7 March 2024
So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. You shall say to them: This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.
From Jeremiah 7:23-28, NRSV
It is understandable that Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as the “weeping prophet”. He was one of a long line of prophets who had been sent to the people of Israel to call them back to God. Their words had fallen on deaf ears with each generation becoming worse than those before. The observance of ritual had become more important than acting justly and caring for those in need. In the difficult days preceding the fall of Jerusalem to the forces of Babylon, God called Jeremiah to go once more to proclaim a stern warning to an audience who would most likely not listen. Even though the outcome was predictable, God was prepared to give the people this one last chance to return to him.
- Why do you think that the people of Israel did not listen to Jeremiah or the prophets who came before him?
- Who are the prophets of our own times – are their voices heard?
In your prayer today, make a conscious effort to listen to what God might want you to hear.
Image – Jeremiah as depicted by Michelangelo from the Cistine Chapel ceiling
