a successful life

So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at Tahpanhes. (Jeremiah 43:4-7 ESV)

What kind of an ending is that?

The hapless prophet is carried off against his wishes and counsel into another Egyptian bondage. More stern words of coming judgment, of the relentless pursuit of the Babylonian sword after a faithless and fickle people.

We would instinctively write a happier ending. We crave resolution. We demand the tying up of loose ends. But this is like a bad movie, the camera panning out as Jeremiah wails in Tahpanhes and then the screen darkens and the credits roll. Or wait, there are no credits. There’s not even a dramatic THE END. Jeremiah just fades, leaving us hanging, wondering...

I’ve always been struck by the seemingly utterly fruitless and unsuccessful nature of Jeremiah’s ministry.

He didn’t build anything.

He didn’t end up with a faithful band of followers around him. (Though he did have Baruch, for whom Jeremiah’s final word is “Do you seek great things? Seek them not.” What a timeless word for ministry!)

Flaccid kings never took his counsel.

Everyone judged his motives.

No one listened to him.

He was a prophet to the nations…but he never travelled anywhere…except to Egypt at the end of his life against his will.

The first edition of his book was cut up piece by piece and thrown into the fire.

No further copies were sought – though he made one anyway.

The stains from the muddy pit that was Jeremiah’s life ultimately left indelibly upon him the marks of a true saint; his muddied footprints the outline of a truly successful life.

Oh to one day be worthy of carrying those sandals…