Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then the officials said to the king, ‘This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this ”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, July 24, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
More false narratives. Those who hated Jeremiah for the uncomfortable truth he was speaking advocated for his death. They took his proclamation of the truth that Judah would be conquered and twisted it, saying he was deliberately trying to do harm to the people. And this, again, is happening right now in the U.S. Anyone who raises concern about the policies coming out of the capitol is vilified, discredited, ridiculed, called out as anti-American. Empathy is literally being painted as a bad idea. Weak.
Are we at the point yet where truth-tellers are at risk of being ‘put to death’? Honestly, not to sound hysterical, but yes. The level of permissiveness around violence has led to assaults. And the U.S. has a history of killing those who are standing up for justice; even if it’s not directly a government action, our society’s glorification of guns which our government has failed to stop makes said government responsible.
God calls us to take risks like Jeremiah. To be prophets, proclaiming God’s words of justice, love, peace, equity, compassion, and radical welcome. I don’t know how many people read these devotions, so the truth is I’m probably not taking much of a real risk. But I hope I am heeding God’s call to me to speak truth in whatever way I can.
How am I called to be a prophet? What risks am I willing to take to do this?
