They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says." – Jeremiah 18:18

Today's Scripture Reading (July 15, 2026): Jeremiah 18

For generations, historians have fought over the character of Richard III of England. For some, Richard III is accurately summed up by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare described Richard III as an ambitious man who was jealous of his older brother, King Edward IV, and his success. Historians have accused Richard of being guilty of fratricide, blaming him for the death of his brother and his nephews Edward V, who was around 13 years of age when he disappeared, as well as the disappearance and supposed murder of Edward V's younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. The young boys have been dubbed the "Princes of the Tower" by historians because the Tower of London was the last place where we know they were housed. No one really knows what happened to the young princes after their admission to the Tower following the death of their Father.

But that is not the only picture that we have of Richard III. Other historians have seen the third King Richard as a fiercely loyal man who would never consider killing his older brother, of whom he was deeply proud, let alone the murder of his young nephews. According to this group of historians, Richard was the victim of a propaganda campaign carried out by the House of Tudor, which sought to end the reign of the House of York, of which Edward and Richard were members. These historians remind us that the victors often write history; in this case, the House of Tudor won the fight, and as a result, the reign of the House of York was not only ended but also tarnished.

We may never know the truth about King Richard III, which might be proof of the effectiveness of the lies that our enemies can tell about us. It was a truth that Jeremiah knew firsthand. Jeremiah carried an unfortunate message, one the nation didn't want to hear. Jeremiah's critics hoped the prophet was wrong. Early in Jeremiah's career, his opponents had already chosen their offensive response. They were going to speak lies about Jeremiah and discredit him. The hope was that if lies took hold, his words would lose their strength, and the people would no longer listen to him. And maybe, their lies would also change the bleak future that Jeremiah was predicting. Basically, his opponents planned to accuse Jeremiah of being a false prophet, hoping that this accusation, which the religious officials of Jerusalem had thought up, would end up being true.

Jeremiah knew of their plot and had decided that the problem was not his; it was the problem of the one who had given him his vision of the future. Jeremiah was confident in his God. If he were a false prophet, it would not be because the officials of Jerusalem had labeled him as one, but because he had misread the movement of his God. But, once again, history is written by the victors, and in this case, the victor was Jeremiah. His prediction proved true, and history has remembered his opponents as the liars.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 19