Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord (Jeremiah 17.7) (Epiphany 6C)

 “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord” (Jeremiah 17.7)

(Epiphany 6 Year C, 2025, Rev. John Gishler)

 

We had a baptism at St. Luke’s last week where we asked, “Do you Put Your Whole Trust in His Grace and Love?” The Jeremiah Reading mirrors Jesus’ teaching known as the Beatitudes. They are a basic guide or way of testing our faith or love of Jesus and hope of eternal spiritual life.

 

1.    Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

Matthew adds the words “in spirit” which helps us understand that Jesus is talking about the humility of the heart not materialism:

·      Poverty can be destructive if it leads to despair, jealousy hate or crime

·      Poverty can be positive if it leads to people realizing they need and depend on God for hope

·      Jesus came to give the poor hope – they were desperate enough to trust Him rather than themselves

·      Self-satisfaction separates us from Jesus

·      Jesus modelled humility·       

2.    Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Righteousness

Matthew also adds the “for righteousness” to remind us Jesus is usually talking about spiritual things:

·      Righteousness is right relationship, holiness, trust.

·      Christians who know and love Jesus – instead of knowing about Jesus, have a hunger for more of Him.

·      This desire is stronger than our desire for food

·      They are promised and hope for more in Heaven

·      Jesus modelled righteousness

 

3.    Blessed Are Those Who Weep

When we become serious Christians and receive the Holy Spirit our spiritual eyes are opened, and we see our sinfulness and weep. 

·      Great weeping is a sigh of great love.

·      Weeping is a sign of humility and healing

·      We weep for our sins and the sins of those we love

·      We weep for those who are lost to the temptations of the world – materialism, power, popularity

·      Jesus wept for the world

·      We are promised great joy and laughter in heaven

 

4.    Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Christ

Jesus modelled sacrifice and suffering for the truth. He made the ultimate sacrifice of an innocent victim dying a painful, humiliating sacrificial death out of love for God and all humanity:

·      The persecution and suffering of the early martyrs convinced people to trust in the authenticity of Christianity.

Persecution is a sign of trust

·      There are more Christians being martyred for their faith now than at any time in history

·      This is what has been lost in our liberalized, innocuous, intellectualized and weakened Western Churches

·      Pierre Burton’s 1967 book “The Comfortable Pew” exposed the cowardice of Canadian bishops in failing to confront the sexual revolution of the 1960s

·      Consequence has been decline in liberalized churches and growth in churches that challenged people 

·      Jordan Peterson is a modern persecuted prophet who drew 12,000 people to the Saddledome to hear some Biblical wisdom last week

o   Professor Emeritus from the University of Toronto threatened with de-licencing as a clinical psychologist based on 5 complaints about his non-psychological political media posts

o   Terrified of God’s judgement

o   Knows about but doesn’t know Jesus or Holy Spirit 

I weep for him – He works so hard and is so gifted