3 August 2020

The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah,
‘Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you,
and you made this people trust in a lie.’
From Jeremiah 28: 1-17

The short extract chosen for today comes towards the end of the Reading and describes part of the final confrontation between Jeremiah and Hanahiah who was probably a kind and good man – but had, actually, appointed himself a prophet. In another of the strange things that God asked of Jeremiah, Jeremiah was carrying a yoke to symbolised the oppressions facing the people. Hananiah broke the yoke and said that people should not worry as the Lord would break the yoke imposed by the Babylonians. Jeremiah saw through this and challenged Hananiah. It was not just that he was saying what he knew was popular and what the people wanted to hear but that, through him, people had come to trust what was false. 

• • Why do people sometimes prefer to believe what makes them feel comfortable?
  • Is it kinder to tell people what they want to hear – or to be explicit about the challenges that could be coming their way? 

Think today about your own attitude to modern-day prophets. What are the truths that you would rather avoid? And what lies or dishonesties is it sometimes easier just to accept or ignore?