Both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced scrutiny of
their every word and deed. Jeremiah was ridiculed and beaten for his prophecy
of doom and destruction. Jesus’ countrymen picked up rocks to stone him (Jeremiah 20: 10-13; John 10: 31-42). They claimed their actions were a
response to blasphemy – that Jesus, a mere human, claimed to be the Son of
God. Jesus encouraged them to believe him not because of his claim to be
the Son of God but because of his good works done in the name of his Father.
Like the Jews in Jeremiah’s and Jesus’ time, do
we ever find ourselves ready to “cast stones” based on our harsh judgments of
other peoples’ motives? Though there may be 99 good reasons for the word or
deed of another, we may all too readily ascribe the one evil intention. We
may not say something aloud but simply cast a withering glance. I remember
a lesson from my youth when my aspirant directress told me: “If looks could
kill, the person you are looking at would be dead.” That is what you might call
“an evil eye.”
At times, like Jeremiah and Jesus, we may
receive harsh judgments from others. When giving “handouts” in charity we
may be criticized for not giving a “hand up.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta
suffered such an indictment.) When working diligently to change unjust systems
we may be chastised for not instead fulfilling the corporal and spiritual works
of mercy. How do we respond to such criticism? Do we, like Jeremiah, complain
to God about our suffering? Or do we, like Jesus, leave for a quiet and holy
place where we can center ourselves and consider who we are before God – God’s
Beloved.
Written by Sr.
Sally Ann Brickner
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