In today’s Scripture readings, Jer 28: 1-7, the phophet Hannaih
prophesizes that that the Lord “will
break the yoke of the king of Babylon” and that within two years the vessels of
the Temple will be restored and that the people will be returned from exile in
Babylon. His prophesy is false. Yes,
eventually the people will return from exile and the Temple of Jerusalem will
be restored, but not in the time frame Hanniah gives. In efforts to win the people’s favor and be
popular among them he gives a false message that is not from the Lord. He
raised false hopes, causing much pain among the people.
Am I like Hanniah, providing false promises, painting rosy pictures, when, in the immediate
future, there really is none. Am I lying
in order to avoid coming into disfavor
with those who do not want to hear the truth,
especially when times are difficult,
even treacherous, dangerous and extremely unpleasant and there is more of the
same on the horizon unless hard choices are made? Or, am I, like the prophet Jeremiah who speaks
the truth, even though the consequences of doing so were anything but pleasant. In fact, some
people wanted Jeremiah put to death.
Let us pray, with the psalmist of today’s responsorial
psalm: “Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. Take
not the word of truth from my mouth, for in your ordinances is my hope” (Ps.
119).
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