6 Epiphany, Yr C (2025) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
6 Epiphany, Yr C (2025) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Jeremiah 17:5-10 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Luke 6:17-26
In the name of the one, holy, and loving God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
After reading today’s lections these 3 questions popped into my head:
In what do we trust?
Who do we trust?
Where do we find life?
Hopefully the people and things we trust bring us life!
If not, perhaps we should re-evaluate.
The word of the Lord in today’s reading from Jeremiah paints a very clear picture:
“Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
“They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
“They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.”
That is a pretty stark image of a dry, lifeless existence!
When I read this scripture, I think, “Well, of course!”
As Christians our trust does not belong to “mere mortals” but to God alone.
And yet, almost everything in our world tells us otherwise.
Advertisements on TV and magazines and news reports
tell us that we are the engineers of our destiny!
How we dress, where we work, what we eat, what we drive…
These are the things that will make us great -
or not.
As a society we expend great amounts of money and energy
touting the best politician for the job
or denouncing the ones with whom we disagree.
Frankly, if we spend our time only listening to all the voices around us,
it is exhausting –
and in the words of Jeremiah –
the world begins to feel like an uninhabitable salt land.
But then the scripture continues with a contrasting way of life:
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
“They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
“It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
“in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8
Within these words in Jeremiah we find judgment…
and we also find the invitation to new life.
A reorientation…
an invitation to trust in God.
Completely.
The blessed are those who not only trust in the Lord
but whose trust is the Lord.
In God we trust.
Truly.
Completely.
We trust in the God who formed us in the womb,
Who loved us into being…
Who created us in the image of this same life-loving, life-giving God…
so that we might pour forth such love through our lives.
When our trust is the Lord,
we are like trees soaking up the delicious, crisp, cool water of life.
We are not afraid because God knows us,
loves us,
and strengthens us for the journey,
even when the journey takes us through barren land.
Today’s Gospel also offers us images of death and life according to how we live.
Luke relates to us Jesus’ “sermon on the plain.”
I must first say that I really don’t know how to interpret this “sermon” …
and that probably has much to do with my being a person of
privilege, wealth, power, and comfort.
But, I will give it a try.
After Jesus names the 12 apostles,
they come down from the mountain onto the plain…
to a level place,
a place where masses of people come to Jesus to be healed.
Perhaps Jesus stands on the plain to illustrate that we are called to stand eye-to-eye,
to stand on even footing…
on a level plain.
No one is to stand over and above anyone else.
People flock to Jesus to be healed,
and they are.
In fact, we are told that all of the people who touch Jesus are healed!
Jesus then addresses his disciples,
naming the ones who are blessed and the ones who are cursed.
Blessed are you who are poor,
who are hungry,
who weep,
and who are hated and reviled on account of the Son of Man.
I cannot think that Jesus is saying that these things are good in and of themselves.
Perhaps he is telling his disciples that they will be blessed
if they let go of their riches so that others may have their fill…
Perhaps Jesus is telling his disciples that if they experience the pain of those who weep,
then they may also be able to understand the plight of the broken...
That if they act in ways of service and love
even when others don’t understand and revile them,
then they might well end up participating in the life of the Kindom of God.
Perhaps, as disciples of Jesus, if they live in these ways…
if we live in these ways,
then we may be better able to see beyond ourselves.
It can be hard to realize our dependence upon God for our sustenance…
when our lives are already full of everything we need.
In whom do we trust?
People always flock to Jesus,
trusting in his power to heal.
He spoke as one with authority
but did not wield earthly power.
He seemed always to be at the mercy of the hospitality of others,
while at the same time making others feel “at home” where they were.
The broken were healed
as they recognized their own brokenness.
Jesus offered healing to everyone:
by welcoming those who were cast aside
and challenging those who placed their trust in anything, or anyone, other than God.
Is it possible that if we place our complete trust in God,
then we might – just might – on a good day
be able to let go of whatever it is that we trust more than God?
Jesus, the Son of God, emptied himself…even to the point of death on the cross,
never claiming his power or privilege as the Son of God,
but instead embracing, with love, the poor,
the discarded,
the broken,
the suffering,
and the disenfranchised.
After his death, Jesus was then raised into a life of resurrection.
This life of resurrection is also our promise.
Now.
Today…
if we will die to self and live for God.
What might we need to let go of….?
“O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you:
Mercifully accept our prayers;
and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you,
give us the help of your grace,
that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.”
