persecuted for the truth

Good morning friends,
Today's reading gives us another glimpse of the hardship of Jeremiah's ministry. The priest hits Jeremiah and puts him in the stocks for his prophecy. Jeremiah responds with God's word of judgment for Pashhur, the priest who is persecuting him. It's interesting that Jeremiah renames Pashhur "terror all around" because the same title was used for Jeremiah for his constant prophecy of doom. Imagine how difficult it would be for Jeremiah to continue in his ministry: he seeks to warn the people he cares about of the danger ahead, but they take his words as treasonous and anti-religious. Despite the hardship, Jeremiah keeps on going because he trusts in God. May we have the same courage.

God bless,
Sam

Jeremiah 20:1-6
Now the priest Pashhur son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2Then Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the Lord.

3The next morning when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, The Lord has named you not Pashhur but “Terror-all-around.” 4For thus says the Lord: I am making you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall kill them with the sword. 5I will give all the wealth of this city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them, and seize them, and carry them to Babylon. 6And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, shall go into captivity, and to Babylon you shall go; there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.