As people of Faith, we donate in many ways: some give Time, some focus Interest and others contribute a Wealth-of-Appreciation in Jesus-Name. Our Lord moves intellectual riches through people of Good-Will. Those who Love and Respect God’s wisdom populate Pews in reverence of His-Spirit. Most everyone is free to allocate Time, a cherished commodity, however they choose. Christians receive Grace, Security and Prosperity from God who appreciates every minute they take for their Dignity and the Good of all His Church.

Our Lord is thankful beyond imagination, for His-Kingdom will have no end. In return, Jesus shares His Gift-of-Life to all who Believe His historic triumph over Death. Life is a Treasure that God designed out of Love; not to be bought or bartered, only given, or received of one another. Jesus appreciated everything God, His Father, created; including His very own destiny which He accepted to emphasize the importance of Sacred scripture to all Humanity.

“When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words the Lord, their God, sent to them, Azariah, son of Hoshaiah, Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the others had the insolence to say to Jeremiah: “You lie; the Lord, our God, did not send you to tell us, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there.’ Baruch, son of Neriah, is inciting you against us, to hand us over to the Chaldeans to be killed or exiled to Babylon.”

So Johanan, son of Kareah, and the rest of the leaders and the people did not listen to the voice of the Lord to stay in the land of Judah.Instead, Johanan, son of Kareah, and the military leaders took along all the remnant of Judah who had been dispersed among the nations and then had returned to dwell in the land of Judah: men, women, and children, the princesses and everyone whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, had consigned to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah, the prophet, and Baruch, son of Neriah. They went to Egypt—they did not listen to the voice of the Lord—and came to Tahpanhes.

Jeremiah in Egypt.The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: Take some large stones in your hand and set them in mortar in the terrace at the entrance to the house of Pharaoh in Tahpanhes, while the Judahites watch.Then say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will place his throne upon these stones which I, Jeremiah, have set up, and stretch his canopy above them. 

He shall come and strike the land of Egypt: with death, those marked for death; with exile, those marked for exile; with the sword, those marked for the sword. He shall set fire to the temples of Egypt’s gods, burn the gods and carry them off. He shall pick the land of Egypt clean, as a shepherd picks lice off his cloak, and then depart victorious. He shall smash the obelisks at the Temple of the Sun in the land of Egypt and destroy with fire the temples of the Egyptian gods.” (Jeremiah 43:1-13 NABRE)

When God speaks it is important to be Attentive, Open and Grateful for His message; a thankful response can clear our mind and free our voice from an all-too-common Worldly reply. Today’s Scripture is typical because at first read its lesson is absurd or meaningless, but vital to whom it was intended. My point is simple, our Lord received and followed God’s will To-the-Tee; Triumphant are those who Go-Forth and Listen to God’s voices.