You asked

how does this command to 'seek the peace of the city' resonate with jesus's teachings on loving neighbors?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Jeremiah 29:7

“Seek the shalom of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its shalom you will have shalom.”

The prophet Jeremiah writes this letter to the Jewish exiles who have been forcibly taken to Babylon. Far from their homeland, they are understandably disoriented and seeking guidance. Jeremiah's message urges them not to resist or rebel, but to settle down and contribute to the well-being of their foreign city, because their own welfare is tied to it.

How might seeking the well-being of a community, even one you didn't choose, transform your own sense of belonging and peace?

Then — the setting

Jeremiah's letter was sent to the first wave of exiles deported to Babylon in 597 BCE, a decade before Jerusalem's final destruction. These exiles were a mix of the educated and skilled, precisely the ones who might foment rebellion. Jeremiah's message, counter-intuitive to many who hoped for a swift return, was a radical call to long-term engagement and contribution to their foreign context. It challenged the common assumption that God's blessing was tied solely to the land of Israel.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, particularly here in Jeremiah, the focus is on the well-being of the 'city' (Babylon), an external, even antagonistic, political entity. The command to 'seek its peace' is an instruction to an entire community of exiles. The New Testament, specifically Jesus's teachings, expands this concept of neighborly love beyond ethnic or national boundaries to include personal adversaries and strangers, as seen in the parable of the Good Samaritan. While Jeremiah's command is about a collective's engagement with a governing authority for mutual benefit, Jesus's teaching personalizes the call to compassion for any individual in need, regardless of relationship or shared identity, ultimately aiming for individual and societal transformation through love.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Matthew 22:39
Jesus teaches that loving your neighbor as yourself is the second great commandment.
Luke 10:29-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan expands the definition of 'neighbor' to include those traditionally considered outsiders or enemies.
Romans 12:18
Paul encourages believers to live peaceably with everyone, echoing the call to seek peace within a community.

Ask your own follow-up