Homily Helper #4. Jeremiah in trouble. Not to fear, the Lord is here. And Jesus? Once more he argues his divinity, once more he is threatened, once more escapes, his time not yet arrived.

Friday of the Fifth of Week Lent, 2025, translating the translation . . .

Being a prophet is no cakewalk. Jeremiah 20:10-13

He hears whispering, There’s terror everywhere he looks. His so-called friends expect him to falter. Once he does, they tell each other, they will have their revenge.

But he knows his Lord is with him, “like a mighty warrior.” His enemies will fail and be disgraced forever.

He prays, “You who know who probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.”

We join him in prayer to God, rescuer of our day’s prophets.

Facing the opposition, John 10:31-42:

The Jews took up stones again.

Jesus reminded them of his “good works,” asking for which of them they would stone him.

For none of them, they said. It’s your blasphemy, your claiming to be the Son of God.

He carried the argument further, conceding that if he did not do the “good works” of the Father, they needn’t believe his claim.

But if he did them, the healing, the exorcism and the rest, that should be enough to quell their skepticism. Convince them that the Father was in him, and he was in the Father.

Once more they chose to cling to their unbelief and once more sought to take him, but he escaped.