Now the priests, the prophets, and all the people
heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the LORD.
the priests and prophets laid hold of him, crying,
"You must be put to death!
And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Jeremiah 26:7-9
Jeremiah had just spoken words of prophecy including unless the people turned from thier evil ways, that they would face a fate of terrible punishment. It looks pretty clear here that everyone heard him speak, not just a few who then reported it to the rest. All the higher ups and every day folk heard Jeremiah tell them that disaster would strike them all unless they repented. I see two different reactions here, where one grop was furious and the other group drew closer to Jeremiah, wanting to hear more.
Jesus was crucified, died, and rose from the dead for all of us, not just the higher ups or the every day folk. He is present in our tabernacles around the world, and we all have the ability to pray, even if some around the world are not able to safely celebrate the sacraments daily because of circumstances such as persecution. Who are we most like? It is a question we can ask ourselves in prayer. Are we like the priests and prophets when we see the church's teachings or hear some parts of the Gospel message of which we don't agree? Or are we like people who gather closer to Jesus, like the people who gathered about Jeremiah, who want to learn more and find answers with open hearts?
