Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday in Lent

And this happened: Jeremiah ceased speaking all those things that the Lord had appointed for him to speak to all the people, and the priests and the false prophets and all the people captured him, saying “You will surely be put to death!.” Because you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, “This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be deserted by its inhabitants!” Then all the people assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. And the rulers of Judah heard this matter, and they went up from the house of the king to the house of the Lord, and they sat in the entrance of the new gate. And the priests and the false prophets said to the rulers and to all the people, “A judgment of death be upon this man, because he prophesied against this city, as you heard in your ears.” And Jeremiah said to the rulers and to all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy all the words that you have heard against this house and against this city. And now make your ways and your works better, and listen to the voice of the Lord, and the Lord will desist from the calamities that he has spoken against you. And look! I am in your hands; do to me as is expedient and as is best to you. But you must surely know that if you slay me, you are bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon those who dwell in it, for the Lord has truly sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” (Jeremiah 33:8–15 LXX [Jer 26:8–15])

Jeremiah prophesied these words of the Lord within the temple: “I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth,” and immediately with a turbulent uproar an entire mob was assembled by the prophets, priests and people against Jeremiah in the temple, where the prophet was being held by force of the priests, the prophets and the mob. And when the princes of the city who live in the royal house heard this, they went or “came up” from the king’s house to the house of the Lord.…

While the princes of the city were sitting at the gate in the presence of the people and the priests and prophets were accusing the prophet Jeremiah and threatening him with the death penalty, Jeremiah spoke with prudence, equity, humility and persistence to the princes and to all the people who were being stirred up by the factions of the priests and pseudo-prophets. With prudence, because he said that he was sent by the Lord to speak against the temple and the city and to advise them that if they would listen to his counsel and repent, then the Lord also would commute the sentence of judgment against them. With humility, since he says, “Behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as is good and right in your eyes.” And with persistence: “In truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.” In other words, he says, “If you are angry that I have spoken against the temple and the Lord’s city, and if you are concerned about the welfare of the city and the temple, then why do you pile up sins on sins and make both the city and its inhabitants guilty of my blood?” Therefore, if the difficulties of our circumstances ever require of us humility, let us take on this humility in such a way that we do not abandon truth and perseverance. For it is one thing to be insulting in an arrogant and judgmental way, which is a sign of foolishness; but it is something else to warn of an impending danger so that you take nothing away from the truth.

Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah 5