Jeremiah 20: A Prayer for Those Willing to be Duped
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me and you triumphed.
Dearest Creator God,
We know that you love us; we know that you are waiting for us in the deep recesses of our being.
We know that you created us and this means that you know our shadowy corners; but we are frightened that when we turn on the light we will see what we do not want to see.
We are afraid that we will be overtaken by the thing that will leap from the dark corners in our lives.
We know that you are constant and abiding; but sometimes the challenge is too frightening.
Hold us closely as we wend our way through the briars and brambles of life.
Whisper to us steadily; defend us always from the terrors.
Remind us that what we avoid is precisely what we need to see.
Help us to be our best selves.
Help us to fulfill the hope you have placed in us.
Amen.
First written on January 17, 2008, re-written and posted today as a Favorite.
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me and you triumphed.
Jeremiah is a frequent companion on our Noontimejourney and today’s theme is one we have visited often: Sometimes our great fall comes as a direct result of doing precisely what God has asked us to do. Sometimes we are duped by God.
The interior crisis – the situation in which he hope to never find ourselves – is something we all work diligently to avoid . . . and we ought not. It is, in fact, the very reason we are here on earth. It is our personal work. It is the way we arrive at our highest potential.
The places within – the ones we avoid – are the places we must approach with candor and even eagerness. They are our “working edge”. They are our labs, our quizzes, our tests. They are our final exam.
The interior self whom we avoid – the part of ourselves that we shun – is the very place where God dwells. He is there waiting for us with open joy, celebrating with us that we have had the courage to take the scales from our eyes, the mask from our face, the blinders from our perspective.
God is always anticipating our arrival; God is always on the other side of the door we refuse to approach. God is calling out to us to knock and enter. God is waiting there patiently, always abiding. God is our goal in all things and at all times. There is nothing else that matters. No other work. No other cause. No other person. This is what Jesus means when he says that the dead will bury the dead. (Matthew 8:22) There is no thingand no onewho ought to stand between us and God. And we will surely find God when we open the dark part of ourselves to allow God’s light into the dim corners.
Each of us has “a shadow self”, the person whom we fasten away, hoping to keep shut in from ourselves and from the world. Much like Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre, each of us has a lunatic spouse we keep locked in the north tower . . . and if the metaphor holds we can see the destruction that will arrive if we try to keep that door bolted.
Suffering follows once we open the lock . . . but so does restoration. This is the message of the prophet Jeremiah. It is the message of St. Paul. If we avoid the work we are called to do with and for ourselves, we avoid our personal mission.
Does God dupe us? Yes, God does. Why? Because God loves us, wants us to face our fears while relying on Christ, and God wants us to trust the saving newness of the resurrection that Jesus brings to us without our even asking.
You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me and you triumphed.
When we lock ourselves away with our fears, we have no other recourse but to listen. If we open ourselves to listening to God’s voice, we have the opportunity to respond. And once we respond, we take our first steps toward reconciliation, conversion, and salvation.
God is in charge. There is an Economy of Salvation. There are no mistakes in God’s plan . . . only opportunities for God’s love to triumph.
Tomorrow . . . a Prayer for those who are willing to be duped . . .
Solomonis a well-known figure in scripture. At a fairly young age he is given a unified kingdom by his father, David. When asked what he wishes to have in this world he asks for Wisdom. We are told that he receives this and more . . . all the wealth, power and status he had not asked for. He seems destined for greatness and so he is.
Rulers from all parts journey to visit him, to see the beautiful palace and temple he builds, and to experience at close range how this singular king loves and is loved by his singular God. Even the remarkable Queen of Shebarequests and is granted a special visit. Later in his story, we are told that he loved many foreign women and married several. It is likely that in this way he meant to secure alliances with potential enemies; yet these enemies defeat him in a quiet and insidious way. The writer of 1 Kings tells us: When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to strange gods, and his heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God, as the heart of his father David had been. (1 Kings 11:4) After this, the kingdom comes tumbling down.
Today we spend time with Solomon’s Prayer which can also read in 1 Kings 8 and we speculate what it was that drew him away from God into the world. We picture what lured him to foreign gods and extravagant women. We can imagine what and who convinced him that authority and influence were more important than fidelity to Yahweh. When we reflect on Solomon’s Prayer, we might want to make it our own and pray it often . . . resisting the lure of self-deceit and warding off the siren song of the material world. And so we pray to the God of Solomon, the Living God.
Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne . . . For alone I cannot manage my days and nights sensibly.
