Книга пророка Иеремии, Глава 20, стих 10. Толкования стиха

JEREMIAH’S FIRE WITHIN. AMBROSE: I think, too, we cannot leave out of sight that fire when we read that the Lord Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as John said in his Gospel. Rightly was the sacrifice consumed, for it was for sin. But that fire was a type of the Holy Spirit, who was to come down after the Lord’s ascension and forgive the sins of all, and who like fire inflames the mind and faithful heart. For this reason, Jeremiah, after receiving the Spirit, says, “It became in my heart as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am vile and cannot bear it.” DUTIES OF THE CLERGY 3.28.102.

LOVE IS LIKE THE FIRE THAT CHRIST SENDS. AMBROSE: Indeed, Christ, loving Moses, appeared to him in fire, and Jeremiah, having in himself the gift of divine love, said, “There was a burning fire in my bones, and I have become weakened on every side, and I cannot bear it.” Love is good, then, having wings of burning fire as it flies through the breasts and hearts of the saints and consumes whatever is material and earthly but tests whatever is pure and with its fire makes better whatever it has touched. This fire the Lord Jesus sent on earth, and faith shone bright, devotion was enkindled, love was illuminated, and justice was filled with splendor. ISAAC, OR THE SOUL 8.77.

GOD’S PRESENCE OVERWHELMS THE WORTHY. AMBROSE: Now, God reveals in part and in mystery to those who are worthy, and he sheds forth the Spirit and from his countenance, like a torrent, a brilliant light, so that a person who has been illumined may say, “And there was in my bones a flaming fire, and I am melted on all sides and cannot bear it.” And David says, “Let my sentence come forth from your presence.” LETTER 49.

DO NOT QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT. ATHANASIUS: For so shall we remain partakers of Christ if we hold fast to the end the Spirit given at the beginning. For he said, “do not quench,” not because the Spirit is placed in the power of people and is able to suffer anything from them, but because bad and unthankful people manifestly wish to quench it, since they, like the impure, persecute the Spirit with unholy deeds. . . . Now they, being without understanding, and deceitful and lovers of sin, walk still as in darkness, not having that “light that lights every one who comes in the world.” Now a fire such as this laid hold of Jeremiah the prophet, when the word was in him as a fire and he said, “I leave every place and am not able to endure it.” And our Lord Jesus Christ, being good and a lover of humankind, came that he might cast this on earth, and he said, “And would that it were already kindled!” FESTAL LETTERS 3.4.

I CAN DO NO OTHER. JEROME: Jeremiah says here, in effect: “As I am crying out and saying that the Babylonian army is coming and that the sword of the enemy will plunder us all, the word of the Lord is turned against me as a derision and a reproach, since they believe that the tardiness of a prophecy’s fulfillment is tantamount to a lie. For this reason, I’ve decided within myself that I will no longer speak the word of God to the people of God, nor will I name his name. I am overcome with shame and embarrassment, however, at making this foolish resolution, as what feels like a burning fire is ablaze in my heart and enclosed in my bones, and I am altogether undone and therefore unable to bear it.” For a divine word conceived in the soul, which is not then uttered through the mouth, burns in the chest. This is why Paul said, “If I evangelize, no glory redounds to me, for the need to preach the gospel is incumbent on me. Indeed, woe to me if I fail to preach! If I do so willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, an office is entrusted to me.” Moreover, seeing in Athens a city devoted to idolatry, Paul was incited by the Spirit and became impassioned with his whole mind. Hence, later in the same book we read, “When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was devoting himself to the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.” But a great many teachers in the church even today sustain against themselves similar invective from a number of congregations, hearing their audience say, “Oppose them! Let us oppose them!” SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 4.23.2-5.

JEREMIAH GAVE IN. CHRYSOSTOM: Jeremiah, having borne many temptations, gave in on these, and when he was rebuked, said, “I will not prophesy, neither will I name the name of the Lord.” And David, too, in many places complains of rebuke. Isaiah also, after many things, admonishes concerning this, saying, “Do not fear the reproach of people, neither be overcome by their reviling.” And again, Christ also to his disciples: “When they shall speak all manner of evil against you falsely, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” HOMILIES ON 2 CORINTHIANS 12.3.

CONSUMED WITH PROPHETIC PASSION. ISAAC OF NINEVEH: For they do not make their journey upon the royal highway as other men, but these giants select for themselves short-cuts, whereby gloriously they journey swiftly to the Heavenly mansions. For this hope so inflames them, as with fire, that they cannot rest from their incessant and headlong course on account of their joy. There comes to pass in them what was spoken by the blessed Jeremiah, “I said, ‘I shall not remember Him nor speak His name.’ And there was in my heart as it were a flaming fire and it entered into my bones.” Such is the recollection of God in the hearts of people who are drunk with hope on his promises. ASCETICAL HOMILIES 71.

CHRIST’S PROPHETIC CAREER. ORIGEN: And so far as the literal truth is concerned, it is useful to recount what things Jeremiah suffered among the people, with respect to which he said, “And I said, I will not speak, nor will I call on the name of the Lord.” And again, elsewhere, “I was continually being mocked.” And how great sufferings he endured from the then king of Israel are written in his prophecy. And it is also written that some of the people often came to stone Moses to death. His homeland was not the stones of any place but was instead the people who followed him, among whom also he was dishonored. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 10.1.8.

THE SICK REJECT THEIR PHYSICIAN. ORIGEN: That people then were sick. There were all kinds of diseases among those who had the name of the people of God. God sent to them the prophets as healers. One of the healers was Jeremiah. He reproved the sinners, since he wanted those who do evil to return. Yet, though needing to hear what was said, they accused the prophet, and they accused before judges similar to themselves. And always the prophet was judged by those who, with respect to his prophecy, had been cured but were not cured because of their own disobedience. It is due to them that he says, “And I said, ‘I will no longer speak nor name the name of the Lord.’ But it happened as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am weakened on all sides, and I cannot bear it.” He said, seeing himself as one who always is judged, abused, accused and falsely testified against, “Woe is me, mother. What kind of man did you bear me?” He was not speaking as a man who judges but as one who is judged, and not as one who disputes but one who is disputed over all of the earth. Since those who are sick do not hear him when he advises for their good and well being, he says, “I have not helped.” HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 14.2.