This passage from Jeremiah is a recounting of his call—the encounter with God that established him as a prophet. It also includes Jeremiah’s commission: to bear God’s message to an unfaithful people, to speak hard and scary truths to those who had power in the land, and to become a prophet to the nations beyond Israel as well. Jeremiah tried to evade God’s call by claiming that he was too young. God overcame Jeremiah’s objections by promising

ongoing presence, help, and forgiveness.