Jeremiah 26:1-6: a reflection

1In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2“The LORD says: ‘Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word. 3It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’” 4You shall tell them, “The LORD says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you, 5to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them—but you have not listened— 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”

When God sends Jeremiah to speak to the people, he gives a striking instruction: to speak all the words God commands, not omitting a single one, however unwelcome. Stand in the court of the LORD's house, God says, and speak all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don't omit a word. And God's hope in this is that they may listen and turn: it may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent. Jeremiah was not to soften or edit God's message, leaving out the hard parts to make it more palatable; he was to speak the whole word faithfully, not omitting anything, trusting God's purpose that some might hear and repent. This shows the call to speak God's whole word faithfully, not omitting the hard parts. Speak God's whole word faithfully, not leaving out the hard parts. Do not soften or edit God's message to make it palatable. God's word is to be spoken in full, in hope of repentance. Faithfulness means not omitting a word of what God says.

Notice both the instruction and the hope behind it. God tells Jeremiah to speak all his words and not to omit one; and the hope is that the people, hearing the whole truth, might turn from their evil and be spared. This is instructive about faithfulness in speaking God's word. There is a real temptation, for anyone who speaks God's truth, to soften it, to edit out the hard parts, the warnings, the calls to repentance, the uncomfortable truths, in order to make the message more palatable, less likely to offend. But God tells Jeremiah not to do this: not to omit a word, but to speak the whole message faithfully, even the hard parts. And notice the reason: it is precisely the whole truth, including its hard warnings, that might lead the people to repent and be spared. To soften the message, leaving out the hard parts, would actually be unloving, depriving people of the very truth that might turn them. Faithfulness to God's word, and real love for people, call us to speak the whole truth, not omitting the hard parts, trusting that God can use it to lead people to repentance. We do well to speak God's truth faithfully and fully, not editing out what is uncomfortable. Speak God's whole truth, not omitting the hard parts, in love. Softening the message deprives people of truth that might turn them. Faithfulness and love speak the whole word, even the hard parts. Do not edit out the uncomfortable truths of God's word.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to speak God's whole word faithfully, not omitting the hard parts, as God told Jeremiah not to omit a word, in the hope that people might hear and turn. We can be tempted to soften God's message, editing out the hard parts to make it more palatable; but God told Jeremiah to speak the whole word, not omitting anything, and the reason was that the whole truth might lead the people to repentance. The whole truth is what saves. Do not edit out the hard parts of God's word to make it palatable; speak it faithfully and fully, in love, trusting God to use it. Speak God's whole word faithfully and in love, not omitting the hard parts to make it more palatable, as God sent Jeremiah to stand in the court of the temple and speak all the words God commanded, not omitting a word, in the hope that the people might listen and each turn from his evil way so that God might relent; for there is a real temptation, for anyone who speaks God's truth, to soften it and edit out the hard parts, the warnings, the calls to repentance, the uncomfortable truths, to make the message less likely to offend, but God told Jeremiah not to do this but to speak the whole message faithfully, even the hard parts, and the reason was that it is precisely the whole truth, including its hard warnings, that might lead the people to repent and be spared, so that to soften the message and leave out the hard parts would actually be unloving, depriving people of the very truth that might turn them, and faithfulness to God's word and real love for people call us to speak the whole truth, not omitting what is uncomfortable, trusting that God can use it to lead people to repentance.

Lord, when you send Jeremiah to speak to the people, you give a striking instruction: to speak all the words you command, not omitting a single one, however unwelcome. Stand in the court of the LORD's house, you say, and speak all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don't omit a word. And your hope in this is that they may listen and turn: it may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent. Jeremiah was not to soften or edit your message, leaving out the hard parts to make it more palatable; he was to speak the whole word faithfully, trusting your purpose that some might hear and repent. This shows the call to speak your whole word faithfully, not omitting the hard parts. Show me both the instruction and the hope behind it. You tell Jeremiah to speak all your words and not to omit one; and the hope is that the people, hearing the whole truth, might turn from their evil and be spared. There is a real temptation, for anyone who speaks your truth, to soften it, to edit out the hard parts, the warnings, the calls to repentance, in order to make the message more palatable. But you tell Jeremiah not to do this. And the reason is that it is precisely the whole truth, including its hard warnings, that might lead people to repent. To soften the message would actually be unloving, depriving people of the very truth that might turn them. Take that to my heart, for I am called to speak your whole word faithfully, not omitting the hard parts, in the hope that people might hear and turn. When I speak your truth, keep me from softening it or editing out the hard parts to make it palatable; help me speak it faithfully and fully, Lord, in love, trusting that you can use the whole truth to lead people to repentance.