Jeremiah never wavered in proclaiming the message he received from God. Instead, he turned to the Lord, “a mighty champion.” Since he was helpless he prayed to be allowed to witness the vengeance God would take on his enemies. In a similar manner, the scribes and Pharisees reject Jesus and accuse him of blasphemy for making himself God. Since they refused to believe his words or accept his works, they hoped to destroy him publicly accusing him of being a fraud. So they tried to arrest him, but being the Son of God, he was able to escape from them. In our own time people like Archbishop Oscar Romero were not only rejected but gunned down by soldiers as he offered Mass. Why? Because he taught Christ’s message that the poor and disenfranchised were God’s children as well as the wealthy and powerful in San Salvador. Following Jesus and Jeremiah he knew well his life would eventually be sacrificed for his publicly demanding justice for the poor. Rejection will frequently be the result for people who proclaim God’s word by their speech and actions. Seldom will it be as dramatic or irreversible as that experienced by Jeremiah, Jesus or Romero. If you ever experienced rejection by friends or enemies for having proclaimed or publicly defended your Faith, praise the Lord! You might well be rejected but the Kingdom of Heaven is yours |