Jeremiah 28:1-17 / Matthew 14:13-21
The phrase "stand up" is incorrect because it has a double emphasis and hence the second word is redundant and incorrect in the usage.
But the phrase "to stand up" is often used in everyday language for a particular emphasis.
To stand up means to be counted, and that sounds rather heroic, bit it also means that it is certainly not comfortable.
When everyone wants to be seated and feel safe, do we want to stand up and look like a sore thumb, and even feel like a sore thumb.
In the 1st reading, the yoke that the prophet Jeremiah wore was a symbol that the people should submit to Babylon.
That would have enabled them to have some respite from the threat of being annihilated and also to slowly rethink their relationship with God and to repent.
But that was an uncomfortable message, a humiliating message, but the prophet Jeremiah had to stand up for it.
But the prophet Hananiah broke the yoke and gave the people a more comfortable and acceptable message, and that eventually led to disaster.
The history of Christianity is peppered with people who stood up and spoke the hard truth rather than sit quietly and remain comfortable.
But if all Christians were to stand up and speak the truth, especially the hard truth, the rest of the world will slowly get up on its feet.
We are all prophets by virtue of our baptism.
We need to ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the truth and to courage to proclaim it with love.