This week all the first readings at daily Mass are from the Book of Jeremiah. The book is challenging to read and comprehend on its own and even more so when broken up into bits of narrative that do not provide context. The readings this week are taken from Chapters 13, 14, 15, 18, and 26. Naturally one might assume there is an underlying chronological order. That would be a bad assumption. For example, the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem is talked about in chapter 21 (~587 BC) but in Chapter 25 we are in year 604 BC [“…the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah (the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon)” Jer 25:1]. The clear message of Jeremiah 25 is that “Babylon is coming for you!” And is just one of many examples.

The Book of Jeremiah is not laid out from the beginning of his 40 ministry until its end. The best explanation is that the editors of the prophetic books had before them several collections of material dealing with the preaching of Jeremiah, stories about him, and historical accounts of the last days of Judah. They had the manuscript dictated in 604, together with collections of prophecies against the kings of Judah and against the false prophets. In addition, they had a collection of prophecies  dealing with the new covenant, a large collection of biographical material, and a collection of Jeremiah’s prophecies against the pagan nations. Instead of placing all this material in chronological order, a task that would have been extremely difficult, they put it together more or less thematically, so that events mentioned earlier in the book in one collection are sometimes duplicated later in another collection of material.

Without dropping into the complex details of technical outlines, here is a very broad outline of Jeremiah:

• Poetry of Accusation and Warning for Judah and Jerusalem (Jer 1-24)
• Transition: Babylon is coming for Jerusalem and the Nations (Jer 25)
• Babylon takes out Jerusalem (Jer 26-45)
• Babylon takes out surrounding nations. (Jer 46-52)

The first readings this week through Thursday are taken from the section of “Accusation and Warning.”

Jeremiah and his times

Just to give you some “anchors” on the historical timeline, the time of the United Kingdom under David and Solomon is 300 years in the past. The rebel Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrian Empire 80 years in the past – and Assyria is being threatened by the rising power of Babylon. In the succession of the Kings of Judah, reigning in Jerusalem, when Jeremiah’s ministry starts it is during the reign of King Josiah (~640 BC).

Josiah was a king active and committed to restoring Temple worship, leading the people in the ways of the Lord, and ensuring their civil lives were righteous in the sight of God. Josiah was the last king of whom the Book of Kings and Chronicles approved and offered that his reign was pleasing to the Lord. It was an “easy” time for Jeremiah in that, while he had detractors, he had the support of the King. That changes with the passing of Josiah. Perhaps the following can give you an idea of “what’s next.”

• King Josiah (639–609)
• King Jehoahaz (609)
• King Jehoiakim (609–598)
• The first siege of Jerusalem and the first wave of deportees – including the prophet Ezekiel
• King Zedekiah (597–587)
• King Jehoiachin (597)
• The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem with mass deportation of people into Exile

The first readings from daily Mass are from the period 609-597 BC which warns Judah and Jerusalem of the accusations against them and the fate that awaits.

Jeremiah’s message

Jeremiah’s message as a prophet to his people was at the same time the most pessimistic and the most optimistic that could be conceived. When he looked at the abysmal state of Judah’s covenant relationship with God, he sank into pessimism. When he looked at the patient and long-suffering God of Israel, he was filled with optimism. His God was a God of hope, of promise, of power, and of an indomitable will to make the people of Israel a holy people.

In typical prophetic fashion, Jeremiah accused his people of sins against the covenant and predicted God’s judgment upon them. But he did more than just accuse and condemn. He raised the consciousness of his people. He made them see that crimes against each other were crimes against God. He made them see that God loved them even when he chastised them. Finally, when he saw that destruction was inevitable, that Israel was not responding to God, and that the old covenant was finished, he predicted a new covenant (31:31–34). This was the covenant inaugurated by Jesus on the night before his death (cf. Luke 22:20 and 1 Cor 11:25).

Understanding a Prophet

You will understand Jeremiah and any other prophet if you see the prophet as one who saw himself as:

• one who had been present at meetings of the divine council;
• one who had been commissioned as God’s messenger (inaugural vision);
• one who accused and condemned Israel for crimes against the covenant God;
• one who played the role of prosecuting attorney when speaking in the name of God and the role of defense attorney when speaking in his own or in his people’s name; and
• one whose concern, above all other matters, was to bring Israel to appreciate and treasure its unique relationship with God.

The prophets, and Jeremiah in particular, had what might be called a passion for God and for God’s people: for God, that God be truly loved and praised; for the people, that they be, in God’s own words to them, “my people, my renown, my praise, my beauty” (see Jer 13:11).

This is why Jeremiah at the same time can be the most pessimistic and the most optimistic.

Image credit: The Prophet Jeremiah, Michelangelo, fresco on ceiling of Sistine Chapel, Vatican City | Public Domain