The Cost of Truth: Lessons from Jeremiah
July 31, 2024 - Wednesday, Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Jer 15:10, 16-21
When Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry, he was not aware of what was in store for him. Today, we get a glimpse of what he had to endure. He was a living parable of the impending fate of Judah and Jerusalem—a lonely man, without a family, uprooted from his homeland. "Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! A man of strife and contention to all the land! I neither borrow nor lend, yet all curse me" (Jer. 15:10).
Abraham Heschel said that the prophets of Israel had two opponents: "the callous-insensitive heart of a man and the established authority." Nothing has changed since then. We have advanced in science and technology, we go to the moon and explore distant galaxies, but our hearts remain sick. And our authorities, like in the times of Jeremiah, have at their disposal a group of false prophets, a propaganda machine that presents falsehood as truth and prevents truth from being heard.
But the biblical prophets had to face another challenge: loneliness and suffering. Heschel wrote: "To be a prophet means to be different and ready to suffer. His mission is often distasteful to him and repugnant to others. No reward is promised." Jeremiah did not join parties. He sat alone and felt the pain of God's punishment. The one who loved his people, Jerusalem, and the temple so much was obliged to preach a message of disaster, which made him an enemy of everyone.
Jeremiah, like many of us, was torn in two directions. On the one hand, God's words brought him joy, but on the other hand, he was tempted to give up his vocation and mission. To be an enemy of the people you love on account of God's message is a personal tragedy. In Jeremiah's case, things got so bad that the people not only cursed him but also wanted to kill him. Jeremiah's predicament reminds me of Jesus' words to his followers: "You will be hated by all for My name’s sake" (Matt. 10:22).
At this moment, Jeremiah's decision mirrored the decision the entire nation was facing: return to the Lord or stray away from the Lord. What the Lord was telling Jeremiah was also directed to His people: "If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand; (...) I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent" (Jer. 15:19, 21). The Lord was planning to do the same with the entire nation, but unlike Jeremiah, they decided not to repent.
Today, we are also facing a similar decision. Many of us have embraced the comfort of a materialistic society. We do not want to challenge "the callous-insensitive heart of a man and the established authority." Why should we be disliked by everyone? But there are some among our Jewish brothers and sisters and among Christ's followers who delight in God's words and risk their lives to tell us that unless we repent, we are going to bring disaster upon ourselves.