Reject me not from among your children . . . I will make mistakes and I know that you will pardon me.
You have bid me build a temple on your holy mountain, an altar in the city that is your dwelling place, a copy of the holy tabernacle you had established of old . . . I will do my best to act as you ask, to answer as you call, to praise as you create.
Send forth Wisdom from your holy heavens that she may be with me and work with me . . . I really cannot do this without your voice in my ear.
For who knows God’s counsel, who can conceive what the Lord intends? I cannot conceive of that you see, all that you know, all that you do. I only understand that your are goodness and therefore do only good.
Piero della Francesca: Legend of the Cross – The Queen of Sheba Meeting with Solomon
Thus were the paths of those on earth made straight, and we learned what was your pleasure, and were saved by Wisdom.So abide with me that you might bring goodness out of any action I take may harm another. Remain with me that I might remain in you. Love me always that I might always love others.
“Miracles granted and yet not believed. We are so quick to explain away the simple answer that God is always accompanying us”. This is the closing line of our Noontimereflection Expect Miracles. Today we see what becomes of Herodwhen he attempted to make himself a god. It is not a pretty end.
At the beginning of this chapter we find Herod persecuting the Christians; he has James killed and had Peter arrested. In the central portion of this chapter, we read about the miracle that God brings about to free Peter, and then we have the closing that describes the end of the man who would set himself up as a god . . . he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. Notes tell us that Josephusdescribes this same accounting of events and that the people of the time saw it as divine punishment. We can only speculate about the effects of his death on the people but still, we are given something to chew over here. We are reminded once again that . . . God is in charge. We cannot make something happen that is not part of God’s plan. Nor can we prevent something from happening that is a part of God’s plan.
We are also reminded that miracles happen under our noses every day that we are so quick to explain away the simple answer that God is always accompanying us.
Herod missed his opportunity to know new life. He believed that he might force his vision of the world on others, and we see how wrong he was. He believed that he understood how the world really works, and we see how wrong he was. He believed that he could bring to bear every resource available to end this movement that had plagued the region since the appearance of the magi who followed a bright star to Bethlehem, and we see how wrong he was.
Miracles are granted to us every day yet we are so quick to explain away the simple answer that God is always accompanying us.
The miracle of the gift of Jesus is something that Herod would not acknowledge. The miracle of the hope of Jesus is a possibility that Herod wanted to erase because it was beyond his control. The miracle of the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of our own resurrection is something we do not want to miss, for we have read and understood Herod’s end. So let us not forget that . . . Miracles are granted to us every day yet we are so quick to explain away the simple answer that God is always accompanying us.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell.
Murillo: The Liberation of St. Peter
We linger over the story of Peter’s deliverance from the prison cell where he awaited Herod’s will. We imagine a winged warrior who goes into combat with such peaceful ease. We wonder if we are dreaming or if God is somehow delivering us from certain condemnation and death.
Get up quickly.
We do as the apparition commands. Half-asleep we struggle to find our balance; we tax our senses, asking for instant and accurate input. Is this a dream?
Put on your belt and your sandals.
The voice is real yet all is strange. There is an urgency and yet somehow we are not frightened. We grapple for the things of the world that we know well. They bring us comfort although we know they do not protect us in any way.
Put on your cloak and follow me.
Moving forward we convince ourselves that in a fleeting moment we will fully awaken to find ourselves in the well-known prison of our fear. We touch familiar objects as if to reassure ourselves . . . knowing that they hold no help for us, understanding that full and lasting assurance lies only in this lovely and dreamy apparition that leads us forward.
They passed the first guard and then the second.
The light breeze ruffles against our sleep-wrinkled cheeks. All seems real enough yet how is it that we slip so easily past the chains that fettered us so well and for so long?
They emerged and made their way down an alley.
It is true. Freedom has been gained. And with such slight effort! Who would have thought the battle might be so easily won?
Suddenly the angel left him.
And just as quickly as this powerful apparition appears it now evaporates; yet this new harmony lingers; fear does not pierce our newly-found armor. This winged hand of God has brought us to a peaceful place with ease and grace.
Then he recovered his senses.
Fully awake, we realize that disaster has been averted. Prayers have been answered. The miracle has taken place. We allow ourselves to dwell for a brief time in this new feeling of gift. A wave of gratitude surges up from our feet and wings through our body. Suddenlywe want to fly to those we love to deliver the Lord’s message of freedom.
He went to the house and knocked on the gateway door. A maid answered and was overjoyed. She ran to tell the others of his deliverance. They told her, “You are out of your mind”.
