As we conclude several weeks of readings in the book of the prophet Jeremiah and next week look at the companion text from the book of Lamentations, a common thread begins to emerge. It is the thread of grief. Jeremiah has been called by God to a truly thankless job — that of accompanying the people of his homeland into a time of loss and grief. Because of decades of idolatry and treaties with neighboring nations, the people of Judah will lose the land God once graciously gave to their ancestors. The events in today's reading take place around 588 BC as the Babylonian army is laying siege to Jerusalem.

Let me set the stage with some history here. Jeremiah began prophesying while Josiah was king over Judah in about 627 BC. Although Josiah's efforts to put an end to idol worship and to sha…