Wednesday 23 March 2011
- Bible Book:
- Jeremiah
"Give heed to me, O Lord, and listen to what my adversaries say! Is evil a recompense for good? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them." (vv. 19-20)
Background
Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet as he speaks of thefailings of the society around him. He is prophet at a verydifficult time in the life of the nation; he witnesses the fall ofJerusalem to the Babylonians and the consequent exile of theleaders of the people. He sees the suffering of the people as aresult of their willingness to take on the ways of the peoplearound them, and many of his prophecies are directed at the leadersof the people. He sees God's hand in these great events ofhistory.
In this passage we have the leaders responding - verse 18 is ashort narrative to make sense of the next prophecy. The leadersconsciously turn deaf ears to Jeremiah and instead listen to others(probably priests) who say something rather easier to hear. Inverse 20 we get a glimpse of the agony it can be to seek to followfaithfully in God's way, and speak out about it, when the norms ofthe society you are in reflect a very different approach to life.The German theologian
So Jeremiah appeals to God for justice for himself. There is almostan innocence in the reaction of the prophet and he almost seemssurprised that the leaders should respond as they do to his tiradeagainst them. But his reaction comes from his knowledge of God as aGod of justice. How can God stand by and see such injustice? Thequestion is one that lives with Christians throughout our lives,and yet it is also a question that finds its answer somewhere inthe coming of God himself, in his Son to live on earth and to facethe consequences.
To Ponder
Is it best to keep quiet as a Christian - turn ablind eye to injustices in the world, to avoid the type of reactionJeremiah gets?
When is it right to seek peace and reconciliationrather than controversy and challenge?