The first reading today is part of a larger section that goes back to the beginning of the chapter. The theme, “terror on every side,” is a key emphasis in the whole Book of Jeremiah. According to the Jewish leadership, Jeremiah was a traitor. He prophesied that the only possible way for Israel to survive the onslaught of the Babylonians was to surrender. As you can imagine, this was not a popular point of view.

Therefore, Jeremiah’s life was constantly threatened. At the beginning of chapter 20, the leader of the temple responds to Jeremiah’s public warnings by hitting him and then having him put in the stocks overnight. In response, Jeremiah tells him that there will be “terror on every side” for he, his family, and the young people of his town.

Jeremiah really hated his message. I mean, how many of us would like to be branded as traitors? Earlier in the chapter, Jeremiah tells God that he didn’t realize how badly being the Lord’s prophet would go for him. To God he says, “You duped me, and I was duped.” In fact, Jeremiah was determined not to prophesy anymore. He tried not to speak on the Lord’s behalf but, after trying to hold it in, eventually, like an explosion, he would speak his words of doom and destruction. He couldn’t hold it in, so things got worse and worse.

He knew that people were whispering about how to destroy him. Even those who were his former friends denounced him and looked for ways to trap and eliminate him. It must have been especially hard when he found out that the men of his hometown were plotting to kill him. Truly, terror was on every side and Jeremiah didn’t take it very well. He wanted vengeance on those who were trying to kill him.

Whenever I think of Jeremiah I am reminded of the prosperity Gospel. If you trust in God, you will be healthy and wealthy. Jeremiah trusted in God, and it got him nothing but misery. Of God, Jeremiah says, “he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” Jeremiah was found to be telling the truth. The nation fell to the Babylonians. Almost everyone but the poorest were carted off to Babylon. You would think that Jeremiah would be celebrated as a true prophet of the Lord. Well, against his advice, the people in the land fled to Egypt and forced Jeremiah to go with them. Eventually they couldn’t handle the truth, so they killed him. Healthy and wealthy? No – dead!

Jeremiah has a thing or two to say to those Prosperity Gospel preachers. Everything will be just rosy, if you trust in God. Ha, Jeremiah would laugh in their face. Of course, we are preparing to celebrate what Jesus did on the cross. What trust and it led to his death, too.

Have a blessed Holy Week. The true wealth is found in what happened then.