Word to the Wise
Friday, August 3, 2018 - Friday in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 26:1-9 and Matt 13:54-58]When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the Lord bade him speak to all the people, the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying, "You must be put to death." [Jeremiah] "Where did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house." And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith. [Matthew]
Prophecy is risky business. Jeremiah spoke out against the political and religious authorities as well as the way of life of his own society. He was not happy about doing it. In one of his many protests to God he said: The word of the Lord has brought me reproach and derision all day long. I say I will not mention him, I will no longer speak in his name. But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding back, I cannot! It was not only the authorities and society he had to confront, it was the false prophets who were promising prosperity and hope but were really leading the nation into alliances that would bring ruin. Today's passage ends with the people about to seize Jeremiah. There will be more tomorrow.
Jesus' comment about a prophet in his native place and among his own kin reflects the fate of Jeremiah and the other great prophets, including John the Baptist who was beheaded because he confronted Herod about his marriage. In Jesus' case, the people of Nazareth could not accept the possibility that someone they had known since he was a child might be the Messiah! Even his own family thought he was "out of his mind." [Mark 3:21]. In the Gospel According to Luke, we are told that the people ran him out of the town! [Luke 4:29] Ultimately, he would be rejected by the highest authorities in the Jewish community in Jerusalem and turned over to the Romans on false charges of treason.
Jesus' and Jeremiah's fates have been shared by many prophetic figures since their time. It's an intimidating thought! Yet we are all called, each in our own way, to serve our brothers and sisters in a prophetic way. This could include a friend caring enough to intervene in our life when we are behaving in a destructive way (addiction, etc.) to confronting the highest political or religious authority with immoral or illegal conduct on their part. The fates of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Archbishop Oscar Romero are simply examples of a more prominent kind. To be a dedicated Christian means being prophetic. AMEN