According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, when people search for a new congregation, good preaching and friendly leaders are their top two concerns. But what constitutes “good” preaching? And is friendliness more important than truthfulness?

In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah tells the truth, even though it is a hard message. He answers the implied question at the heart of this entire book. How do we explain the destruction of Jerusalem? Why did God allow its enemies to enter the city that He had chosen for His dwelling and where He had placed His name (see 1 Kings 11:36)?

The answer is in verse 13: “it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.” Those who should have provided God’s people with spiritual guidance were not only complicit in Jerusalem’s sin; they were responsible for its destruction. As a result, they also shared in its punishment. The prophets and priests “grope through the streets as if they were blind” (v. 14). Those who should have been wise leaders now needed someone to guide them. They used to be instructors in holiness but were now themselves treated like the unclean. People drove them from the city like lepers (v. 15).

But the worst blow of all came from Yahweh, who “scattered them” and “no longer watches over them” (v. 16). The Hebrew text says that He will “no longer regard their face.” The priests had lost the privilege of serving in His presence, and the elders had been stripped of the dignity of their calling. It’s easy to see why today’s churchgoers want a pastor who is friendly and interesting. Yet neither is a substitute for faithfulness to God and a holy character.

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