A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church on Sunday, February 15, 2004, Sexagesima. Please read Jeremiah 17:5-11.

Christian people use the term faith in a variety of ways, but what always lies at the heart of Christian faith is trust. The person who has faith is placing his or her trust in God and believes that he will keep his promises and fulfill all that he has said in his written word. This trust is most clearly realized in Jesus Christ, who is the true Word of God and the one in whom the promises of God are realized. While on the surface, this may seem to be something very simple to do; the history of God's people has shown that it is, in fact, a tremendously difficult task. Most often, trusting God means denying what is wise by human standards or what “reason” might dictate as the best course of action. It is a tremendous struggle to resist relying on human wisdom rather than God's; and without God's grace humanity fails this test every time.

Our reading from the prophet Jeremiah illustrates most clearly the sharp distinction that is drawn between those who place their trust in human efforts and those who rely on God. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord … Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is” (Jer. 17:6-7). Those who trust in man are set for barrenness and destruction, but those who rely on God will find the peace, stability and prosperity of a tree planted by streams of water (see also Psalm 1). The people to whom Jeremiah was speaking had made political alliances with neighboring nations as a means of finding peace and security. This is what nations do when they are faced with the threat of invasion. However, the prophet Jeremiah calls the people to look to God for their security. Sadly, faithful obedience to God was not high on the priority list of the nation’s agenda, and the people suffered the consequences.

Each day we are presented with the choice to trust God or ourselves. Will we rely on God’s wisdom in Jesus Christ, or will we attempt to find peace and security through human methods. Does our reasoning and behavior come from Christ, or do we behave and act no differently from those who live apart from him? This is the challenge we face as Christians living in the present world, but whose true citizenship is in heaven. May God give us the grace to trust him more each day.
Amen.