Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20

Jeremiah’s Life Threatened

In these few verses, God reveals to Jeremiah that the people of Anathoth are threatening his life because he is prophesying in the name of the Lord. When Jeremiah hears this, he cries out to the Lord. In faith, he declares that God is a just judge who tests hearts and minds, and that he would see God's vengeance on his enemies because he has committed his cause to God. God replies that he will indeed punish them, and his pronouncement is rather severe. (v 21) If you read further, you'll see that Jeremiah continues to pour out his complaints to God about the general state of the world in which the wicked prosper. Where is God's justice? God responds again that he knows the situation and will certainly act in due time.

Jeremiah's description of feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter is of course immediately reminiscent of the timeless prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 of God's suffering Servant who would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The Messiah, who experienced the ultimate injustice, even at the peak of his suffering, prayed, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."

How are we to respond in the face of gross injustice? I admit that I struggle with this dilemma. I long to imitate Christ in his impossibly high standards of forgiveness, and yet like Jeremiah I long to see God's vengeance on those who have wronged me. But as I have meditated on these verses, I have realized that these are not necessarily in conflict. Forgiveness and reconciliation are the hallmarks of Christianity and are what make our faith stand out among other faiths. And it's not really an option for us as Christians: We are commanded to forgive our enemies, even as God has forgiven us. However, God is also just. He is not blind. God sees the injustice against his beloved servants and is furious on their behalf. If we, like Jeremiah, commit our cause to God, and guard our hearts against bitterness and hatred, we can rest in faith that God sees and will act.