Because of your numerous sins, I have punished you cruelly. But listen, I will restore the tents of Jacob, for I am your God, and you are my people. Does God punish us for our sins? The impression we get from the First Reading for today is that God does indeed punish. Speaking to Jeremiah, the Lord, in a rather “reconciliatory” tone, sends him to the people to explain to them their situation (in case they had still not figured it out yet): “Your situation is more serious than you people imagine,” says the Lord, “For that from which you are suffering is incurable if you do not make a resolve to change. If I leave you on your own, you will surely die for it is only me who has the antidote. And I want you to know that I (allowed) this to happen. I did this to you because you didn’t listen to me, choosing to live in your sin. But I have come to put an end to this.”
God never punishes God’s creation. God’s will is that all may have life and have it to the full. Moreover, it is for the attainment of this goal that God has issued commandments and statutes. Consequently, those who choose to abide by God’s commandments have chosen life, and those who have chosen to disregard God’s laws bring upon themselves death (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-20). The people whom God was addressing through the prophet had chosen to disregard the commands of God, and by so doing, had chosen death over life. By their own actions, they had brought upon themselves punishment (chastisement). In their disobedience, they had set themselves on the path to self-destruction. But God could not allow them to continue on this path that they had set for themselves. God did not want to be seen as the source of their punishment. Despite the people’s stubbornness, God decided to step in and save the community from self-destruction. God was going to give them another shot at life. For God is a creator, not an annihilator. He is a restorer, not a destroyer.