Arkansas State press., 1949-11-25


time In Jail. who was called subver-
eve, and who never got along with
ohe established religion of his
time?
The prophet jeremiah was that
man; yet posterity honored him.
His own generation thought him a
Mar. But some then knew. as we
know today. that he was a teller
e Gods truth, a spokesman OF God.
Was be q pessimist?
VlyE KNOW Jer. ID that jeremiah
w did not wish to be a prophet
h the first place. though unlike
Isaiah he shrank back not from
sense OF sin but because he thought
Of himself as a mere child.
We know tchap. 20l that at times
be was thoroughly discouraged
about himself and even cursed the
day he was born. II is also true that
n the last war waged by his little
country Of Judah before II was
smashed. his advice from begin
ainR 70 end was Surrender"
No wonder people thought him
pessimist, ealamlty-howler. But
before we call him such names we
must remember two things. First
d, that his unwillingness to be a
prophet and the fact that SO TO
speak be hated the job, marks a
vital fact: he. perhaps even more
than other prophets. sensed the diff
ference between his own ideas and
what God was saying through him.
Even when what the Lord
said was not what they them
selves would have wished to
say. they spoke Tor he Lord
neverthelcss. TIE ether thing
70 remember Is that when
everybody wants 10 believe a
pleasant lie, and a man comes
along telling the unpleasant
truth, he Is not a pessimist, he
b simply stating facts.
jeremiah stood by the facts as
God gave him insight to see them.
q they Jailed him for 1t, he could
not help that; but they could not
shut his mouth nor close his eyes.
I. '''
Was he 4 patriot?
JEREMIAH was constantly ac-
eused Of acts and attitudes which
today might be called "subver-
Give" though he dearly loved his
country. This was because he dared
70 rebuke the ambitions Of his
eountry's leaders.
They said: Our country shall be
free! But Jeremiah knew 1t would
not be free. They said; Our king
win conquerl jeremiah knew he
would end his days q prisoner.
Jeremiah was unpopular. to put It
mildly, because he advised his
country 10 take the only place
among the nations II could take
IN humble one.
Then, ~ now, many persons
think that patriotism means be-
ncving yours Is the perfect
country. II anyone points 10 In
Justice In our land, some one
may yell, "Deport him!" But
Jeremiah showed what h a
true patriot. He Is not necessar-
fly the man who approves oil
The foreign policies Of his ma
ton Jeremiah approved not
ene), nor the man who speaks
only good Of his country and his
people.
The best patriot is the person
who, seeing his country as God
sees il, will dare to speak out
against evil wherever he finds It,
A Way to Know God
JEREMIAH knew God well, and
the trouble with his contemporary
les was that they did not know God.
But Jeremiah did not say: Know
God by becoming a prophet like
me-" for he knew that only a few
are called to be prophets. Neither
did he say, Go to church oftener,"
for you can see in chap. 2 what he
thought Of the Temple Of his time
He pointed TO the good kins
Josiah tchap. 49,. That king hat
found God. not In q mystic visior
like Jeremiah's, not In burnt Of
ferings and sacrifices. but IN thu
doing Of justice, looking out for thu
exploited, caring for the helpless
seeing that justice was done.
tcspyrisht By the international council
- RelIgious Education on behalf Of y
froteotant denominations. Released 3!
WuU TesturssJ