NOTES for Jer 20:18

The question of the meaninglessness of a life already lived has tormented many people, and at very different ages. Jeremiah, as we see, was no exception: the question of the meaning of his own life arose before him too. It would seem that a person whom God called to ministry, and called with the complete certainty that distinguishes every genuine prophetic calling, has no need to doubt or regret anything, since his ministry by definition cannot turn out to be meaningless.

And yet, as we see, the matter was not so simple; besides God, there were also the people to whom the prophet addressed himself. The prophet's ministry is above all the ministry of a witness, and Jeremiah, as we see, evaluated the success of his ministry precisely from that point of view. And here things were bad: no one wanted to listen to the prophet; his preaching did not enjoy the kind of popularity that, for example, the preaching of his great predecessor Isaiah of Jerusalem enjoyed. Rather, he was in everyone's way: in the way of the authorities, whose religious policy Jeremiah did not accept; in the way of the crowd, whose imaginary religiosity he never tired of exposing; in the way of well-to-do townspeople, who wanted peace and confidence while the prophet's preaching constantly disturbed their peace and undermined their confidence. No authority, no popularity, only hatred and hostility! But the most tormenting thing for Jeremiah was that he apparently perceived this state of affairs as the failure of the mission entrusted to him by God.

And what could have served as consolation for a prophet whose witness was rejected? Perhaps only one thing: prophetic ministry, like every other service to God, has value in itself. The issue is not only who heard what, but also who said what. And Jeremiah clearly accomplished this task. Despite all the efforts of the people around him.

It sometimes happens that the content of a person's faith—what God requires of that person—comes into conflict with life itself. This happened to Jeremiah when, as persecution against him began, he realized that his prophetic ministry simply kept everyone from living as they wished. To him it was obvious that he brought people the saving Word from heaven, while they declared that they did not need it. His life had failed, and he cursed the day of his birth. In a sense, prophets' lives rarely succeed at all: it is difficult to imagine a prophet who rebukes the people and implores them to turn to God being loved by everyone and warmly thanked for his admonitions. But on the other hand, a person who lives in accordance with God's will, even when that will seems to him “incompatible with life,” already bears within himself true and complete life—the pledge of Resurrection.

Before us is an important testimony from the prophet about himself, through which we can touch how he experiences his ministry from within, what a person overfilled with revelation goes through. We see that Jeremiah says not what he would like to say: the words that mysteriously come to him do not always correspond to how, according to his human understanding, he understands the situation. But he is powerless to hold back the stream of revelation, and even when Jeremiah tries to keep silent, the prophecy proves stronger than customary conventions and breaks them as easily as a powerful typhoon crushes dams that had seemed strong.

But faithfulness to the Lord and readiness to become His mouth give the prophet authority: not the authority possessed by earthly kings and other rulers, but the authority that makes it possible to remain inwardly free even in chains. Yes, Jeremiah speaks with authority, even if none of the people acknowledge it: the very fact that after his release Jeremiah gives a new name to the priest who punished him is a sign of authority, since the right to give a name always belonged to the master. But this authority is not human in character: it is the consequence of sharing in the Source of truth.