By Norm McGraw
Because Jeremiah prophesied Jerusalem’s destruction, he was persecuted and beaten. He warned the people of Judah that Divine punishment would occur because of their idolatrous practices, false prophets, and their disobedience to the covenant God made with them. The people had rejected God, but Jeremiah pleaded for mercy.
Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 14:17-22
Matthew 13:36-43
If you read or hear or view most of the major media outlets on a regular basis, you would believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. The wars they “report” in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, killing thousands, are portrayed as endless. Jews, Christians, and Muslims (especially in Iran) are persecuted. The politics within our country are pictured as ugly and negative. American culture is often characterized as shallow and unimportant.
Historically, though, it’s not unusual for humanity to be downtrodden. The first readings of Tuesday’s Mass of July 28th, from the 14th chapter of the book of Jeremiah, offer an example of this.
Jeremiah was a Hebrew prophet born in Anathoth, a Levitical city in the territory of Benjamin, located 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem in 650 B.C. At 23 years old, he was called to serve God. By the time he was 45 (605 B.C.), the Babylonians began their invasion of Judah, culminating with the fall of Jerusalem 18 years later (587 B.C.).
Because Jeremiah prophesied Jerusalem’s destruction, he was persecuted and beaten. He warned the people of Judah that Divine punishment would occur because of their idolatrous practices, false prophets, and their disobedience to the covenant God made with them.
The Book of Deuteronomy warned that famine would be God’s punishment for breaking that covenant. “The Lord will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:24). In the 14th chapter, Jeremiah states: “And if I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger.”
Because the people had rejected God, Jeremiah pleads for mercy. “We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you. For your name’s sake, spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not.” (Jeremiah 14:20-21) He concludes with this plea: “Is it not you, O LORD, our God, to whom we look? You alone have done all these things.”
The 9th verse of the 79th Psalm attached to the 1st reading re-enforces Jeremiah’s case, asking for God’s mercy: “Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name. Deliver us and pardon our sins, for your name’s sake.”
The gospel reading not only presents a way to get back into God’s good graces but also offers a clue on how to nourish our covenant to deepen our commitment with the Almighty.
In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Jesus presents and explains the parable of the Sower, the good seed, and the weeds. Jesus tells a crowd that the Sower had his men plant seeds, but while they were sleeping, the enemy came and planted weeds. When this was discovered, the Sower ordered his men to allow both weeds and seeds to grow to avoid uprooting the seeds.
At the harvest, the angels would collect both, separating the weeds for burning but preserving the wheat. Later, Jesus explained to his disciples that the field is the world, the seed is the sons (hopefully, us) of the kingdom of God, and the Sower is the Son of God. The weeds are the offspring of the enemy, the Devil. Harvest time is the End of Days, the ultimate Reckoning. The “wheat” will go to heaven; the “weeds” will go to Hell.
God invites us to be part of the wheat harvest when we follow the instructions of the Sower (Jesus Christ). Those guidelines were mentioned by my good friend Lou Occhi in his reflection last week — obey God’s greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Adhering to these rules will help you overcome the trials and tribulations the world throws at you daily and strengthen your covenant with the Almighty, who will enrich your life.