In this chapter Jeremiah continues to prophesy of Judah’s capture / destruction by Babylon, and the king imprisons him.
“King Zedekiah sent for him and received him [from prison]. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’ Jeremiah said, ‘There is… You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon… What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, “The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land”? …please, O my lord the king… do not send me back to [prison] lest I die there.’ So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard.” (v17-21a abr)
Jeremiah is imprisoned as a traitor / defector, as if he is in league with the Chaldeans / Babylonians; yet his only crime is obeying God and doing as He asks. Jesus promises that when we take up our crosses and follow Him, there will be opposition, discomfort, and struggle.
Following Jesus is technically a ‘sacrifice’; we must forgo many worldly pleasures that would lead us away from God, and we may also sacrifice physical freedom / comfort (Paul was imprisoned many times / years). Yet, these sacrifices do not cost us anything of eternal value; in fact, it’s the opposite: God protects our spirits and reserves an eternal place for us in Heaven.
No matter what our sacrifice for Jesus looks like (it will differ from person to person), it is more than worth it. The best part is obeying God usually has a positive eternal impact on others as well, so a brief discomfort in this world is certainly worth it.
Breaking with tradition a little bit, I will close with a Franciscan blessing, which seems very fitting today:
May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain to joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training