Jer. 1:1-10
1 Cor. 3:11-23
Mark 3:31--4:9
Jer. 1:1-10
1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3It came also in the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”
9Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
On this second Sunday in Lent we are introduced to Jeremiah in the daily readings. Jeremiah was prophet to Israel during the final years before the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of Israel to Babylon around 587 BCE. Josiah was king of Israel around 640 and Jehoiakim reigned for a year (598). He was succeeded by Zedekiah, who was ruler when Jerusalem fell to the forces from the east.
Today’s reading focuses on the call of Jeremiah. God tells him “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” This is a pretty powerful statement. Jeremiah is not the only person singled out in this way. Isaiah uses the same imagery in 49:1 and 5 as applied to God’s servant (Israel).
Michaelangelo’s image of Jeremiah from the Sistine Chapel shows him brooding and that is the image most of us have of this prophet, better known for his Lamentations and prophecies of doom. Yet, he was simply living out the call of God in his life. Strange as it seems, God loved him enough to give him the honor of calling Israel to account and warn them of the coming upheaval to their way of life.It also applies to each of us. The Lord knows each of us so intimately that even before we were born, God loved us. We may not be called to prophecy about the destruction of a nation like Jeremiah did, but we have a call from God that we must not ignore. We often think that God will call us to something we won’t like or aren’t prepared to do. I have a friend who jokingly says “Not Calcutta” when talking about what God might call her to. In truth, however, God gives us everything we need to fulfill our call. He tells Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth… I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Years ago I heard a retired bishop speak to a group of Daughters of the King (an order for women in the Episcopal Church). His words apply to us, whether members of that Order or even if we are female or male.
He said, “A Daughter of the King [Child of God] must be a Princess, one of royal blood, entitled to honors and privileges of royalty, and owes her devotion and loyalty to the King. A Daughter of the King is an integral part of the Royal Family of God, and the claim to this position entails service and devotion…If a Daughter is disloyal, she is departing from the heritage of the Royal Family of God.”
Jeremiah was loyal to the ministry God gave him. The call is not to destruction, but to offer a choice to Israel. Jeremiah lived out his mission by repeatedly calling the king and nation to change their ways.
Does it change your way of thinking about yourself knowing that God has indeed chosen you before birth for love and loyalty (which God did)? Is there some word you are being urged to share?
For your journal: What comes to mind when you think of a royal family? List some of the duties a Princess or Prince might be required to fulfill.
Do you think of yourself as a member of the Royal family of God? List some of the obligations a member of God’s [royal] household has.
