Jeremiah's Whispering Hope

by Fr. Randy Flores, SVD

for December 18 | Simbang Gabi

First Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-8

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

What does Jeremiah have to do with Christmas? Branded as a prophet of doom, Jeremiah is even accused today of condemning the use of Christmas trees (quoting Jer 10:1-5). True to the meaning of his name, “The Lord has appointed him” (Hebrew "Yirmiyahu"), Jeremiah received a divine appointment to be a prophet even before he was born. However, his pre-natal mission is something neither you nor I would envy. God sent him “to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish” kingdoms, and only afterward “to build and to plant.” He had to denounce his fellow prophets, priests, princes, kings, as well as animals, trees, and crops, and announce the destruction of their most sacred city, Jerusalem, and its most sacred place of worship, the Temple—the end of the kingdom of David.

The Prophet Jeremiah (artist: Michelangelo ca. 1508-1512)

Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry, one of the longest at 40 years, was spent in anguish during the most tumultuous period of Judah’s history. Assyrian power was collapsing, and the Babylonians had taken the helm of the empire. The kingdom of Judah itself was beset with economic and political problems. In a short period of time, the kingdom had six different rulers. Jeremiah himself was snubbed, rejected, jailed, tortured, persecuted, and sentenced to die. The mission must have taken a heavy toll on his spirit, leading him to express his anguish to God in extremely strong words. He accused God of deceiving him, cursed the day of his birth, and even contemplated ending his life.

Check any image of Jeremiah available online, and you’ll see how artists have portrayed this prophet. Michelangelo, for instance, painted him seated—a strikingly unlikely posture for a prophet, who is supposed to be a person of action. Jeremiah’s fingers cover his mouth; his head hangs low; his hair is disheveled; his eyes are sunken; his gaze is downcast; his shoulders droop; his beard is unkempt; and his fingers point downward. “Pasan Ko ang Daigdig” (The World Is on My Shoulders) could have been a fitting title for this anguish-filled painting that adorns the Sistine Chapel. Jeremiah is someone you wouldn’t want as a guest for Noche Buena.

There are times when your life feels like Jeremiah’s—or even worse. Unlike Jeremiah, however, you may be afraid to complain to God. You might feel ashamed to protest or to say, “Why are You doing this to me, Lord? You’re so mean and unjust!” (cf. Jer 20:7). Yet Jeremiah could be telling you now, “It’s okay not to be okay” (as one book title says). Even in the midst of his woes and bitter complaints, Jeremiah saw a ray of hope: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David” (from today’s First Reading). This prophecy must have come like a “whispering hope,” making one’s heart “in any sorrow rejoice!” (from the Christmas song).

When the evangelist Matthew wrote his version of the Christmas story, he likely had Jeremiah’s prophecy in mind (today’s Gospel Reading). For Matthew, the central figure in his story is Saint Joseph, whom he describes as a “righteous man” and a “son of David.” Although Matthew’s fulfillment quotation is from the prophet Isaiah (a virgin bearing a son and naming him “Emmanuel”), there is a subplot involving Jeremiah’s oracle about the coming of a “righteous shoot of David.” Matthew also tells us that Joseph shall name his child “Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” The evangelist appears to reference another of Jeremiah’s oracles of hope—a sequel to the first one. In that prophecy, God promises to establish a “new covenant” with His people, one written in their hearts. He assures them, “I will forgive their iniquity and will no longer remember their sin” (cf. Jer 33:33-34).

Christmastime is not, of course, a season to dwell on sins and woes. It is a season of hope—a time to strengthen your hope. “‘Tis the season of hope,” as many say. If ancient Israel’s hope was anchored in the prophetic word, ours is in the Word-Made-Flesh. Our hope is anchored in a person called Jesus, who became like us, except sin, and enjoyed the wonderful gift of being human. Perhaps we can pray like this on Christmas Day:

“Lord, thank You for becoming human—just like me, just like my friend, just like the person seated beside me, just like my enemy.”