NOTES for Jer 38:4-6

Today's readings prepare us for spiritual battle and do not allow us to grow complacent. The prophet Jeremiah, thrown into a muddy pit, is only one example from the “cloud of witnesses” spoken of in the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus Himself, whose soul was distressed as He awaited the ordeal of the Cross before Him, is the image of true righteousness; contemplating this image gives us strength to resist sin and endure suffering, which is our spiritual battle. Yes, Christ's coming into this world inevitably causes division between people, even those closest to one another, but how important it is that we not replace spiritual warfare with fighting (or verbal abuse, as the Russian word also suggests) against people who disagree with us.