November 19, 2025
“So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.” (Jeremiah 38:6)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Put yourself in Jeremiah’s shoes. Wait, maybe don’t do that. Jeremiah is standing in mud. At the bottom of a cistern. Waiting to die.
Jeremiah could’ve avoided the cistern treatment if only he had agreed to go along with the current wisdom, if only he had spoken what was popular. He didn’t. Now he’s waiting to die, sunk in the cistern’s mud.
It can be hard to turn our backs on the worldly temptations of prestige, popularity, or power. When our world pressures us to bow down to the predominant ideology or current movements, the reasonable response can seem to be “Go along to get along.” The world’s recognition is a siren song.
The prophet Jeremiah did not go along to get along. Rather than seek the king’s favor and secure friendship with the public, Jeremiah did the opposite. He spoke the Word the Lord had given him, even when everyone wanted to hear a different word, and found himself standing in the cistern mud, waiting to die.
Of course, we know Jeremiah was rescued. The Lord was not ready to have his Word shut down. The Lord was about the business of giving the gift of repentance, rescue, and salvation to his people, and Jeremiah was his appointed mouthpiece. But the worldly lesson was clear: the easiest path would’ve been for Jeremiah to speak words acceptable to the world, and to go to sleep at night in his own comfortable bed with the approval of the king, not sinking in mud.
Many generations later, around 1230 A.D., St. Elizabeth of Hungary is quoted as saying, “How could I bear a crown of gold when the Lord bears a crown of thorns? And bears it for me!” That’s the suffering of every person in our world, including Jeremiah, whose faith is in the promised Christ.
The preaching of the cross turns us away from the siren song of worldly prestige, popularity, or power. It turns us to the Word of Jesus, the Gospel of our redemption.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
By all Your saints in warfare, For all Your saints at rest, Your holy name, O Jesus, Forevermore be blest! For You have won the battle That they might wear the crown; And now they shine in glory Reflected from Your throne. We praise you for the prophet Who spoke your word at cost, He stood in the cistern mud— foreshadow of your cross. From the mouth of Jeremiah, we heard your word impart Your Gospel of redemption To cleanse the sinful heart. ( LSB 517:1, verse for Jeremiah)
Author: Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.
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