The Heart of an Unpopular Prophet

Jeremiah 8:18-22

My grief is beyond healing;

    my heart is broken.

Listen to the weeping of my people;

    it can be heard all across the land.

“Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem?” the people ask.

    “Is her King no longer there?”

“Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols

    and their worthless foreign gods?” says the Lord.

“The harvest is finished,

    and the summer is gone,” the people cry,

    “yet we are not saved!”

 I hurt with the hurt of my people.

    I mourn and am overcome with grief.

 Is there no medicine in Gilead?

    Is there no physician there?

Why is there no healing

    for the wounds of my people?

Jeremiah (not the bullfrog 😊) was a prophet in Judah during the last four decades of Judah’s history before the Babylonians destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of the peoples there to all over the known world.  He was viewed as a traitor in his own day even though he was an eloquent communicator of the ways in which God’s providential love would eventually bring restoration to His people.  However, much of the prophet’s speech is fairly harsh, which is why he was so often dismissed. 

This is a common reaction to prophetic speech.  Prophets are not afraid to call us out or even condemn us in the face of our ignoring justice.  They are often regarded as angry and self-righteous men and/or women.  But today’s passage shows us the prophet’s heart; “I hurt with the hurt of my people.”  Jeremiah calls out his own people because he loves them and knows they can do better.  It breaks his heart that his people have abandoned their faith for idols.  He longs for their healing.

What are the voices who we try to dismiss or ignore today – voices crying out for justice who we wish would just be quiet?  Could it be that some of those seemingly angry voices come from hearts that “hurt with the hurt of their people?”  Could it be that they are longing for nothing more than healing of the injustice they have seen?  Too often, we will never know because we are not listening closely enough.  Work hard at listening, even when it’s uncomfortable. 

As we work through the prophets, one pattern that will be seen is that when the prophets were ignored, there were consequences.  The same is true in our own day.  Ignoring calls for justice will lead to our ultimate downfall.  However, another even stronger theme in the prophets is that God wants to restore his people, but they have to be willing to listen and respond. 

Question:  What are the current prophetic calls for justice born of a broken heart for the suffering people?

Prayer:  Lord, help us listen to you speaking through modern-day cries for justice. Amen

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the victims of injustice that you are aware of today.

Song:  Steve Camp – Do You Feel Their Pain?