Detail: Murillo’s “Liberation of St. Peter”
Our news falls on disbelieving ears and yet we persist.
He continued to knock and when they opened the door they saw him and were astounded.
We fall into waiting arms as we announce the Good News for suddenlywe fully know that what we have been told is true.
He is risen. He saves. He conquers all. He has returned for us.
A year ago we looked at these verses and today they pop up again. When familiar scripture returns we have the opportunity to look a bit deeper – and today is no exception. A year ago we looked at the meaning of Epiphany, the state of being surprised by something we already know but have not yet acknowledged. Today we fast forward to watch Jesus at work among the crowds who throng to him now that the word has spread about his healing goodness. When we look more closely at these few short verses, where is the epiphany for us? Where is the surprise?
What is it that moves Jesus to grow into one who heals the blind, deaf, mute and diseased? At the sight of the crowds . . .
When is it that we see Jesus in our own lives? When is he beside us on the bus or train? When does he ride in the back seat of the car? When does he work in the cubicle down the row? When does he stand in the grocery line with us? At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them . . .
Why is it that Jesus continually forgives, consistently shows mercy and always delivers justice? Why do we shrink from his offer of relationship when we are rejected by others? Why do we turn away from the source of all goodness when we are distressed? At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned . . .
How is it that God walks among us healing constantly, consoling always and touching our lives with many small miracles and we do not see? At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus comes to us to mend and console. This is not surprising when we read his story. This is no Epiphany.
God gives us the choice to follow or reject Christ. This is not surprising when we consider how much God loves us. Neither is this is an Epiphany.
The Spirit accompanies and protects us at all times. This is not surprising when we remember the promise of the cross. Not even this is an Epiphany when we know the Gospel story.
At the sight of the crowds . . . We are only one in a crowd of billions and yet God knows our smallest needs and greatest hopes. Perhaps this is our Epiphany. God so loves us that he sends his only child into the world to retrieve and shepherd us. Christ so loves us that he is willing to redeem us. Christ’s compassion knows no bounds . . . so let us then respond to God’s call with our own Epiphany. Let us surprise ourselves . . . and follow willingly.
Many of us think of reality as a quality in opposition to spirituality. Today Paul tells us that this is not so and earlier this week a friend and I shared our thoughts on our own spirituality: who we are, why we exist, what our purpose is, and where we are going . . . spiritually.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling . . .The human condition is one in which we easily confuse our physical and spiritual states. Our surrounding world and prevailing pressures push us always away from God’s wisdom; they lure us into trusting the world’s wisdom.
The Spirit scrutinizes everything . . .We rely on word of mouth, on the Internet, and TVs talking heads, on anything other than God. We hesitate to examine our thoughts and actions too closely; we have drawn veils across the truths we do not wish to see.
We speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden . . .When we allow ourselves to make a journey of the cross, God’s wisdom begins to make more sense to us; the world’s wisdom begins to fade.
We speak about [the things freely given us by God] not by words taught by human wisdom but by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. We need to learn and use the vocabulary, syntax and linguistics of spirituality if we hope to engage in conversation with God closely; intimacy with God grows only when we devote time and energy to our own spiritual reality.
Who are we? Why are we? What are we doing? Where are we going?
These questions all have answers. These answers are not found in the world but in God. We find God in our own spiritual reality. We find our spiritual reality when we spend time with God.
As we approach the last day of the Christmas season and we commemorate the Magi who wisely bring gifts to the Messiah, let us find time and let us expend energy in the examination of our spiritual reality. And let us prepare to bring the gift of our spiritual selves to the one who created all, for it is in this open vulnerability to God and that we discover God’s wisdom. And it is in this willingness to know our spiritual reality . . . that we find the answers to these questions that define us.
From the CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE footnotes: “Paul . . . here thanks the Philippians for their gift of money sent throughEpaphroditus. Paul’s own policy was to be self-sufficient as a missionary, supporting himself by his own labor. In spite of this reliance on self and on God to provide, Paul accepted gifts from the Philippians . . . as he does here now, in prison”. (cf. Senior 317)
Paul sets out in his missionary zeal to earn his own wages as he travels through the Roman Empire telling the Good News to all. He suffers great deprivation and knows great bounty. Where he had once thought only to support himself, he now – in his prison cell – fully realizes the secret to a life lived well: Not only do we depend on God the Creator, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient and All Knowing but we also depend on God present to us in and through others. God of little surprises and sudden kindnesses. God ever-present in the faithful who remain as remnant. God providing power in our distress. This is where we find strength for everything.
