prayer, dialogue, Martha and Jesus - 17th wekk Tuesday 2014

Our first reading is a beautiful prayer.  It is part of the Lamentations of Jeremiah written during the war that would bring Judah to what we call in history as the Babylonian Exile. 

But first let us ask what is a prophet?  Sometimes we have that wrong understanding that a prophet is one who predicts the future.  No that is not a prophet, that is a fortune teller.  In the bible a prophet is a prophet because he speaks for God, he speaks to the people on God’s behalf.  He brings and reveals, so to say, the heart of God. And yet at the same time a prophet is a prophet because he speaks to God in behalf of the people. He brings and reveals, so to say, the heart, the collective cry of the people to God.  And this is why I refer to our reading as a beautiful prayer for the prophet Jeremiah in this instance speaks both ways. 

First God speaks through Jeremiah  - Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, Over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword; If I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger.”  God reveals his feelings, he is hurt, he is pained and he is full of compassion and tenderness for his people. 

Then in a subtle change of tone Jeremiah begins to speak in behalf of the people. “Have you cast Judah off completely? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?  We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.  For your name’s sake spurn us not, remember your covenant with us, and break it not.”

It is a beautiful prayer because God is allowed to speak from his heart and Jeremiah speaks too from his heart.  Prayer is always a dialogue, a dialogue between two persons in love with each other. 

This too is the attitude of Martha to Jesus – Lord if you had been here my brother would never have died.  Jesus replied, Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord.  I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

This too is prayer – to allow our hearts to speak, to allow Jesus to speak to us.  This is prayer.

It is a beautiful prayer because God is allowed to speak from his heart and Jeremiah speaks too from his heart.  Prayer is always a dialogue, a dialogue between two persons in love with each other.  Is this also our prayer when we come to church?  When we pray are we in love with God?