1st Reading – Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
In those days, the princes said to the king:
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
Today’s first reading drops us into the middle of a tense and turbulent story — a prophet in conflict with political power, during a national crisis.
In those days, the princes said to the king: “Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
The year is 588 BC. Jerusalem is under siege by Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah, sent by God, has warned the leaders of Judah of impending destruction due to their persistent injustice, idolatry, and disregard for the covenant.
His message is not welcome.
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
Jeremiah’s warnings are interpreted as defeatism. The princes accuse him of undermining morale and betraying the nation, though he is calling them to repentance and trust in God’s plan — even if it includes surrender to Babylon.
The literal Hebrew expression is “he weakens the hands of the men of war.”
he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.”
Rather than accept the hard truth, they scapegoat the prophet.
This is a recurring biblical theme: the faithful servant of God is often rejected by those in power (cf. Luke 11:47–51).
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”; for the king could do nothing with them.
Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, is portrayed as weak and indecisive. Though he knows Jeremiah speaks the truth (see Jeremiah 37:17), he capitulates to the demands of the princes.
And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes.
Jeremiah is lowered into a dry cistern — likely a deep, bottle-shaped water storage pit with mud at the bottom. It’s a calculated attempt to silence him without shedding blood.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Cisterns were common throughout ancient Judah, especially in cities like Jerusalem, where water sources were scarce. These reservoirs were hewn into rock and lined with lime-based plaster to store rainwater. Their narrow openings helped reduce contamination and evaporation. By late summer, many cisterns would be nearly empty, leaving only thick mud at the bottom.
This image is rich in symbolism: the prophet literally descends into the earth, abandoned and silenced, evoking the experience of death or burial.
Ebed-melech went there from the palace and said to him, “My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern.
A surprising figure enters: Ebed-melech, a foreigner and court official from Cush (Ethiopia), courageously intercedes. His name means “servant (’ebed) of the king (melek),” yet here he serves the true King by defending God’s prophet.
His action highlights that fidelity to God is not bound by nationality or status.
He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city.”
His appeal reminds Zedekiah — and the reader — of the worsening conditions in Jerusalem. They are losing the battle against the Babylonians.
Whether out of guilt, fear, or genuine concern, the king relents.
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.
At the urging of Ebed-melech, the king gives permission for Jeremiah’s rescue. Zedekiah had a pattern of agreeing with everyone, which resulted in turmoil. His wavering leadership reveals the fragility of human power when detached from divine truth.
Early Christian writers saw in this episode a foreshadowing of Christ. Olympiodorus, a 6th-century commentator, wrote:
“The prophet becomes a figure of the mystery of Christ, who was handed over by Pilate to the Jews, descended into hell, and was raised from the dead. Jeremiah climbs out of the cistern he was cast into; Scripture often refers to hell as a cistern” (Fragmenta in Jeremiam, 38, 6).
2nd Reading – Hebrews 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
The next installment of our semi-continuous journey through Hebrews is a stirring exhortation for communal endurance.
Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
The author invokes the image of a grand arena, where spectators surround the field of competition. These spectators — the “great cloud of witnesses” — are the faithful figures of the Old Testament, which the author highlights in the passage just before this reading (Hebrews 11).
Just as athletes might be encouraged by the presence of a cheering crowd, we too are supported and inspired by the faithful who came before us. Their lives of trust in God become a source of strength as we press forward in our own journey of faith.
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
Like runners shedding anything that hinders their speed, Christians must cast off sin and spiritual distractions. Clinging to such burdens saps our strength and slows our progress toward holiness.
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
For Christians, life is a participatory race, not a spectator sport.
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.
Success in any athletic venture requires the athlete to have a goal that is kept uppermost in mind. The author insists that our goal is Jesus, who has already run (and won) the race.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
Jesus is the preeminent model, having faithfully endured both the cross and the opposition of others. Having been put to death, he is now seated triumphantly in the place of honor, at God’s right hand.
Christ’s example strengthens us when weariness threatens to undermine our perseverance.
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Though the early Christians had faced genuine trials and persecution, they had not yet endured martyrdom as Christ had. Their suffering was real, but not beyond bearing — especially when sustained by the presence of Christ and the communion of saints.
Gospel – Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus declares that his mission will provoke division, highlighting the radical and often disruptive nature of true discipleship.
Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire,
In Scripture, fire is often used to describe God’s burning love for humanity (Deuteronomy 4:24, Exodus 13:21-22).
Jesus comes to ignite this divine fire in our hearts, a fire of conversion, purification, and mission. God’s love refines and transforms those who receive it — but can also consume what resists it.
and how I wish it were already blazing!
Jesus expresses deep longing for the fulfillment of his mission. His words convey urgency and zeal — he yearns for the fire of God’s kingdom to take hold in the world, even knowing the cost.
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Jesus refers to his impending Passion — his self-offering on the Cross—as a baptism, a total immersion into suffering and death, from which he will rise victorious.
His anguish is not fear of the suffering to come but the intense longing for his saving mission to reach its fulfillment.
As he moves toward this act of perfect love, he embodies his own words: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
Although Christ came into the world with a message of peace (Luke 2:14) and reconciliation (Romans 5:11), his message provokes conflict where sin resists grace.
The peace of Christ is not mere calm or the absence of strife, but the profound harmony that comes from living in right relationship with God. Such peace divides, for every heart must freely choose either to receive him or to turn away.
From infancy, Christ was a sign of contradiction (Luke 2:34), and throughout his ministry, his words divided people. Some embraced the truth and followed him; others rejected it — often responding with anger, even persecution. Jesus witnessed this firsthand.
From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Christ’s call is radical. It requires absolute allegiance, even above our most intimate human relationships. It unsettles cultural norms and challenges personal comforts.
It also offers no easy reassurance: Believers can accept Christ’s teaching and the rejection that may result, or reject his teaching and endure the fire of judgment. Each person must choose.
His words are both a warning and a call to courageous discipleship.
“The fire is Christ’s own passion of love, a fire that is to be handed on. Whoever comes close to him must be prepared to be burned. This is a fire that makes things bright and pure and free and grand. Being a Christian, then, is daring to entrust oneself to this burning fire. The message of the Church is there precisely in order to conflict with our behavior, to tear man out of his life of lies and to bring clarity and truth. Truth makes demands, and it also burns.” —Pope Benedict XVI
Connections and Themes
The cost of discipleship. Following Christ is never a neutral choice; it carries a real cost. In our first reading, Jeremiah was left to die in a muddy cistern for proclaiming God’s word to a rebellious people. In our second reading, Paul informs us that we will have to rid ourselves of sin in order to run the race. Jesus warns in the gospel reading that his mission will not bring easy harmony but division, even within families. To accept Christ is to accept the fire of purification and the tension of living in a world that resists grace.
Divine assistance. The cost of discipleship would crush us if we faced it alone. Jeremiah survived only because God sent Ebed-melech to rescue him. Ultimately, our truest support comes from Jesus, who came to set the world — and our hearts — on fire. By enduring the cross, he gives us both example and strength to follow.
The communion of saints. Another source of support and inspiration is the “great cloud of witnesses” from our second reading: the saints, prophets, and faithful ones who have gone before us and now cheer us on. These are not distant spectators but fellow travelers who have already finished their race, leaving behind a legacy of faith. Through their example, support, and prayers, we find strength and encouragement to persevere in our own journey to God.
Sunday Readings 