Beware of the ‘father of lies’
Jeremiah preached repentance, while false prophets had the ear of the king
By Steve Hall
Be attentive to the authenticity of what you believe. This is not a message to be taken lightly, particularly in our day. The ‘father of lies’ has a firm grasp on what many pronounce as truth, as well as the truth they would have us ignore.
Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 14:17-22
Matthew 13:36-43
Isolated passages from the New Testament are generally intelligible without knowing the full context of the verses read. Both familiarity with the text and its instructive character contribute to this fact. With the Old Testament we have a different story. Much of it is narrative about specific personages as well as the people of Israel. Consequently, when we read isolated passages without knowing the historical/geographic/political context, the full import of the passage may be overlooked. So it is with the six verses plucked from the 14th chapter of Jeremiah that we read today.
As we step into the story, Babylonia and Egypt have been struggling for supremacy in the region, and the Kingdom of Judah is caught in the middle. The Kings of Judah vacillate; the nation is in turmoil; there is a threat of famine; foreign powers struggle for control. And, while Jeremiah has been preaching the need for repentance, numerous false prophets have the ear of the king.
“I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’ The Lord said to me: ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.’” (Jeremiah 14:13-14)
These false prophets show up as a major force in the book of Jeremiah. More than once they attempt to kill him, lest the king take his message seriously. The current incident takes place relatively early in the conflict between the two.
The reading for today begins, not with a description of what has happened, but with Jeremiah’s vision of what is going to happen if the Word of God is not heard and acted on. After that description of what is to come, the text turns to the prophet’s prayer — that the nation not be abandoned by God because of its sinfulness.
At the heart of this event is a caution for people of all time, including those of us living today: Be attentive to the authenticity of what you believe.
This is not a message to be taken lightly, particularly in our day. The “father of lies” has a firm grasp on what many pronounce as truth, as well as the truth they would have us ignore. This is no different from what was unfolding in Jeremiah’s time. The false prophets of Judah were “prophesying … a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.” All this was happening while the Lord’s guidance through Jeremiah was being ignored. The consequences were devastating.
As it was in Jeremiah’s day, truth seems to be a rare commodity. Facts are manipulated and partially revealed. Sources are fictional or concealed. Personal motives are hidden from view. The more things change, the more they remain the same. We too must join with Jeremiah in praying both for forgiveness and for our eyes to be opened.