Every year before the big game, you’ll see the post on social media: “You should be as excited about church as about the Super Bowl. So when your pastor makes a point this Sunday, pour Gatorade over his head.” If Jeremiah ever dreamt of being hoisted on the shoulders of elders and carried out of the sanctuary in triumph after preaching a great sermon, he was certainly disappointed. There was no “Pastors Appreciation Month” to honor Jeremiah as God’s faithful servant or to celebrate his fruitful ministry. In fact, Jeremiah 26 tells about the time when he delivered the message God gave him, only to be arrested and charged with a capital offense! The year was 609 BC, early in Jehoiakim’s reign, just prior to the fall of Jerusalem (v 1). The sermon was a good one. Like all Biblical preachers, Jeremiah preached both law and grace. He explained the law of God, which exposes sin; and he proclaimed the grace of God, which forgives sin. There was still hope, if the people would repent. But if they failed to obey God, their city and their temple would be destroyed. If they doubted this possibility, all they had to do was visit Shiloh, the city where God used to dwell at the tent of meeting. When Israel disobeyed, the ark was taken, and Shiloh was made a ruin (v 2-6). Before Jeremiah could pronounce the benediction, the priests and prophets grabbed him—but not to carry him out like a champion. And all the people surrounded him—but not to get his autograph. Mob violence was about to break out, and the ugly scene would have ended in murder if the authorities had not shown up. At this point, God’s house became a courthouse (v 7-10). Jeremiah’s trial began with the plaintiffs calling for the death penalty even before they had made their case! In their minds, the prophet was guilty of both blasphemy and treason since he spoke against the temple and against Jerusalem. Outraged by Jeremiah’s bold preaching, they ignored his call for repentance and defended their national shrine and national pride (v 11). Once the charges were stated, the defendant entered his plea of “not guilty.” All Jeremiah had done was say what the LORD told him to say. As God’s faithful messenger, he wasn’t concerned about saving his own life. But he cautioned his accusers about putting an innocent man to death (v 12-15). Some people then came to Jeremiah’s defense, finding legal precedent in the case of Micah, who preached a similar message a century earlier (v 16-19). So Jeremiah’s life was spared, having displayed the courageous faith which was sadly lacking in another Jewish prophet named Uriah (v 20-24). For further meditation: