Who wants to be Prophet?

Being a prophet–your job is simple, yet extremely difficult.  You must tell the people to repent.  That is the easy part.  The hard part is getting people to listen to you. 

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, even John, did not fill out forms and surveys and go to career counseling to find out that they had all of the qualifications to be a prophet  They sort of fell into the profession.  Most of them didn’t want the job.  God gave them the job, God called them to the job.  God gave them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Are you a prophet?  Do you have the right stuff? 

Well, let’s see, what might some of the job qualifications be….?

You’ve got to be smart 

You have to have extensive knowledge of the Law.  In this case the Jewish Torah.  Prophets refer again and again to the Law.  Like a lawyer today, you have to have a broad knowledge of Midrash, that is, what is the letter of the law, as well as what is behind it.  John the Baptist was well educated, and his father was a priest. 

You have to be faithful.  

You must have faith in what God is telling you.  Prophets tend to suffer a great deal, so one must have faith, that all of their suffering is worth it.  Think of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.  He was a modern day prophet.  He suffered for the non-violent cause.  He took his cause to the faithful because he believed that ALL men are created equal.           

You have got to carve your own niche. 

Musicians, Comedians, Actors, they all have to carve out their own style—to separate themselves from the pack.  As a prophet, you have to have imagination enough to come up with your own delivery.  Ezekiel was strange, and did strange things to demonstrate his message.  John the Baptist had a unique way to deliver his message. Both had the same message, in fact, it seems that all prophets have the same underlying message—REPENT!  Change your ways.  

You have to be resilient. 

Can you handle rejection?  You have to have thick skin, like a telemarketer.  They get rejected all the time.  Yet, if they make one sale in a hundred calls, it is probably worth it.  The same is true for a prophet.  If they can save one person, then it is worth all their effort.  The prophets were rejected.  Many to the point of death.  But they were killed or martyred because they refused to yield on their message.  It was usually against those in authority.  Those in authority usually don’t like to be told they are wrong.   

John has a difficult message to deliver.  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  The priests and the Levites are questioning him.  Certainly people are impressed with John.  So many people are going to the Jordan River that the priests and the Levites have taken notice.  They are the authority, and they are concerned.  They may feel threatened, or amused.  Is the baptizing prophet John, the real thing- or a fraud?

John would become so popular that King Herod would take notice of him.  And then John has the difficult job of delivering a message that the King or his wife, would not want to hear.  His message is so anti-establishment that he is thrown in prison.     

John has to deliver a message that is not going to be received well.  He is telling people to ‘REPENT!’ that is, change your ways and get back to God.  It is a simple message.  It is a message of salvation.  This is about a having a closer, deeper, relationship with God.   

The prophet John has a message that could fall on deaf ears.  “Change” your ways.  “Change our ways!  We don’t want to change.  We don’t like change—even if it means the Kingdom of God.”  We want the kingdom of God, but we don’t want to change. 

Here is the final part of the job description for any applicant,

Must be able to take criticism and handle adversity.

That is what is happening to every prophet!  John lost his head.  Isaiah gave his cheeks to those who would pluck his beard and Isaiah didn’t hide his face.  Jeremiah was thrown in a well.  Jesus was crucified.  Dr. King was imprisoned and assassinated.

Imagine having that kind of courage.  The prophets stand for what is right, and will take all kinds of abuse in the process.  That is why we need prophets, because there is too much ‘wrong’ in the world today.  There is too much going on that is unchecked.  The prophet stands and says the very unpopular, “Hey, that ain’t right!” 

I went to a concert and at the ticket entrance there was a young man with a megaphone, and he was preaching the gospel.  He was in every respect a prophet.  He was being mocked and ridiculed.  People were laughing at him, calling him names, and they were walking away.  But I was amazed at the prophet’s tenacity.  There he stood with his megaphone and a small band of disciples gathered around.  His message was clear, “Repent!” 

Make Straight the Way of the Lord! 

Prophets need support.  You may agree with them, but you don’t want to risk putting your neck out there for them.  If there is someone out there doing the right thing, support them.  If there is someone out there doing the wrong things—call them on it. 

Isaiah and John were voices crying out in the wilderness. 

Sometimes it may feel like you are lost in the wilderness. 

Sometimes it may feel like you are crying to be heard.

Cry out for justice. Cry out for the kingdom. Cry out for the weary. But don’t just cry- Make straight the way.

Prepare the way –  Prepare the way for peace and justice. Prepare the way for Hope and Love.