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April 8, 2022Jeremiah hears his countrymen, even his friends, plan to denounce him for "treason". Jesus sees his countrymen pick up stones to kill Him for "blasphemy". Both threats pass for now, but both come to pass in due time.
Our Lord is threatened by an unholy act -- in a holy place, on a holy feast, despite His holy works. There's something tragic in our fallen human nature, that we would rather drive him away, "back across the Jordan," because we trust more in our interpretation of God's words than in the performance of God's works. Some came to believe, but not others, as He told them things they did not want to hear that He gives life, that He is one with the Father.
How would you handle accusations of treason from your own friends? Freshly released from public shaming at the stocks, Jeremiah makes no secret of his feelings: "You seduced me, O Lord, and I let myself be seduced," and within a few verses he denounces his own birth! Yet faith remains; beaten, betrayed, and humiliated, Jeremiah interrupts the lament to call on the listener to praise God for rescuing him. During genuine anguish, the faithful spirit praises God and calls on others to join the hymn.
