When You Speak Authentically on God's Behalf
(Posted June 30, 2023)
By Rev. Dr. Jane Ellingwood
It wasn't easy to be one of God's prophets in Jeremiah's time, around 600 years before Jesus talked to his own disciples and apostles about how difficult it would be for them to go out and tell people about Jesus' teachings and the amazing things he had been doing for people and on behalf of God.
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When You Speak Authentically on God's Behalf
Jeremiah had to proclaim bad news that the people of Judah and Jerusalem did not want to hear, as the Babylonian Empire conquered their land and forced people into exile in Babylon. They were going to be in exile for longer than they thought.
As we will hear on Sunday, Jeremiah confronted the prophet Hananiah, one of the false prophets who were not speaking the truth about God's word, because Hananiah was trying to comfort the people. Jeremiah's prophetic words were spoken authentically on God's behalf, but his words were not welcomed by the other prophets or the people.
To Be a Prophet for Jesus
Jesus, as we will also hear on Sunday, offered words of hope and promise to his disciples about the rewards that people would receive if people welcomed the disciples and their testimony about Jesus. Even the smallest gift of welcome from anyone --- a cup of cold water --- given to a disciple or someone else would be recognized and rewarded. Jesus said that whoever welcomed his disciples welcomed Jesus and God, the one who sent him, and Jesus didn't put any limits on who the people who welcomed the disciples would be.
When we gather on Sunday, we will reflect on what it is like today to be Jesus' disciples and perhaps even prophets, although we probably don't call ourselves prophets. Who do we welcome into our churches and in the world, how do we know who the false prophets are, how do we embody Jesus in our communities of welcome, while Jesus welcomes us and all people?
We can think of these things and more on this Communion Sunday.