You duped me, O Lord

Laura Mascari

​“You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.” (Jeremiah 20:7, NABRE)

I once heard an excellent homily on this passage and felt compelled to pass on what I learned from a wise, holy priest. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite lines from Scripture. It’s so honest, isn’t it? We see the prophet Jeremiah cry out these words to God once he has reached his breaking point. As a prophet, he is not well-liked for delivering the word of God and is very much subject to persecution. In the midst of his crisis, Jeremiah laments that God has deceived or tricked him. He embarked on the mission God had asked of him, and now his life is full of misery and pain. His story started out with so much hope, yet now he feels utterly abandoned and let down by God.

 And so he cries out: “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.”
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Imagine a man and woman on their wedding day. They are in love and overjoyed as they head into honeymoon bliss. A few years pass by, and the ecstasy seems to fade. Suddenly, the person they married is no longer a god or an angel, but a human being. Their faults rise to the surface, like oil in water. Love seems to have deceived them. Now, they are tempted to believe they have married the wrong person. 

You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.
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Once eager to begin his ministry, a priest has discovered first-hand that his priestly duties are physically and emotionally demanding. He experiences burnout and unfulfillment. He begins to wonder if God led him to the wrong vocation.

You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped. 
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A young person has decided to live out their Catholic faith. They are hopeful and excited about the journey ahead. Instead, they are mocked and ridiculed. They followed God’s will, only to be made a laughing stock. 

You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped.
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Haven’t we all been there? In prayer we have cried out, “Lord, you told me this thing was going to be great. And now it’s not. You tricked me!” In many places, there are Christians who are tortured and killed for living out their faith. Perhaps even these present-day martyrs have cried out, “Lord, you have duped me! I didn’t sign up for this. Is this how you repay your servants?”

With these cries to heaven, it means that at one point or another, we trusted God. We trusted in His guidance as He pointed us in a particular direction - whether that be a job, a marriage, a vocation, etc. We took a chance on God, and now we are experiencing pain and suffering. Somewhere along the way, God didn’t seem to follow through on His promises. And so we cry out to Him, feeling betrayed and confused. ​

I think God responds to these prayers lovingly. Even Christ spoke these words on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). I remember a time I was furious at God. I was in prayer before the crucifix, and in my ignorance, I said, “Lord, you don’t know what it’s like to go through this!” Thankfully, the Lord is good and patient with me. The response that I was given, truly deserved, was, “Really? You think this cross was comfortable?”

Instead, He invited me to lift up my head and gaze at the crucifix. There are wounds on His body. I see His arms outstretched, totally abandoning Himself to the will of the Father. He has nothing to take but everything to give. It’s almost as if He said to me, “My daughter, I do know what it’s like to suffer.”

The response God gives when we cry out, “You have duped me, O Lord!” is this: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Not really the response we want to hear, I know. The prosperity Gospel sounds a lot more appealing - the idea that God will reward us with riches, good health, worldly happiness, etc., for following His will. But it’s actually a sham. There is no Christianity without the cross.

I think of the Presentation of Our Lord when Mary was told, “a sword will pierce your own heart, too.” How powerless and troubled Joseph must have felt knowing he would not be able to protect his wife and child from undergoing such a terrible trial. I think of Mary at the foot of the cross – it seemed she had every right to spit and curse at the people who put her Son to death, but instead, she accepted her sorrow with a quiet, pondering heart.
Mary, our Mother, and St. Joseph knew that God loved them. Deep down, we know the same is true for us. Even when Jeremiah accused God of deceiving him, he felt a fire burning in his heart...he knew that he was still loved by God. He knew he must continue the mission God had for him.

In all of this, it’s important to note that God doesn’t want us to be miserable, nor does He take pleasure in seeing our despair. He wants us to live life to the full. He isn’t a God of deception or trickery - He’s a loving Father who is sympathetic to our pain. We gain far more than we lose when we dedicate our lives to Him.

There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is often dependent on worldly things; joy is dependent on heavenly things. If you read about the saints, they weren’t full of joy because they were happy. They were full of joy because their eyes were fixated on heaven. God doesn’t always promise us happiness; what He does promise is a true and lasting joy - the kind that the world isn’t able to offer. 
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Our suffering does not have the final word. Christ does. If we allow Him, he transforms our suffering and brings out a greater good. Maybe you are angry with God. Perhaps you have doubts that He is good. Whatever your situation is, God invites you to take another chance on Him. It won’t be easy, but He promises us it’s worth it. Your sister in Christ is cheering you on.


You duped me, O Lord. Thanks be to God, I let myself be duped. 
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