Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse[a] among all the nations of the earth.’”
Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”
Jeremiah 26:4-6; 16
Don’t shoot the messenger.
In the 26th chapter of Jeremiah, the prophet brought bad news to the priests, prophets, and people of Judah. He said at one point: “If you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.”
Throughout Scripture and through the prophets, God kept calling Her people back to justice and worship. However, the people kept going their own sinful, selfish ways. Sometimes, the people listened and turned back to God. More often, though, they kept on doing what they were doing, to their own ruin. They ignored the calls to feed the poor, take care of widows and orphans, worship God in community, and be a beacon of justice.
Among these prophets, Jeremiah was a special case. This prophet often spoke harsh words for a harsh time. His prophetic words were never popular, and he often was the victim of the receiver’s wrath. Perhaps Sophocles knew of Jeremiah’s plight when he wrote in the play Antigone, “For no man delights in the bearer of bad news.”
Time and time again, Jeremiah was at the point of the spear. However, in this passage, those receiving the news had a different take. Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” They realized that even though they didn’t like the words coming from the Lord through Jeremiah’s mouth, they shouldn’t shoot the messenger.
No one likes to point out repentance, particularly when it can be difficult. We often observe situations and feel compelled to say something but fear retribution. We may not be at the business end of the temple guard’s sword, but it can feel like a dangerous situation where we could lose friendships, have doors slammed in our face, and be shunned.
When injustice takes place, silence is not an option. When a person’s freedom is being stolen, sitting by idly by cannot be the answer. When the power structure is being inequitable, people of good conscious must do what is right to bring equity. Easier said than done, for sure. But perhaps we have been called to be at the point of a spear in our own lives.
What is the unpopular message that is weighing on your mind? To what temple courts are you being called? How are you being summoned to be the messenger?
Let us pray
Lord, you know that change starts with the heart; please open the hearts of many so that we may see people the way you see people -- that we may love people the way you love people. Help us to acknowledge wrongs, give us clear minds and hearts to decipher the truth behind injustice. May we look at every circumstance through your lens Lord, a lens of truth, love, grace, and mercy. In your name Jesus, amen.
Comments