Our readings this week seem harsh and unpleasant. Jeremiah calls for vengeance and looks forward to the destruction of his enemies (Jeremiah 20:10-13). Even Jesus talks about disowning those who disown him (Matthew 10:26-33). This language of violence and conflict has been promoted in recent times to support a perspective that following Jesus is a battle, that being on “the right side” is essential, and where necessary God will support those that engage in this battle.
This is completely contradictory to the core message of the Gospels that God loves all his creation, that Jesus came to bring this message to everyone, regardless of their worthiness, and we are called to demonstrate that love through our behavior towards everyone we have contact with.
So what are we to make of these readings?
Jesus never suggests that we should call for vengeance on our enemies, quite the opposite: “I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). What we hear from Jeremiah is a man who is desperate, a man who is so worn down by what has been asked ask of him that in the the passage that follows what we hear today, he wishes he had died in the womb. What is remarkable is that despite his anguish he can still recognize that God loves him and other poor, pathetic, and persecuted people like him. We might well curse our persecutors under such circumstances. But that doesn’t mean Jeremiah is giving us an example of how to behave under such circumstances, except in his faith in God.
If there is any vengeance to be taken on our enemies that is for God to do. There is no call here for us to harm our enemies, even if we do wish they might come to harm. Jeremiah says “l have committed my cause to you”.
What about Jesus? Isn’t he promoting a tit-for-tat view of morality? You disown me and I’ll disown you. But that is one sentence in this passage. If we interpret it that way, not only is that inconsistent with the totality of Jesus’ message, it’s not even consistent with other parts of this passage. It starts, as Jesus so often does, with “do not be afraid”. He’s encouraging his disciples to proclaim his message boldly. He’s encouraging them that even if they have to die (as many did amongst the church that Matthew was writing for) then this didn’t mean God had abandoned them – just as he hadn’t abandoned Jeremiah, however desperate he might feel. But for this to work we have to stay in relationship with him. If we cut ourselves off then we will be cut off – not because Jesus is looking to punish us like naughty children – but because we have been given that choice.
If, through everything we face we hold on to our faith, to our relationship with God, as Jeremiah did, then we have nothing to fear. If we don’t, if we don’t speak up boldly about the love of God, then Jesus cannot help us.
The battle against fear is the hardest one we face. That is why Jesus came to die for us, to demonstrate that we need not fear. Hold on to our savior, even when we fear we are drowning, God loves us – more even than all those sparrows!