Jeremiah in the stocks

Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His Name. But His Word was in my heart as a burning fire within my bones, and I was tired of forbearing, and I could not stop myself. Jeremiah 20.9

If there was a text that has spoken to me the most in the past few weeks, I think this would be it. In the last six months or so, I’ve been going through something of a barren period in my Christian faith. The first time I visited this Church, it was as a trainee Minister. We were here for a training session. The excitement of a future life (and career, not that we would use that word) in God’s service was palpable within my heart - I couldn’t wait to see what exciting things God had in store for me. About a year later, it was my pleasure to be assigned to Lindsey as her placement student at Hamilton and Righead for the year. Again, things were exciting, the future looked bright (to misquote the old Orange mobile phone adverts).

Unfortunately the bright future was not to last, and before long I found myself no longer training to be a Minister, living hundreds of miles away from family and friends and, to top it off, my wife’s Dad died shortly afterwards, adding to the misery. To be quite honest with you, the thought of continuing to preach did not fill me with great joy. The thought of continuing to do anything didn’t fill me with great joy either. Preaching, something that for years had been a source of joy and purpose in my life, had lost its lustre. I worried that I’d never preach again.

I tell you this not to elicit sympathy, but to serve as a comparison to poor Jeremiah.

As we can read at the beginning of chapter 20: Now Pashur, the son of Immer the priest… heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin. Jeremiah 20.1

Jeremiah had just preached another Temple Sermon, and it was not one set to make him any friends. In it, Jeremiah preached: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear My words. Jeremiah 19.15

“The evil that I have pronounced against it” likely means the promises made in 19.3-9 and more generally the many prophesies and promises given in chapters 11-13. These prophesies, however, were given in select company, to only a few individuals. In vv. 14 and 15, however, Jeremiah repeats the warning to the whole assembled people - more than just the elite few who had heard the promises and not acted on them. No wonder Pashur was cross - not only had Jeremiah spoken these words, including a veiled threat against him and his family, but he’d also declared them publicly. Pashur would have known that he, and the rest of the elite, should have acted on them sooner, but their inaction led to Jeremiah ‘going public’. A modern day example may be when people go to the newspapers with a story that should have been dealt with sooner by an individual or company. Or perhaps the TV show Watchdog? After all, if Anne Robinson or Matt Alright turned up at my door and demanded I dealt with something, I think I’d obey!

Jeremiah endures public humiliation at the hands of Pashur. He is put in the town stocks - humiliating for anybody, but particularly for God’s anointed Prophet. Who does Pashur think he is? Well, friends, Pashur was the son of Immer the Priest and perhaps thought he was doing the right thing - protecting his father, protecting his inheritance (priesthood was normally inherited father to son), and protecting the Temple. However here is a prime example of people acting to protect institutions, to protect hierarchies, to protect leaders, and ignoring the needs of the poor, the ones they should be serving.

We have seen it in recent years as scandal upon scandal has emerged in the press. I need only say the name ‘Jimmy Saville’ and images are conjoured up of a man, almost above the law, who got away with so much because people didn’t act on hunches or didn’t wish to put their head above the parapet. Or in recent years, the scandals within the Church, as priests or bishops were moved from parish to parish to avoid rumours becoming anything more. We can think of Bishop Peter Ball who, having been charged with gross indecency, continued to serve in parishes because “a member of the royal family, a lord chief justice, JPs, cabinet ministers and public school headmasters” among others had campaigned in private to support him. We must protect the institution. We must protect the individual.

But when we do this, we leave God out of the equation. Do we really think God wants a Church protected from ‘scandal’ and certain individuals allowed to continue in their wicked ways? Do we really think God wants institutions protected from rumours, or documents ‘lost’ to avoid charges being brought? Whose side is God on?

God is on the side of the right.

Jeremiah was in the right.

He had been given a message from God - a great commission if you like - a mission to fulfil. He had been sent to share God’s judgement with the people. This would never have been a popular job. It would have likely lost him many friends, but it was his job and what he had to do. Who was Pashur protecting? He was protecting the wrong people.

But how did it make Jeremiah feel? Well, friends, Jeremiah was human. The blows would have hurt, the spite, the vitriol, the hatred, it all would havestung. There would have been times where he must have questioned it all. Why me, God? Why do I have to say this?

Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His Name Jeremiah 20.9a

Wouldn’t that have been easier? If Jeremiah had just shut his trap and not spoken out any more? He’d soon have been forgotten. He could have done a Jonah and disappeared into the night?

A similar thing happened to the early Christians. We can read of them in Acts 4, when Peter and John were summoned before the religious elite.

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, Tell us whether is is right to obey you, or obey God. For we cannot but speak of the things we’ve seen and heard. Acts 4.18-20

So, just as Peter and John challenged the religious leaders, so I ask you: is it right to obey men (and women), or to obey God? Is it right to shut our mouths against injustice, or to hide ourselves away when God puts a message on our hearts, for fear of how people will respond? And what will happen if we do?

Well, friends, Jeremiah answers this question for us: Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His Name. But His word was within my heart, like a burning fire within my bones, and I could not stop myself… For I heard the defamation of many, with fear on every side. If you speak, they say, we will report it to others. Those around me watched in wait, saying… we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him… But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they shall not prevail… they shall not prosper. Jeremiah 20.9-11 (abr.)

Have you ever had that feeling? The feeling you get where you know something and are almost bursting to tell someone else? Perhaps it was news of a new job, or a pregnancy, or an engagement? Exciting news that simply has to be shared? Well, in a funny sort of way, I think that was how Jeremiah felt. Even though his news would not elicit the joy that a pregnancy or new job would, it was still far too big to contain within him. He felt he’d almost burst if he didn’t speak it out!

I’ve certainly felt that before. Indeed, I feel it now! It’s why I felt called to preaching, because the Good News of Jesus was too big for me to keep within myself - I just have to tell people!

Sadly, though, this good news does not guarantee you good feedback. Indeed, in some situations it almost guarantees the opposite. It turns out that this Good News that you and I are filled with is not universally popular. Some people are just not interested. Some are even strongly against. While there will be some people we tell who will receive the news with open arms, there will be just as many who don’t.

But does this mean we shouldn’t speak of the wonderful “things we’ve seen and heard” (Acts 4.20)? No, of course not!

As Paul wrote, while under house arrest for his ministry: For though I preach the Gospel, I have done nothing myself worthy of glory: for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel! 1 Corinthians 9.16

Do we hear that? “Woe is me”, Paul cries, “if I prech not the Gospel!” For sure, preaching is not something that we do for our own glory (and, I should add, I am not the only preacher in the room. God calls each and every one of us to be preachers and missionaries in the world around - this is a job for all of us) - we don’t preach for the kudos. We don’t do it so people say, ‘Wow, look at that cool guy’. We do it because we have to. We do it because, like Paul, “necessity is laid upon me”. We do it because, like Jeremiah, “His word is in my heart, as a burning fire shut up within my bones”.

Do you feel it? Do you feel the fire deep within your spirit? A flame deep within, ready to give light to the world around it? For sure, this is not ‘your’ flame. This is not your news. This is not for your glory. You are not the great I AM - that’s God. Who are we to try and hold on to this most precious gift, this most wonderful news, this most glorious message?

You see, friends, when you get the Gospel ‘bug’, you can’t help but share it. There’s nothing you can do to keep it within. It is too big to hold on to. We can try all we like and, particularly if we are not popular as a result, we may want to keep it to ourselves - but it would be a battle we would be set to fail. There is nothing we can do to but share it.

Jeremiah discovered this. Jeremiah also realised that, The Lord is with me as a mighty, terrible, one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail. Jeremiah 19. 11

And here we reach the summit of the Good News. Yes, we may be surrounded by folk who don’t want to listen. Yes, we may be reviled by those we thought were friends. Yes, we may be put out of friendship groups, or laughed at behind closed doors, but God has it in hand. If we are truly sharing God’s message (and not some adulterated message of our own), then we have God on our side.

So what can we do? We can remember and nurture that flame within our hearts. We can join with Jeremiah, and Peter and John, and Paul, and the great host of witnesses down through the centuries, in lettering the message of the Gospel flow out of us and touch the hearts of others. We can take Jeremiah’s advice Sing unto the Lord, praise the Lord; for He has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Jeremiah 19.13

Thinking back - after all the horrible stuff that happened at the end of last year, after worrying that I’d lost the ‘knack’, after thinking I’d never preach again, perhaps I should have read this passage of Jeremiah sooner!

And now to God be the glory.