Jeremiah 20:10-13… I strongly recommend reading Jeremiah 20, beginning at verse One, in order to get a greater context of what’s happening. This standalone reading (vs 10-13) doesn’t do justice to just how much Jeremiah, prophet of God, absolutely loves God, and loves serving God.
Briefly, Jeremiah has just orally prophesied to the Priest of the Temple for that year, Pashur, that he and all of Judah will be conquered by Babylon. Anyone who lives through the attack and the overtaking (Pashur & family, etc.) will be taken captive back to Babylon. Adding injury to insult, Pashur and his retinue will also ‘die’ and be buried in Babylon, far away from the land of promise, the land of The Almighty.
Chapter 20 is a far cry away from the more hopeful Chapter 1 Verse 4 where God proclaims over Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you! I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ‘THIS’, by the way, is ‘my Numero Uno’ favorite scripture. I like the idea that God has a plan for me that I may only now, be beginning to realize.
Jeremiah loves God so much, and also loves prophesying for God so much, that he doesn’t realize until too late that God’s purposeful maneuvering has brought Jeremiah into a very life-threatening situation. Even still, Obedience to God’s Love consumes Jeremiah so that his one & only request of God, is to see the destruction of his enemies… Revenge?
As a young man in my 20s, I was at my grandmother’s house complaining about my job and the mistreatment by my boss. I must’ve said something about revenge because my Nanny corrected me by saying: “Don’t pray for revenge. It’s enough just knowing that God is watching.” She went on to say “I (she) has had to watch the destruction of most of her enemies. Attitudes of ‘deserved justice’, quickly turn into compassion for the affected, when you are made to witness what cost God can extract to protect His beloved.” ***This is exactly what happened to Jeremiah!
***Today’s Psalm has a similar ring to it: Psalm 69:8-14, 17, 33-35…“Lord, in your great love, answer me…For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s children. Because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me. Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
Reading 2, Romans 5:12-15… It has only been in recent years that I could appreciate this scripture for the difference between the first part (Adam) and the second (Jesus). “Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men, in so much as all sinned… For up to the time of the law, sin was in the world.” ***And then we hear, “But the gift is not like the transgression.For if by the transgression of the one, many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow for the many.”
***Jesus’ life and death as payment for Adam’s life and death, to me, sounds like ‘an eye for an eye’…Accounting. But, Jesus came into the world to change that, right? **So, this is what I think is being said. If Adam, a mere mortal, can doom all of mankind by his senseless irresponsibility… Than how much more VALUABLE is the action & sacrifice of Jesus, who is The Christ, GOD.!! One for One is a net Zero. The significance, therefore, the meaning, hinges on the “Value” of God’s gifts -vs- our transgressions. ***BOOM – DONE!!
Today’s Gospel, Matt 10:26-33… Is very familiar. We hear about counting the hairs on your head (sorry bald guys😊), Sparrows being sold for 2 coins, etc., and God’s knowledge of all of it! I want to focus on the first couple of lines. “Jesus said to the Twelve: “Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light. What you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. *And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”’
Becoming a contributor for ACM was my personal second step toward “Preaching from the roof tops.” My first step was being part of my Charismatic Prayer Group in Louisville, KY.! Yet preaching is not that hard for anyone to do. Don’t we readily preach about how wonderful our children are? How about those grandkids, They’re GREEEAT! Sorry, Tony the Tiger. **We ‘preach’ about everything and anything that we love and mostly are comfortable with. Hmmm, could this be the very reason we don’t preach about our faith life?? We’re not comfortable? I surely hope not.!
As a cradle Catholic, I’ll admit to previously being most guilty of that last statement. Life, or Satan’s intrusion into it, seems to be designed to keep us so busy, that time with God becomes “Just one more thing” that I have to do. And God knows, I don’t need any more things to do. Now, how will I intentionally ‘embrace’ Jesus? Today? **Remember ‘WWJD’? It’s still valid today. Jesus was never in a hurry -or- overwhelmed. As God, Jesus already knew how wonderful the Blessed Trinity was, and would comfortably, energetically proclaim it!
That brings me back to the very first line, “Fear No one!” I want to go out on a limb and say that if you are reading this reflection, You Love God.!! So, with God on our side, why should we fear embarrassment, opposition or even evil? We shouldn’t.
On this Father’s Day let’s slow down and spend time with the Father of you, me, and of all Creation… My ABBA, my daddy!!
JOY- JOY- JOY!! Thank you for your time, Bro. BLU, aka: Mark Gates
