TRUE WISDOM

“Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5

There are no notes in the New American Bible on these lines, possibly because the Bible commenter wants us the let the spirit deep within us break open the meaning ourselves, bur a clue for us is the heading over these Jeremiah Chapter 17:1-18 that reads The Sin of Judah and Its Punishment.

Is it God who does the cursing or am I cursing myself by knowing that it is God who made me. It is God who only wants of me that I find my true self. How? By losing myself in God’s genuine and consistent love for me.

God is here right now – because God is everywhere. God is consistent and trustworthy. God knows my sin and my potential can still be reached if only I stop trying to run my life and choose to place my trust in God, choosing to learn who God is and fall deeper and deeper in love with God.

“He, the one who trusts in human beings,
he is like a barren bush in the desert
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD” Jeremiah 17:6-7

“Heal me, LORD, that I may be healed; save me, that I may be saved, for you are my praise.´ Jeremiah 17:14

HOW DOES ONE KNOW THAT HE TRUSTS THE LORD?

“He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream.” Jeremiah 7:8

He has confidence that she trusts in God:

He is someone who seeks to honor and emulate the One-in-Three, i.e., his relational God who is one in substance and at the same time purely relational and loving.

That means that he loves everyone as his One-in-Three God loves and embraces all persons in a Love that is unconditional, forgiving and everlasting.

“He is like a tree planted beside the waters will stretch out his roots to the stream” Jeremiah 17:8

What really are my roots – the things that ground me in my day-to-day thoughts and actions?

“He is like a tree planted beside the waters will stretch out his roots to the stream” Jeremiah 17:8

Who or what are the stream(s) which are drawing my roots and subsequently me to them instead of drawing me to my God – to my God who is also here waiting for me to see Him and ask Him to help me cooperate with Him in becoming my true self – that true self which is centered in Him rather than in myself or anyone or anything else?

Am I centered in a human being (myself or another human being) or in God? In other words, am I one who is willing to look beyond myself and see God who knows better than I what is best for me and for those I care about?

“It fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green. In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

This is how one feels when he trusts in God. What a relief it is to know that everything about my life is not dependent upon me alone; it depends on my being attune to God and following where God leads me when I am “in the groove” in such a way that I know that it is God who is my true center – that it is only God to whom I truly and completely belong.

THE BEATITUDES

“Jesus came down with the Twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:

‘Blessed are you who are poor, you who are now hungry, you who are now weeping,. .

Blessed are you when people hate you, insult you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy is coming; on that day, behold, your reward will be great.. . .

But woe to you who are rich,  who are filled now, who laugh now, you who are spoken well of, for you have received your consolation now.”  Luke 6:17, 20-26

THE BEATITUDES: NOT THE WHAT TO DO, BUT THE HOW TO LIVE

This is Luke’s version of Matthew’s  Sermon on the Mount containing a group of sayings known as the Beatitudes. Their form, “Blessed are,” occurs frequently in the Old Testament in the Wisdom literature and in the Psalms. So, these Beatitudes may be an attempt by Jesus and the evangelists to make us aware that we, as disciples, ought to be wise about the way we go about our everyday life and activity. 

These Beatitudes don’t so much tell us what to do; they tell us more about what should be in our minds and hearts while we are doing all the things we do.  The implication is that, while we need to be attentive to the many things we have to do each day, and to the rules and laws that apply to them – societal rules, state and township rules, business rules, family rules, Church rules, etc.- the more important rules are these Beatitudes, the wisdom rules that should regulate the interiority from which our actions proceed.

Ponder the wisdom of Jesus’ emphasis on the interiority that we bring to our everyday life.

What is the interiority from which my actions are proceeding? What should be the interiority from which my thoughts and actions could and should be proceeding? What do I need to do in order for my interiority to change? (Suggestion: Set aside time each day to let yourself rest in the presence of God and review the activities of your day. Be honest about your intentionality and ask God to help you work with God to improve.)

Perhaps also consider this: What about me and my life are my blessings?

Sister Loretta