This document summarizes a passage from the Book of Jeremiah in the Bible. It discusses God calling Jeremiah to be a prophet at a young age, around 20 years old, despite Jeremiah's doubts and reluctance. The document notes that God assured Jeremiah He would provide the necessary grace to accomplish the task and that Jeremiah should not be crushed by opposition but should proclaim God's message boldly as God would defend him.

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educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

2. 4 The word of the LORD came to
me thus:
5 Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, before you
were born I dedicated you, a
prophet to the nations I
appointed you.
17 But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them all that I
command you. Be not crushed
on their account, as though I
would leave you crushed
before them;
18 For it is I this day who have
made you a fortified city,
A pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
Against Judah’s kings and
princes, against its priests and
people.
19 They will fight against you,
but not prevail over you, for I
am with you to deliver you,
says the LORD.

3. It is thought that Jeremiah was
about 20 years old when God
called him in the thirteenth year
of Josiah (626 B.C.).
Jeremiah came from a long line of
priests and was also expected
to become a priest.
Serving as a prophet was much
more demanding than serving
as a priest because priesthood
was a predictable occupation.
Priest preserved the past by
conducting Temple services and
administering the religious laws.
When prophets saw people going
in the wrong direction they tried
to bring them back to the right
path and thus being a prophet
was a difficult and unpopular
task.
Priests were supported by the
sacrifices and offerings of the
people but prophets didn’t have
a guaranteed income.
Jeremiah was full of self-doubt but
as verse 5 points out God had
chosen him for the task ahead
even before his conception.

4. When God chooses you for a
task, parenthood, fireman,
grocer, etc., He will also
provide you with the
necessary grace to
accomplish the task.
God chose St. Paul to bring the
Gospel to the Gentiles and
Paul had self-doubts.
1 Cor. 15:9-10 “For I am the
least of the apostles, unfit to
be called an apostle, because
I persecuted the church of
God.
10 But by the grace of God I am
what I am, and his grace
toward me was not in vain.
On the contrary, I worked harder
than any of them, though it
was not I, but the grace of God
which is with me.”
To claim the inability to answer
God’s call due to personal
weakness is a sign of pride
NOT humility.
The humble say yes and trust
the Lord to provide them with
the needed graces to
successfully accomplish the
task ahead.

5. What we are is God’s gift to us;
what we do with it is our gift to
Him.
God gave Jeremiah three
instructions,
1) Go to whomever I send you
(1.7)
2) Whatever I command you to
speak you shall speak (1.7)
3) Have no fear of the people
because I am with you (1:8)
When surrounded by enemies
Jeremiah would be like
a fortified city which could not be
conquered (1:18).
If he were forced to stand alone
he would be as strong as an
iron pillar (1:18).
When attacked on all sides he
would be as unbending as a
bronze wall (1:18).
Jeremiah had faith in God that
was strong enough to proclaim
His word without worrying
about his own popularity.

6. Throughout history, God’s
servants have been
persecuted.
Jeremiah was imprisoned,
Peter and Paul were
martyred, Stephen was
stoned but through it all they
had a faith strong enough to
challenge all that society
could throw at them.
It isn’t easy to stand alone, to
resist the crowd, and to be
opposed to the popular
philosophies and values of
the day but when we publicly state
God’s word, His truth, the Lord
will be with us to help and to
defend us.