It’s a temptation I know all too well, that man-pleasing desire to have a reputation as someone not at all given to man-pleasing. The pathway there is pretty well worn, and pretty clearly marked. All you have to do is pick up the prophet’s mantle, and head in the wrong direction. You can rant and rave, bluster and bloviate, spew acid ink and flap razor lips, all against those terrible people your actual audience doesn’t much care for. They will love you for it. They will laud your courage, crown you the new Luther for a new Reformation. They will tickle your ears for tickling theirs while the message falls to the ground, harmless and ineffective.
Go to the charismatics and denounce the pointy hat wearing, head-knowledge having theological scolds in the Reformed camp, and they will love you. March into the Reformed world and mock those chaotic charismatics, those holy laughter, roaring lion, slain in the Spirit snake handlers and you will be crowned a champion. And once again, your message will drown in the same barrel in which you are fishing. It’s worse than a waste of time- it’s entrenching our weaknesses.
The real prophet brings this message- repent. He comes to call the people he is speaking to to repent of their own sins, not to tsk-tsk the sins of their neighbors. His message is never, “Rejoice that you are so much better than those other people” but is always “Mourn that you have failed to keep covenant.” His message is never, “Lead those people over there into the righteousness you have managed to master” but is always, “Look to your sins and turn from them. Weep and return to your Father.” Sometimes the message falls on deaf ears. Sometimes it arouses the ire of the hearers. Sometimes God graciously gives them ears to hear. What never happens is that the hearers walk away with more pride in themselves.
This is what makes for a weeping prophet. First, he loves those to whom he is sent, for they are his own people. Second, he recognizes their sins in himself. He knows that the only way to hit the sins of his own is to hit his own sins. In his weeping, in his seeing his own sins he finds humility. In his humility he finds His grace. In His grace repentance is found. And thus His Word does not return void.
When the Lord calls you to Nineveh He does not tell you to tell the Jews what awful people of Nineveh are. When He calls you to Jerusalem He does not tell you to tell the people of Nineveh how awful the Jews are. Whatever audience He has given you. He has given you that you might bring His Word to bear on them. We don’t need more erudite prophets, nor more eloquent. What is needed is both courage and humility. We need prophets who are less concerned with their reputations, more concerned with the souls of their audience. Lord, bless us with such men.