Wednesday of Second Week in Lent
Jer 18:18-20; Mt 20:17-28
Deacon Larry Brockman
I suppose all of us have had it happen to us. We confide something really important and personal to our closest family members or friends, and they just seem to ignore what we say. They move on, and even change the topic.
This is what happened to Jesus in this morning’s Gospel. Jesus tells his closest disciples what is going to happen to him in no uncertain terms: suffering, death on a cross, and resurrection after three days. And what happens next? Jesus is lobbied by two of his disciples Mother for the top places in the Kingdom of God for her sons. You would think these disciples would have shown some concern, some empathy, even some curiosity after hearing what Jesus predicted would happen to him. But instead Matthew tells us they were completely derailed by the request of the two brothers.
Matthew says “When the ten heard this they became indignant at the two brothers”. And Jesus had to set them straight. He tells them such an honor is not his to give. He tells them they must become servants of others just as he had become. He tells them they will drink of the same cup that he will drink. That would mean to me that they were going to have to suffer just like Jesus predicted he would. It would seem that Jesus had returned to his original topic- suffering. But it doesn’t seem to have phased the disciples in the least.
And then there is the story of Jeremiah. Jeremiah prophesied fearlessly in the name of the Lord. It was a prophecy of suffering and exile. It wasn’t what the people wanted to hear- in fact, it ran counter to what the priests and other prophets were saying at the time. So, it was a source of irritation to them. The Israeli society just didn’t want to face the reality of an impending woe. So, the people decided to scheme against Jeremiah; try to get some argument against him using his own words. They planned to throw him into a pit and leave him; and he says as much.
I think Jesus disciples ignored his prophecy of suffering for the same reason the Israelis rejected Jeremiah’s prophesy of suffering and exile. It’s the same reason that most of us avoid talking about pain and suffering. We just don’t want to hear about it, even when it is the truth.
And it is much more certain to be avoided when it is a societal woe rather than an individual one. In many cases, we will show empathy and concern for a loved one who wants to talk about their suffering, like when someone is suffering from a terminal illness; or someone has lost a loved one because it is the others who are suffering, not us.
But it is quite another thing when some woe is predicted on someone that is going to affect us as well. That was the case with the Apostles. Certainly, if all of what Jesus predicted would happen to him came to pass, the Apostles would all be sure to suffer as well. And if the Israeli nation in Jeremiah’s day were conquered and sent into exile; well everyone would be affected and suffer.
It is no different today; prophets of doom are rejected when they speak. Think about some of the modern-day prophecies of doom that all of us are hearing about: climate change; runaway debt; Immigration; moral decay; terrorism; abortion; socialism; you get the point. Which of these are real and which are not?
Real prophets are humble servants, they do not gain from their prophesies. Real prophets speak in the name of God, not in the name of man. The prophesies of real prophets come true, as did all of Jeremiah’s prophecies, as did everything Jesus told his disciples.
The fact is that there are success stories about prophesies of doom that were averted by sincere people.. There are times when prophets have been listened to, and people have responded rather than rejected them. The book of Jonah tells one such success story. The people of Nineveh repented of their sin after Jonah prophesied their doom.
Lent is a time for us to repent and change our way. Part of our Lenten practice should be listening to modern day prophets. They are our collective conscience; they are awakening us to important truths we don’t want to hear.
We can make important changes in our lives that respond to the truth they predict even if the prophecies are inconvenient truths. It’s been done before; and it is done one person at a time.
