Rev. Don Campbell

Jeremiah 51-52

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, August 24, 2019

“SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE”

God had commissioned Jeremiah to preach not only to Israel, but to all nations: “See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). Jeremiah was faithful to his commission until the day he died. Jeremiah took no delight in prophesying against his own people, which reminds me of Paul’s words to all who would preach and teach God’s word: Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Looking back over Jeremiah’s call and his faithfulness to it, we can see at least three examples Jeremiah leaves for every person who preaches and teaches to follow. One may glean others, but notice the following three things about Jeremiah:
Jeremiah those to whom he spoke: “Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1) It is one thing to love to preach, but quite another to love those to whom we preach.

Jeremiah never compromised the word of God. God told Jeremiah, “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble” (Jeremiah 11:14). Although Jeremiah loved those to whom he preached, he never tried to hide their sins under the cloak of his love.

Jeremiah suffered persecution: “Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD” (Jeremiah 20:1-2). “Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison” (Jeremiah 37:11-15). “So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6).

Those who would speak God’s word must speak it fearlessly with passion and compassion. Anything less is to try to treat sin with a band-aid:

“Everyone’s after the dishonest dollar,
little people and big people alike.
Prophets and priests and everyone in between
twist words and doctor truth.
My people are broken—shattered!—
and they put on Band-Aids,
Saying, ‘It’s not so bad. You’ll be just fine.’
But things are not ‘just fine’!
Do you suppose they are embarrassed
over this outrage?
No, they have no shame.
They don’t even know how to blush.
There’s no hope for them. They’ve hit bottom
and there’s no getting up.
As far as I’m concerned,
they’re finished” (Jeremiah 6:13-14, The Message)

CONNECTIONS

1. Does the behavior of bad cops, bad priests, bad preachers, bad teachers, etc. cause even the good ones to be judged by the world?

2. Can speaking the truth without love can be abusive?