Jer 26:1-9 / Mt 13:54-58
It seems there are a lot of doom-and-gloom people around in these days. Though I suppose there have always been some if you look hard enough. Jeremiah, however, was not one of those in his day, though he was misunderstood as such.
What is the difference? It is a prophet’s heart. Jeremiah was a priest (Jer 1:1) before he was called to be a prophet by the Lord. It was probably his priestly heart that drew him to the prophetic role he took on in Jerusalem. Taking seriously the call to holiness and service of God, he looked around and saw mediocrity in the faith of those around him.
For a man whose heart is set on the Lord, that mediocrity was like a lance through the heart. Jesus apparently felt the same in Nazareth where his own people questioned his ability to speak of God.
Where is your heart? Is your zeal for the house of the Lord, the Church — your zeal for Christ Himself drawing you to cry out for the Lord’s honor? You may be called a doomsayer if you become zealous. You may be called a “nut-case” — even by family and friends you have known your whole life!
But if you take Jeremiah’s and Jesus’ example, and speak not “doom-and-gloom”, but “there are consequences for unholy behavior” — and speak those words from compassion, you can stand with Jeremiah at the judgment and hear Jesus say “well done, good and faithful servant!”
We are called in this day not so much to judge the world as to call it to conversion before it is too late. We may see clearly places and people in need of reform, but God’s desire is for conversion, not just reform. Having a prophet’s heart may not lead everyone to conversion, but it is one of the surest ways to our own conversion.
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