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Come every soul by sin oppressed, there’s mercy with the Lord. And He will surely give you rest by trusting in his word. Only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now. He will save you, he will save you, he will save you now. Do you trust in the Lord? Do you trust in God’s word? Both the Old Testament scripture from Jeremiah and the Gospel lesson from Luke contrast blessings and curses. In both lessons we are admonished to put our trust in God and not ourselves. The Jeremiah scripture is very similar to Psalm 1 which we read responsively. People who trust in human resources are compared to a plant that is in the desert. It never becomes more than a shrub. I sort of imagine it drying up and blowing away like the tumble weeds around Friona, TX when I was a child. The people who trust in God, however, are likened unto a tree that is planted by water. The roots reach into the stream and are continously nurtured so that there is no problem when it gets hot. Jeremiah was one of the prophets who warned God’s people of the catastrophe that was to fall upon the nation because of their idolatry and sin. They were unfaithful to God primarily on two counts: One was apostasy—or paganism—or idolatry. As you may remember, King Solomon had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were from other countries and who worshiped pagan gods. Because of that influence, the Israelite people began to include a variety of pagan practices in their worship of Yahweh and also worshiped some of the idols from the other religions. This, of course, broke the second commandment. The other sin was that of injustice. When the people quit putting God first in their lives, they began to put themselves first. As a result they lacked consideration for neighbor and compassion for the weak. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer and the people didn’t care. But evidently, God did. Jeremiah was a sensitive man who deeply loved his people, and who hated to have to pronounce judgment upon them, but the word of the Lord was like fire in his heart—he could not keep it back. Sometimes when I think of these Old Testament prophets who were railing against the people, I forget that they were in love with God and in love with the people. And they merely wanted the people to turn from their sinful ways—those things that were separating them from God. In the scripture today, we see that Jeremiah is trying show people that it is better to live life in relationship and dependence on God rather than dependence on themselves or other human resources. One is like a healthy, growing tree and the other is like a dried up shrub. Why did the people insist on making a bad choice? The consequence of their choice was that they became a weakened nation and Cyrus, the King of Babylon, was able to defeat them and carry them off into exile. This was the most devastating event in the history of Israel because the temple was destroyed in the process. Instead of putting their trust in God they chose to trust themselves. The results aren’t so much punishment from God as they are natural consequences of the lack of faith. Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way that leads you into rest; believe in him without delay, and you are fully blest. Only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now. He will save you, he will save you, he will save you now. Let’s take a look at the Gospel lesson. This section of Luke’s gospel is known as the "sermon on the plain" and contains some of the same material as Matthew’s "sermon on the Mount". You probably noticed the similarity with that part of Matthew 5, which we call "the beatitudes". In the Luke scripture, it is called the "blessings and woes". Most New Testament scholars agree that Mark was the first gospel written and was used by both Luke and Matthew in the forming of their gospels. Matthew and Luke also used another common source which scholars call the "Q" source. This is the source that had the teachings contained in both of Jesus’ sermons. In Matthew, the blessings are spiritualized (as in blessed are the poor in spirit), but in Luke—which is the earlier gospel, they are more literal. Blessed are the poor means just that: the people who are poor by socio-economic standards. Luke also contains "woes" which are not a part of the Matthew material. These teachings also parallel the Jeremiah scripture. Those who are blessed are like those who have put their trust in God—like the tree by the stream. And conversely, those who are "woed" or cursed are like those who put their trust in themselves or human resources –and become parched and dry up and blow away—like the shrub in the desert. I don’t mind telling you I struggled with this scripture. I looked up commentaries hoping that Jesus didn’t literally mean what he said: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets." I’m guilty on all counts: I’m rich—relatively speaking. I’m obviously full—no hunger here as long as the chocolate lasts. Laughing is a trademark and I like to think I’m well thought of. Sounds like I’m doomed! But then I found a commentary that helped me understand this teaching in a way that is more consistent with the compassion that we associate with Jesus. Just as Jeremiah deeply loved his people and yet was compelled to warn them that the choices they were making would lead to destruction. It is Jesus’ intention with this teaching to show us the way to a full life. "Jesus never condemned wealth as such, but he saw how wealth might encase people in a hard shell of their seeming sufficiency so that they were no longer sensitive to the values of life. It is true that he saw plainly, and may have spoken unsparingly, as indicated in these verses of Luke, about the spiritual perils of wealth. The danger that comes to the souls of those who are rich in this world’s goods is exactly that which is indicated here. The rich may already have received their consolation, may be full now, may laugh now, may be satisfied because all men speak well of them. They may no longer be eager for the gifts of God, because they think they have already got everything worth desiring; they have no hunger for the invisible, because their visible possessions seem to be enough; they take life lightly and laugh off its deeper wants; they may be satisfied with the fawning and flattery of those who want their favors and so say nothing to them but what is smooth and pleasant." The Interpreter’s Bible—commentary on Luke. We become complacent and comfortable. We get caught in our own traps of believing that we know what is best for ourselves—we place our trust in ourselves and human resources rather than in God. It reminds me of my great nephew Brayden. Brayden, like many seven year old boys, needs reminding from time to time about appropriate behavior and wise choices. At the end of each school day he receives a green star if things have gone well, a yellow star if they have been a little iffy, and a red star if there has been noticeable room for improvement. So as he leaves for school every morning, he is reminded to have a good green day. The deal was, when he received five green stars in a row, his grandmother (my sister, Kathy) would find a way to celebrate his success. As they were coming home from school, he said, "I have five green stars in a row and I want to invite my friend over to play and have supper with me." He insisted that this was what he wanted and didn’t want to hear any other suggestions. So, that is what they did. When his friend went home, Kathy said, "Brayden, I’m really proud of you for getting five green stars and I’m glad you had a good time with your friend, but let me tell you what your choices were going to be." And she named two or three other things which were much more exciting than his choice. We are much like Brayden. We trust ourselves and our limited vision. God has greater possibilities for us but we often can’t let go of those things we are familiar with and trust God to give us the fullness of life that is available. In the early church there were those and still are today, who take a vow of poverty. From our perspective it appears that they are giving up the "good life". From their perspective it is seen as making room for the "good life." So the question remains, who ya gonna trust? Yourself and human resources, or God? We have a choice. Come, then and join this holy band, and on to glory go, to dwell in that celestial land where joys immortal flow. Only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now. He will save you, he will save you, he will save you now. |
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02.15.04 - Who Ya Gonna Trust? (Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 6:17-26)
