Thus says the Lord:
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.
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 (NRSVUE)
Friends, in our scripture reading today, the prophet Jeremiah tells us that when we trust in God, we are blessed. But what exactly does it mean to trust in God? And what is the difference between believing in something and trusting in it?
Well, in 1858, when this building was just thirty years old, our lights were still oil lamps because there was no such thing as electricity, there was no central heat in the sanctuary, and people walked to church on Sundays or rode horses because cars had not yet been invented. There was a man named Charles Blondin. Has anyone heard of him before? Blondin was a French tightrope walker known as “the Boy Wonder” throughout Europe, and he was one of the greatest tightrope walkers who ever lived. In 1859, he decided to cross Niagara Falls on an eleven-hundred-foot tightrope. About twenty-five thousand people gathered to watch the amazing stunt, and as the story goes, Blondin stood in front of the crowd and asked, “How many believe that I can walk across Niagara Falls?” The crowd shouted out, “We believe!” And he walked across Niagara Falls on the tightrope. Five days later, he wanted to try something even more amazing, so he asked the crowd, “How many believe I can walk across Niagara Falls blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow?” Again, the crowd shouted, “We believe!” And he did it. Two weeks later, Blondin decided to make another attempt. To make it the most dramatic yet, he asked the crowd who had gathered, “How many believe I can walk across Niagara Falls with a person on my back?” The crowd shouted out, “We believe!” Blondin then looked straight at a person in the front of the crowd. “You, sir, climb on my back!” And the crowd fell silent.
Folks, there is a big difference between believing and trusting. Isn’t there? And that’s true in our faith, too. It’s easy to say that we believe in God, but to truly trust in God? That can be a little more difficult, especially when the rubber hits the road and we face challenges in our lives.
And that’s what Jeremiah is talking about in today’s scripture reading. Jeremiah begins by telling us that those who trust in mere mortals are cursed. When we make other human beings our strength, Jeremiah says, we are like a shrub in the desert that receives no relief in the parched places. Now I have to be honest, I struggle with that line just a little bit, because I think we all have someone in our lives that we call when something goes wrong. Now we aren’t usually looking for them to fix it for us, but we know that they’ll listen, they’ll be supportive and maybe they’ll even give us some advice.
Most of us, if asked, would probably say that we trust in God. But do we really? Or are we like the crowd that was cheering for Charles Blondin? After all, it’s easy to say, “We believe!” but actually putting our faith and trust in something or someone is a little different. Now, many of us have trusted friends or family members–those we call when something really good or really bad happens in our lives. But Jeremiah tells us that we need to trust in God above all else. And I think those last few words, ABOVE ALL ELSE, are the important part because when we do that, nothing can shake us. Sure, we can look to friends and family for encouragement and support, but when we trust in God ABOVE ALL ELSE, we are like trees planted by water, sending out our roots by the stream. We don’t fear when the heat comes. Because when it does, our leaves stay green, even in times of drought. And when we trust in God, we’re not anxious, we don’t worry, and no matter what we face, we always bear amazing fruit!
Throughout the entire Bible, the Tree of Life is used as an example of our spiritual lives, beginning in the book of Genesis and ending in the book of Revelation. The opening image of the Book of Psalms is that of a tree planted by a stream of water that produces fruit in its season. Then, as we heard today, Jeremiah picks up on the same image. Believe it or not, there are thirty-six different kinds of trees mentioned in the Bible. If you remember, Elijah lays down under a broom tree that provides shade from the noonday sun. Cedar trees are often referenced in stories where strength is needed. Sycamores, like the one that Zaccheus climbed, are often tied to repentance and changing of ways. Fig trees represent God’s faithfulness even in times of fear, anger, or doubt. And olive trees often symbolize Jesus and God’s eternal faithfulness. Of course, there are many other trees in the Bible: pomegranates, oaks, dates, almonds, gophers, and cypress, and in their own way, they all help us to remember the amazing gifts of God and the depth of God’s love for us. But, with that in mind, how do we deepen our trust in God? How do we get to the point where we are ready to jump on God’s back as God walks across Niagara Falls on a tightrope? How do we make sure that we are like a tree planted by the stream? Are there things that we can do to better care for our roots, our bark, our trunk, our branches, and our leaves? The answer is yes.
There are lots of things that we can do to deepen our trust in God, and one of the best things is what we are doing right now: being curious, asking questions, worshiping God, spending time in prayer, and looking to scripture. Now, we are not pushy here in Oldtown about attendance. No one looks down their nose at you if you don’t come to worship every week. We’re just glad to see you when you’re here! But many of you have told me that you don’t like missing worship on Sunday, because when and if you do your whole week seems off.
Now, I always hope that you are inspired in worship to go out and do amazing things, but worship also has a way of deepening our trust in God and strengthening our faith. If you think of your spiritual life as a tree, then weekly worship is like a watering can that gives cool water to your roots. Maybe you take a little time each day to talk with God, that prayer or devotional time is like the sun and the air that provide a daily source of replenishment for your bark and your leaves. Perhaps you go out into the world and share a few acts of kindness with others, well that’s like sprinkling fertilizer at the base of your tree making you even stronger and filling you with hope and joy. Friends, worship, prayer, and sharing acts of kindness, over time, help us to strengthen our faith and deepen our trust in God. But there is one more thing that helps, and that is a sense of community.
Spending time in fellowship is an important way to care for our faith because some trees grow better together. Orange trees and redwood trees are known to grow better in groves with other orange trees or redwood trees. They need each other. And that’s true for us. We need each other, too. And our faith and trust in God only deepens and strengthens when we ask questions and talk and wonder together. That’s why Jesus spent so much of his time on earth gathering people together, making relationships, and forming communities. Jesus knew the simple truth. As human beings, we are not strong enough on our own. We need each other.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, do your best to be a big, strong, beautiful tree! Be sure to water your roots with worship, get plenty of sun and fresh air as you talk with God, give yourself some fertilizer as you share acts of kindness with others, and remember that you are never alone. Not only are you held safely in the arms of God, but you’re planted in a forest of friendly faces who long for fellowship so that they, too, can stretch their branches and grow right along with you!
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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