
15 “Just go,” replied the Lord. “He is a chosen vessel for me, to carry my Name before nations and kings—and the children of Israel, too.”

II: God Gives Self-Sacrificial Devotion

Jeremiah 32
17 ‘Ah Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you, 18a showing loyal love to the thousands, and repaying the guilt of parents into the laps of their children after them.'

Psalm 33
5 He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loyal love of Yahweh.

III: God Sees Adam’s Children

Jeremiah 32
18b 'Powerful, great, mighty, his name is Yahweh of hosts, 19 great in counsel and great in deed, whose eyes are opened to all the ways of the children of Adam, to give to each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds, 20 who accomplished signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.'

Psalm 33
13 From heaven Yahweh looks; he sees all the children of Adam.
14 From his dwelling place he gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions altogether their heart, he who understands all their works.

IV: God Sees Humanity’s Evil

Jeremiah 32
30 "For the people of Israel and the people of Judah were doing only evil in my eyes . . . so I will remove it from my sight . . . 33 And they have turned to me their backs and not their faces . . . 35 And they built the high places of Baal . . . to present as offerings their sons and their daughters to Molech.”

Acts 9
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out threats and murder on the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and requested from him official letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that he could find people who belonged to the Way, men and women alike, tie them up and bring them back to Jerusalem.
3 While he was on the journey, and was getting near to Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice speaking to him.
“Saul, Saul!” said the voice. “Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” he asked.
“I am Jesus,” he said, “and you are persecuting me."

V: God Humbles Those Who Think They Can See

Jeremiah 32
24 Look, the siege ramps have come up to the city to capture it, and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, because of the sword, the famine, and the plague, and what you spoke happened, and look, you are seeing it.

Acts 9
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he couldn’t see anything. So they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 9 He went for three days, still unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.

VI: God Redeems So People May See

Jeremiah 32
25 Yet you have said to me, Lord Yahweh, “Buy for yourself the field with the money, and call witnesses as witness,” though the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’” . . . 37 Look, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell in safety. 38 And they will be for me a people, and I will be for them God.

Acts 9
6 "But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

VII: God Eyes Those Who Fear Him

Jeremiah 32
39 And I will give to them one heart and one way, to revere me forever, for good to them, and to their children after them. 40 And I will make with them an everlasting covenant that I will not turn away from them, my doing good to them, and my reverence I will put in their hearts so that they will not turn aside from me.

Psalm 33
8 Let all the earth fear Yahweh. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
18 Behold, the eye of Yahweh is on those who fear him, on those who hope for his loyal love
19 to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.

VIII: God Gives Hopeful Sight to the Humble

Jeremiah 32
41 "And I will rejoice over them to do good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness with all my heart, and with all my inner self. . . . 43 And the fields will be bought in this land . . ."

Psalm 33
20 Our soul waits for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield.
21 For in him our heart rejoices because in his holy name we trust.
22 Let your loyal love, O Yahweh, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Acts 9
17 So Ananias set off, went into the house, and laid his hands on him: “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord has sent me—yes, Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—so that you may be able to see again, and receive the Holy Spirit.” 18 At once something like scales fell off his eyes, and he was able to see. He got up and was baptized. 19 He had something to eat, and regained his strength.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Only the humble can see Jesus because He is humble.