I rejoice greatly in the Lord that now at last you revived your concern for me.Help us, Oh God of surprises, to be faithful to those with whom you have linked us.
You were, of course, concerned for me but lacked an opportunity. Guide us, Oh God of small wonders and powerful miracles, to be watchful for any opportunity to do your work.
I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself, to be self-sufficient. Remind us, Oh God who comes to us in the small Bethlehem Babe, that you came to humanity as a vulnerable child.
I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live in abundance. Show us, Oh God who was born in a stable, that the material goods we seek are dust in our hands.
In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. Call us, Oh God who dwells in each of us, to fully know and express the great secret you teach us through tribulation and joy.
I have strength for everything through him who empowers me. Tell us once again, Oh God who never falters, that our limitations become power when we live in you.
It was kind of you to share in my distress.Confirm for us, Oh God who never abandons the sheep of his kingdom, that you bring us liberation even in our deepest suffering.
And so we pray . . . Oh God of our dreaming and our waking, help us to balance the good and the bad, the sorrow and the joy, the pain and the elation. Abide in us all days and all nights, through our comings and goings, during our encampments and our wanderings, as we experience need and revel in plenty. Show us how to traverse the hills and valleys, how to endure the deserts and the wastelands, how to undergo deprivation and how to delight in bounty. Remind us to rejoice greatly in you always for you are never far, you are forever constant, and you are eternally present to us . . . even though we see you but darkly. We rely on you to bring us strength for everything both in our distress and in our gladness. We ask all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A re-post from December 30, 2012.
Senior, Donald, ed.THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.317. Print.
To reflect a bit more on Chapter 4 of Philippians, enter the words Cause for Joyinto the blog search bar and explore.
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
We are so often told – and we so often forget – that once we place ourselves in God’s hands we need not struggle. From the first books of the Torah to the final words of Revelation we hear this message and yet we fight with and against the world.
Sometimes we fear one another. We hoard money, goods, guns, plots and any object or idea we believe keeps us special . . . and this is sad because we are already special.
Sometimes we fear the past or the future. We look over our shoulders constantly or peer into the coming days looking for clues about how we should act and decide . . . and this is so senseless because these preoccupations takes us away from the holy present.
Sometimes we fear God. We look for full comprehension or we want total control; we deny, cajole, and make bargains . . . and this is so little of us because as John tells us today: The surest victory over the world comes not from our actions or thoughts but through our faith in God.
I write these things to you so that you may know you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything in accordance with his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked of him is ours.
John cannot speak more plainly to us. In his Gospel he tells us quite clearly that Jesus is the unique Son of God. He reminds us that salvation comes through our belief in the Son. He explains that “Jesus is not the victim of human injustice even though those who killed him were evil people. Jesus chose to offer his life for others so that they could see God’s love revealed on the cross. When we see God’s love on the cross, we are reminded that God identifies with the lowly, suffering people of the world by joining with them”. And finally, John’s Gospel describes for us how mutual love and unity express God’s love. (Senior RG 450-451) All of this is explained to us and yet our fears overcome our faith; we allow the turmoil of the world to overcome us; we forget that victory comes through our faith in the story that we witness through John and the other apostles.
John tells in his writings that he has witnessed all that he recounts – we are not reading a second, third or fourth-hand accounting. In his first letter, John intertwines the very real with the ideal and we may become confused with this fusion of two perspectives; yet in is this dance between two opposites and the synthesis they present, John describes a world of universal acceptance and love that we seek.
Jesus tells us endlessly that God’s simple commandment to us is his call to love. We struggle with this for we do not see it in the world we occupy.
John tells us endlessly that Jesus’ simple commandment to love comes directly from God the creator. We struggle with this and we let doubt and fear and a desire to control our world to take us over.
As we begin a new year in our western calendar, let us decide to put aside our anxieties about the world. Let us spend time reflecting with John, a man who accompanied Christ – God Among Us. And let us place all our fears and hopes in the hands of a God who loves us deeply and always . . . for it is in that place alone that we experience victory that conquers the world.
A re-post from December 31, 2012.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 450-451. Print.
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Dearest Creator God,![SunRise[1]](https://thenoontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sunrise1.jpg?w=300&h=195)
Whisper to us steadily; defend us always from the terrors. ![46564700-1246927298[1]](https://thenoontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/46564700-12469272981.jpg?w=300&h=205)
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