dueling prophets

Jeremiah 28:1-17; Psalm 119 Lord, teach me your statues; Matthew 14:13-21

Often times in movies and books and the like as the plot unfolds there is usually defined a good guy and a bad guy.

By their actions and words we quickly discover whose who and whose on their side. Which normally means somewhere in the book or movie there will be a showdown.

The good guy will face the bad guy and there will be a fight of some sort.

Whether it a be a duel of ninja skills, or gun slinging, or fist fights or car racing or just a bout of wits in the end there is usually only one left standing...and most movies no matter how bad they are and most books no matter how contrived they seem, always lend the upper hand to the good guy, the one in white.

Well, today we have in the first reading, dueling prophets.


It is quite a scene. The prophet Jeremiah is currently under arrest for his prophesying doom on the land, all yoked up and no where to go.

When in walks the so called prophet Hananiah, the one bringing what seems to be good news. With his mouth wide open and confidence oozing from his posture, he tells the attentive ears that peace is coming that doom is no longer..."thus says the Lord, I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon...I will restore to this place all the vessels of the temple...i will bring back the the king of Judah and all the exiles."


And everyone was estatic. This was the news they longed to hear. They didn't care for Jeremiah's words of doom and gloom, they wanted that which made them feel good about themselves, even if they were living in sin and apostacy.

This scene sounds familiar. How many self proclaimed prophets stand before the people of God and speak foolishly in the name of God the words that the people want to hear, the words that make them feel good about their life, even if they are living contrary to God's will and plan for humanity.

How often we hear these prophets misinterpret the word of God and excuse the behavior of so many...

They have a following, they have confidence, they have charisma, they captivate and in the end, like the self proclaimed prophet Hananiah, they are wrong.

Hananiah in all of his confidence and in all of his charisma and in all of his bold proclamation of feel good message, in the end he hears these words from the prophet Jeremiah, "The Lord has not sent you, and you rasied false confidence in this people. For this, says the Lord, I will dispatch you from the face of the earth..."

The truth doesn't always initailly make us feel good. The real authentic prophet understands this. He or she knows that if you ever glimpse the passing truth, take a good look at her, so as to be quite sure you'll know her again; but don't expect her to make eyes at you. Gospel truth makes eyes at no one. And it is dangerous to get in conversation with any other 'sort' of truth, becasue you never know where that particular lady may have been gadding around before she met you...

When you catch the truth, the kind that is of use in saving souls, because there really is no other kind, show it to God first, take it to prayer at once. It is marvelous how different it looks when it has been purified by the gaze of truth himself. Sometimes you will scarecly recognize it when it has been washed in the wounds of Christ.


There are many self proclaimed prophets in the world whom ooze confidence and put on airs, they make eyes at the people and the people are captivated, but rememeber the truth makes eyes at know one and besure the one you listen too is sanctioned by God( the church Christ founded, even if it isn't pretty to look at)...and know that sometimes that truth isn't so easy to look at either (like Jeremiah arrested in a yoke or Jesus beaten and bruised)...but it is true nonetheless and it just might save your soul.