Lent Week 5: Friday
Vengeance…
Jeremiah was a desolate prophet; he faithfully proclaimed God’s message to the people. But the people had nothing to do with his preaching. They wanted to hear only what pleased their ears. When the prophet pointed out the people’s sins and declared the Lord’s punishment, the people turned against him, ready to take his life.
It is understandable then, to witness the trepidation of Jeremiah, as also his confusion, that after obeying his mandate, he was now at risk. He turned to the Lord God on trust, firmly believing in his Deliverer, who will not abandon him.
He also asked God for vengeance against the people, a very natural instinct for one who has been ill-treated unjustly. Who among us has not in one time or another sought revenge, even just prayed for it against our tormentors?
In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus continues to gain notoriety among some of the Jews. His proclamation of the Good News fell on deaf ears and hardened hearts. The people are incapable of grasping his message because they want only to discredit him. Jesus’ life was also beginning to be put in danger.
While Jeremiah’s fate was unrecorded in the Scriptures, we know of what befell the Lord Jesus due to his ministry. He was crucified; he died, betrayed and abandoned, on a hill outside Jerusalem. But even to his dying breath, the Lord has never sought vengeance on his persecutors. He has not pronounced judgement on their wrongdoing against him. Instead, his last words were on forgiveness: Father, forgive them…
This resolute decision to love until death has transformed the world. Jesus’ whole life pointed to a relationship with his Father that was so intimate that it gave him assurance and hope of deliverance at every trial. His heart was open to love, open to forgiveness, open to the desire for reconciliation, for this was his mandate from the Father.
As Lent comes to a climax with the coming Holy Week, let us offer prayer to the Lord for all the people who have hurt us, for all who continue to hurt us. Let us beg for the grace not to retaliate with violence, hatred, or force, but like Jesus, desire forgiveness and reconciliation to happen. Let us also pray for the world to discover the power of love in the midst of conflicts and war.
