When despair is turned into hope

Friday in the Fifth Week in Lent

Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18; Jn 10:31-42.


There is a pattern that we see repeated in today's first reading, psalm and gospel. They all start with expressions of despair and in some way also anger, but then towards the end of the reading, the words of despair are turned into words of hope.

Jeremiah is probably the prophet who suffered most in the entire Old Testament. He denounces the King's injustice and as a result is harshly persecuted. We know that Jeremiah is tied with ropes and lowered into a well which was full of mud. He uses very strong words:
Let us denounce him!
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.
 And then there is a word which changes the whole tone: "But the Lord..." It is as though Jeremiah remembers in the midst of all his affliction God's righteousness and mercy. Even though he cannot see it at the moment, he believes and speaks as though he is already benefiting from it.
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
This is a clear example of how real prayer in the midst of suffering must be. Perhaps we are not denouncing the King, perhaps we are not lowered into a well of mud, but we all encounter situations of suffering, perhaps also of despair as Jeremiah encountered. Even those closest to us, those whom we do not even expect, might in some way fail us, either because of misundertanding or simply because of human weakness. And the pain is greater. However we must learn from this pryaer of Jeremiah but also of the psalmists who turn their cries of anger into cries of hope:
The breakers of death surged round about me
the destroying floods overwhelmed me
the cords of the nether world enmeshed me
the snared of death overtook me (Psalm 18)
What are the breakers of death and the cords of the nether world? Sin. The worst enemy that we can encounter is not he or she who can damage our body, but whatever can damage our soul.  Yet even during those moments, we know that we are not entirely lost. We cry out in the voice of Jesus on the cross who gathers our prayers and offers them to the Father:
In my distress I called upon the LORD
and cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
 Somebody once said that if it is not a happy ending, it is not the end yet. This might be just another one of those quotes, but we see something similar happening in today;s gospel. Jesus is criticised by his listeners because he is too challenging for them, such that they are even prepared to stone him. Yet, despite all this, there are still some who see the signs and therefore believe.

May we never be overcome by discouragement. Rather, may we keep hope always burning in our heart, that hope that can only come from a faith deeply grounded in Jesus Christ.

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