thinking bible.

You asked

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

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Jeremiah 29:7

Seek the peace 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, a foreign land. He is advising them on how to live and thrive in their new, challenging circumstances, rather than hoping for a swift return home.

What does seeking the well-being of a community you did not choose, and which might even be hostile, require of you today?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Matthew 5:43-48

    Jesus teaches his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.

  • Romans 12:18

    Paul encourages believers to live peaceably with everyone, as far as it depends on them.

  • Luke 10:25-37

    The parable of the Good Samaritan defines 'neighbor' broadly as anyone in need, regardless of social or ethnic lines.

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