"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth. But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Then the Lord put out his hand, touching my mouth; and the Lord said to me, See, I have put my words in your mouth."
Jeremiah
I get a kick out of signs posted at some of local churches in our area. There's one on Main Street which reads: "God does not guarantee you a pleasant flight, only a safe landing." Readings from scripture seem to confirm this particular expression, especially if we take the time to reflect on the life of the prophets of the Old Testament and what they had to endure. The prophet Jeremiah is a fine illustration of this.
There seemed to be a strange kind of love-hate relationship between the Israelite people and their prophets. Many folk among the "chosen ones" would have been happy to see the prophets silenced as they saw them interfering with their comfortable lifestyle. Other folk feared the prophets and would not harm them, but neither would they follow their advice for fear of reprisal. But others heard the concerns that were expressed, and agreed with their message, although not publicly sharing it themselves.
Jeremiah ran into all of these types of people. He had the most difficulty with those who opposed his message and just wanted him to go away.
The book of Jeremiah is the longest in the Bible. It was written during a time of radical change in Israel. Jeremiah was first called to ministry around 627 BC, a time when Israel's enemy, Assyria, was declining in power, but a more powerful enemy was beginning to make its presence felt. This was the Babylonians. Jeremiah's message was not popular because it included the tearing up, the knocking down, the destroying of his country and the withdrawal of the people into foreign hands.
Jeremiah's message was to interpret the purpose of these tragic events, and to show the meaning for what was to happen so that the people would not only survive but come out renewed and stronger than before. Jeremiah would have seen these events as God's way of purifying a nation whose structures and institutions had fallen away from God's plan for them.
Jeremiah's calling is reminiscent of any person's calling. It contained the expressions, experiences, and longings of any vocational call that we would experience today.
"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you". Jeremiah experienced his life's vocation as one completely absorbed by God, not only during his lifetime, but even before he was born. To be known by God is to be united to God in fulfilling His purpose. To be known by God is to experience being loved, wanted, and called into a personal relationship with Him. This forges the motivation to be faithful despite the opposition that may be encountered.
"Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." Common to any call is an admission of one's unworthiness, one's weakness, but an acknowledgement that the power of Grace is revealed through human weakness and not by human strength and power. A reliance is placed on the strength that exists beyond "self".
"Do not say, 'I am too young." Do not be afraid, I am with You." Like all who are called, Jeremiah admits that he is not fit for the task, but received the reassuring words in his heart that he is not alone. The willingness and courage to respond is based on a deeply centered relationship of love with the One that we know and trust, the one who will be with us to provide that safe landing.
"See, I have put my words in your mouth". It's as if the wisdom that is revealed, the message to be conveyed comes from a source other than ourselves. It is, on one hand, a source of great joy because it comes from an attitude of submission and surrender of the One who loves us abundantly, but it comes with some tribulation as it is a word that people may not always want to hear.
Within every vocational call there is the element of risk, risk of failure, risk of rejection, risk of being wrong, risk of external loss, but something much stronger than the fear of risk, draws one on.
So these are the circumstances under which Jeremiah finds himself as he responds to his vocational call. These are the circumstances that we all experience as we hear the Lord calling us. There is no guarantee of a pleasant flight, only a safe landing.
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