Jeremiah 20:7-13 God rescues those ridiculed for speaking his Word!

Baby bottle commercials featuring fathers picture a bright happy environment with dad smiling full of pride and joy holding the little baby peacefully taking in life giving milk. With that vision in mind fathers feel deceived when they take the night shift to bottle feed baby stumbling through the darkness for a light switch, finding all bottles dirty, holding a screaming baby while cleaning a bottle, then measuring out the right amount of formula or mother’s milk, heating the liquid to the right temperature, patiently waiting many minutes for the tiny amount of liquid to disappear, burping the baby only to see some or most of that liquid reappear partly on the burp cloth, but mostly everywhere else, and finally swaddling the little rebellious bundle of joy to prayerfully fall back to sleep. From the beginning, fathers are challenged by the rebellious nature of their children. We take it personally when we are met with rebellion for doing good things for our children and others.

Jeremiah was called by God to turn the rebellious Israelites back to God in repentance. Jeremiah was not a father. In fact, he was not allowed by God to marry or have children. He was also not allowed to attend feasts on happy occasions or commiserate with mourners at a funeral. Jeremiah’s life looked different from his fellow countrymen. He served as a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah around the turn of the sixth century B.C. From a young age he was called to speak for God, and his message was judgment against the people of Judah and Jerusalem for turning away from God. He hoped the people would take their sin seriously and return to God in repentance. The people had good reason to listen because about one hundred years earlier God allowed the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel. Jeremiah and the Lord cared for the people giving many warnings and clear details of what would come if they did not repent. God promised to work through the Babylonian Empire to punish the people if they kept up their wicked, rebellious ways. Jeremiah pleaded with the people for decades, and for all those years, he was met with ridicule, sarcasm, threats, violence and living as an outcast. In our Old Testament reading from Jeremiah 20, we hear the toll this took on Jeremiah and how it even threatened his faith in God, 7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long.

Fatherhood takes a toll when men take rebellion personally. Fussy babies do not get the food they need when fathers give up before the bottle is finished. Kids do not get the nutrition they need when dad gives in to cries for ice cream and candy for breakfast. Skills are lost when dads give up on encouraging practice and overcoming challenges for reading, sports, music, etc. Innocence and safety are sacrificed when dads give up on curfew. Direction, wisdom and love are lost when dads stop calling to check in on their grown children. When fathers take their kid’s crying, rebellion and ridicule personally so that they give up, it takes a negative toll on their kids. As kids we were all rebellious in some way because of sin as Jesus says in our Gospel reading from Matthew 10, 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Many things cause strife between parents and children, but Jesus has the potential to bring the most division in a family. When fathers give up reading the Bible to their children, bringing their children to worship and Bible study, praying with their children, modeling love for God and their neighbor, etc. their children’s faith and eternal salvation is threatened and may not stand firm to the end. A father taking personally his child’s rebellion and ridicule of God, faith, the Bible, church, prayer, etc. is like Jeremiah taking personally the people’s ridicule and rebellion against God. These self-pitying feelings left unchecked without repentance lead fathers away from God and take a toll on their families.

Nannies or child experts offer some help, but our Father who art in heaven rescues earthly fathers. There are many helpful people and programs to help fathers with their kids of all ages and stages. Make use of them, but do not neglect the spiritual needs of a father. Fathers like Jeremiah must be faced with the truth that they are spiritually poor and needy. Taking personally the sins of others whether our own children or others puts us in place of God trying to dole out punishment and force conformity, which are selfish and harmful. The solution we all need comes from God. All our sins are rebellion first and foremost against God. He is the one who sits as Judge as we read in our Gospel reading from Matthew 10, 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. He is also the one who does not force conformity, but loves us dearly as we continue reading in Matthew 10, 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. All of us are worth everything to God, so he rescued us through Jesus who was crucified when the world rebelled against him. Jesus endured the wrath of his Father to save us. Jeremiah in his confession of self-pity and feelings of deception remained confident that he was not lost because of who God is as we read in Jeremiah 20, 11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. 13 Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. The Lord is the only one who rescues us from our sins, overcomes our enemies and gives us reason to sing and praise him when facing ridicule and rebellion.

With the Word of God, a man is prepared for fatherhood. God prepares a man for fatherhood by first showing him his need for God to be with him as mighty warrior and rescuer for his own sins and struggles. The assurance God gives a man allows him to face the lies of the world that war against him and his children. God’s Word equips a father to stand firm in the truth giving stability, protection, wisdom and love to his children. A father functions as the spiritual leader for his family and strives to follow the commission Paul gave to young Pastor Timothy and all pastors in New Testament reading from 2 Timothy 4,

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Fathers, go into each day expecting pushback on God’s Word. Be prepared to call your children to repentance. In moments when there is immediate repentance, listening and honoring your words, rejoice, praise God and encourage your kids. When there is pushback, you will not be surprised, but ready and equipped to avoid feelings of deception that your kids are not perfect and that you are not the perfect father and avoid lashing out in anger or sinking into depression. Rather you will be ready to exercise patience, gentleness and continue to sing praise to God whose mercy, forgiveness and love has not changed for you, or for your children. When Jeremiah tried to avoid speaking God’s Word because he faced rebellion and ridicule, he could not keep the truth contained and had to share it as we read in Jeremiah 20, 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Fathers, the answer to rebellion, ridicule and rejection when calling others to repentance is not to hold it in. Be prepared with God. Do not be controlled by the response to your words. You remain in control of your reaction by being cared for by your Father in heaven who remains gracious, just and patient with us. Continue to speak the Word of the Lord to your family as a father who regularly hears the Word. Mothers support your husband as he carries out his role as father who regularly meditates on God’s Word, attends Bible study and worship. Kids listen to your father when he speaks the Word of God to you, prays with you, brings you to Bible study and worship.

Baby bottle commercials featuring fathers picture a bright happy environment with dad smiling full of pride and joy with the little baby peacefully taking in life giving milk. With that vision in mind fathers feel deceived when facing the challenges of taking the night shift to bottle feed baby. From the beginning, fathers are challenged by the rebellious nature of their children, but taking it personally takes a toll on children. Jeremiah was called by God to turn the rebellious Israelites back to God in repentance, and when their response hurt and self-pity threatened his faith, God was his rescuer. When we are tempted to hold back speaking the Word of God for fear of ridicule and rebellion, we will continue to speak his Word because God rescues those ridiculed for speaking his Word. Amen.

        

Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church