Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

To know the Lord Jesus well we should study the Old Testament. The child Jesus studied the Bible intensely and he knew it intuitively. He was the Word Made Flesh, so when he heard Mary or Joseph or the rabbis read the scriptures he knew instinctively what it meant. The Word of God led the Word made Flesh deeper into the mystery of himself.

Especially when he considered the heroic men and women of the scriptures, the boy Jesus imagined himself as those heroes. He felt the wonder of Adam and Eve and the deep satisfaction of Abel’s sacrifice. He was driven by Abraham’s ferocious love of God; and, like Moses, he gazed on the face of God.

But few heroes fascinated the boy Jesus so much as the prophet Jeremiah. When he heard today’s first reading, Jesus knew the words almost as soon as heard them:

The word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

So Jesus could not be surprised by the incident in Nazareth, for he understood God’s word to Jeremiah:

I have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.

In the United States, reform often happens in the name of the people. Populist politicians claim they are speaking for all the people, the common folk.  They would have you believe that The People are always right.

But God told Jeremiah he would oppose people and priests, princes and kings. And you will be a fortified city, a pillar of iron and a wall of brass against the whole land. The prophet will be like an army of foreigners who have invaded a territory, built an unassailable city and opened for business. The natives might resent the city and its people, but God has sent them and they are here to stay.

The church has often announced the gospel in just that way. In the ninth century Irish missionaries built monasteries across northern Europe. They developed farms, and opened schools. They taught reading, writing, arithmetic, a work ethic – as opposed to continual warfare -- and table etiquette. Eventually they catechized, civilized and stabilized Europe.

Christians are those whose values don’t conform to the culture around them. We bless that which is good; and we condemn that which is evil. In America we support health care for all people because that is a basic human right; we condemn abortion because it’s fundamentally evil; and we work within a capitalist system because, despite its many failings, there is no better system.  

The Bible offers Jeremiah and Jesus as heroes to study and imitate. Jeremiah, especially, may be history’s first individual. He could not run with the crowd. Called from birth, he was different. He saw clearly what should be done but, try as he would, he could not persuade his fellow citizens to trust in the protection and providence of God.

And for his trouble, Jeremiah suffered isolation, misunderstanding and occasional paranoia. He wrote:

Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! a man of strife and contention to all the land! I neither borrow nor lend, yet all curse me. Tell me, Lord, have I not served you for their good? Have I not interceded with you in the time of misfortune and anguish? You know I have.
Remember me, Lord, visit me…. When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, because I bore your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; under the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation. Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? (see Jeremiah 15: 10-20)

The church of Jesus Christ, as individuals and as a whole, will suffer scorn, contempt and ostracism. It’s not supposed to be easy for us. Occasionally we will be tempted, as every individual is tempted, to paranoia, especially when we forget the goodness and beauty of our God.

Young disciples of Jesus today will remain chaste until marriage; they will study hard in preparation for a life of service, and they’ll be rooted in the traditions of our faith. Ignorance of our Catholic religion is not bliss; it’s just stupid. They will not smoke, will drink only in moderation on rare occasions -- if at all – and will keep a wary eye on the entertainment industry. Why? Because

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

Senior citizens will honor the courage of young people because they know how difficult it is to be Christian. They will practice a willing spirit, rather than a willful one, because a person cannot be human without obedience. They will surrender their independent life style when the time comes for they have a home in eternity.  Why? because they love the Lord with their whole heart and soul and mind and strength.

Adults will assume the heavy burdens of leadership for their children and their aging parents, and responsibility for the world in which we live. These are unappreciated burdens and they will not expect thanks. Why? because “when I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart, because I bore your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”

Life does not get easier. Have you noticed that? It is always an adventure and the disciple of Jesus Christ – who was a disciple of Jeremiah -- is nothing if not courageous.