Breaking Open the Word

 
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Hebrews 12:1-4
Luke 12:49-53
 
It has been a while since we have written about Jeremiah, one of my favorite prophets, so I want to first refresh our memories on just who Jeremiah is. Scripture scholars have put together a picture of what they believe Jeremiah was like and what he went through as a prophet for the Lord. Prophets are not usually welcomed by anyone because they would tell it like they saw the world and what the Lord had put on their hearts. Most of the time the people did not want to hear what the prophet was saying and they tried to shut them up.
 
It is often said that Jeremiah lived in the best of times and the worst of times. By that it is meant that times were changing and he lived when things went well, when Judah was at peace and harmony prevailed throughout the land. He also lived at the worst of times, especially when they were captives of the Babylonians and were exiled form their home land.
 
Jeremiah was born into a priestly family and was called at an early age to be a prophet. During the forty or so years he was a prophet for the Lord, he went through one religious reformation, three wars, three exiles and five Davidic Kings. Behind Jesus and Paul, we know more about Jeremiah than anyone else is scripture.
 
Jeremiah heard the call from the Lord while he was fairly young, and like most prophets he did not want to accept the call given him by the Lord. His excuses were that he was too young, did not know what to speak or where he was to go to. The Lord told him that he would take care of all of those things and that he was not to worry because He would be there by his side. In Jeremiah 1:10 the Lord gives Jeremiah a very specific charge; “…. To root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.”
 
It is no wonder then that Jeremiah was so hated by his own people, and even his family. When you stand up and point out the wrong people are doing, you will automatically have enemies all around you. When you oppose the King and the Princes of the time, you set yourself up to be locked up, thrown into an empty cistern or put in stocks in front of the people. These were just some of the many things Jeremiah had to endure as a prophet.
 
Todays scripture captures one of those times when Jeremiah tried to counsel the people to leave the city before the king of Babylon came and took them all away. He said their lives would be spared if they did not resist and left the city on their own. What a scandal that caused, what treason they saw in Jeremiah when he tried to warn of the pending troubles they were about to have.
 
The Princes, who had control over the armies, were angry and knew that if Jeremiah had persuaded the people, they would lose control and their influence. That is the very reason why they went to the King and said that Jeremiah should be killed. Zedekiah was influenced by the princes, but said that his life should be spared, so into the empty cistern he went. It was a foreigner, not one of their own, not one of Jeremiah’s priestly family, who convinced the King that he should be spared and pulled out of the well.
 
Our reading from Hebrews is part of a much larger section that extends back into chapter 10:32. That section is called “The Power of Faith,” and it goes all the way to chapter 12:29. We hear only a small little piece today from Chapter 12:11-4.
 
The major part of this exhortation is where the author is giving examples of the ancients and that we should be following their examples. When the author uses the phrase “…are surrounded by this cloud of witnesses…” he is referencing all of those in the past, especially the prophets in the Old Testament. As the writer moves away from the examples, they then switch to exhortations and use metaphors to help us understand the points they are making, that Jesus is the perfect model for us to follow.
 
Luke gives us a strange sounding gospel today, or at least at first glance it seems that way. However, when we understand that the image of fire has multiple meanings to both Jewish and Christian believers and that it does not necessarily mean that it will destroy and consume what is in its path.
 
Fire is also used for purification, the image of fire is used at Pentecost, and the Exodus out of Egypt had the Lord leading the people in a pillar of fire. Jesus wants us to be on fire, to be bold in proclaiming the Good News, and to be purified in all of our actions.
 
Jesus mentions baptism, and most of us think of the sprinkling of water we pour over a baby’s head during the Rite of Baptism. This is not what Jesus is referencing. He is referring to being fully immersed, or plunging deeply into something. To put our whole heart and soul into what we are called to be doing for the Lord.
 
Finally, the images he uses of the families being divided against one another is meant for us to reflect the choices we have to make in our lives. Do we choose what is easy, or do we choose what is right? Do we choose what everyone else does or do we go in a different direction and seek out those who need us?
 
We are called to be fully immersed into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and to follow Him at all times.