Jeremiah's Trial: A Contemporary Challenge
August 3, 2024 - Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jer 26:11-16, 24
Today's passage from Jeremiah omits a crucial part that is worth bringing to our attention (see Jer 26:17-23). Jeremiah is on trial for prophesying against Jerusalem. The defenders are the princes of Judah, and the prosecutors are the priests and the prophets. The defenders argue in favor of Jeremiah, referencing the case of the prophet Micah. Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, was the first among the prophets to prophesy the destruction of Jerusalem. In the Book of Micah, we read: "Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins" (Micah 3:12).
The princes of Judah argue that despite prophesying against the city, Micah was not put to death by King Hezekiah. Moreover, when the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, Hezekiah turned to the Lord and begged for mercy (see 2 Kings 18-19). Thus, Jeremiah should not be put to death on account of his prophecy against the city.
But the prosecutors cite the case of "Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim" (Jer. 26:20). We have little information about this prophet. According to the Book of Jeremiah, Uriah prophesied against Jerusalem during Jehoiakim's reign (609 to 598 BC). Although he fled to Egypt to save his life, Jehoiakim's reach extended there. He sent his secret police there, "took Uriah from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim". He killed him "and dumped his dead body into the burial place of the common people" (Jer. 26:22-23).
So, the question is: should Jeremiah be sentenced to death like Uriah, or should the king of Judah, the nobles, and the people repent and pray that the city be spared? For us, the answer seems obvious, but it was not obvious to Jeremiah's contemporaries. They believed they were innocent and saw no reason for God's wrath and the prophecy of punishment that would send the nation into exile and destroy Jerusalem and the temple (see Jer. 2:35). Abraham Heschel wrote that our greatest tragedy is the inability to see our sins. "When man cannot see his own sins, no words of a prophet can help him."
As we face the challenges of the atomic age, AI, and ecology, the stakes are even higher. An atomic conflict could extinguish life on earth. Our consumer culture is turning our planet into a garbage dump and exacerbating climate change. Pope Francis highlighted the dangers of AI to humanity in his speech to the G7 leaders in Italy, June 2024.
Advocates of nuclear disarmament and environmentalists today face challenges similar to those of Jeremiah. Some consider them traitors for exposing government and corporate secrets, while others see them as whistleblowers and heroes. Judah's tragedy was that the evolving events proved Jeremiah right. In our case, the stakes are higher. A nuclear war or global ecological disaster would be a price too high for proving our prophets right. Daniel Ellsberg said: "The danger of a nuclear war, which would destroy the civilization we know, is greater than ever. And yet, the public remains largely unaware of the grave risks posed by nuclear weapons." The same can be said about the danger of ecological disaster. Many do not want to be bothered by such news and are reluctant to join those who risk their lives to protect our future.
May the example of Jeremiah and those among us who reveal the possible consequences of our indifference and inaction, and who advocate for a just and sustainable world, inspire us to repentance. May we not be blind to our own sins and the dangers facing our planet, but instead be moved to action in defense of life and creation.