Speaking God’s truth can be challenging!
When the prophet Jeremiah tells King Zedekiah that his city
will be captured, Zedekiah is at a loss; in his weakness, he allows Jeremiah to be thrown into a cistern filled with mud. But as the psalmist sings in Psalm 40,
God comes to the aid of those who are
afflicted: He drew me out of the pit of destruction, out
of the mud of the swamp, he says. The prophet’s voice is meant to clarify people’s vision; when God comes to the aid of his spokesperson, God
also puts a new song into the mouth
of that individual who has waited, waited
patiently for the Lord, that he might continue to give voice to God’s
truth.
Jesus, too, came to clarify our vision, and to purify our
hearts: I have come to set the earth on fire, he announces to his disciples
in Luke’s Gospel, and how I wish it were
already blazing! Knowing he must
suffer for the truth, Jesus also knows that only his death can take away the
stain of sin, and that truth will cause division
among those who encounter his teachings.
The job of those who espouse Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom – and our job as well – is to let our very lives proclaim our belief in salvation,
living our faith profoundly even in the face of difficulty, allowing the love
of God to work in us, doing what God’s love demands of us. It is a difficult task, as the Letter to the Hebrews makes clear: we must persevere in running the race that lies
before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, who for our sake endured the cross.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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