What does it mean to be blessed? Often, we think of blessings as having good health, loving relationships and enough to live a good life. But that is not what Jesus is preaching about. Instead, he warns his disciples not to get too comfortable, not to get too satisfied with themselves and not to think of life as all fun and games. It’s not that Jesus wants his followers to be miserable. Quite the opposite - he has just healed countless people of evil spirits and diseases. But Jesus wants more for his followers than just to be free of disease and more than the comfortable and self satisfied life that we may choose. Jesus wants his followers to be “true. ” That’s what it means to be blessed.
While Jesus’ words might sound a little surprising and even shocking to us, especially in the Message translation, Jesus is following the tradition of the prophets. Jeremiah, in our lesson from the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, also talks about blessings – and curses. He compares those who do not trust in human leaders, or in themselves and their own wisdom and strength to a parched shrub in the desert.
But those who trust in the Lord, he compares to “a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.”
I’ve seen trees like that planted by a stream– you probably have too – with roots that go out into the water and also deep into the ground. I’ve also seen trees on the bank of the river that I’m amazed can even stay upright. They hold on in a seemingly impossible grasp of stone and a little dirt – the roots bared by the washing of the waters that run beneath it… and in the spring, the waters run right over it. Somehow these roots hold on to the rocks and the crevices. I think it must be because the roots go deep.
Jeremiah’s tree made me think of the family tree into which we were all grafted by Christ. But this tree, Christ’s family tree, instead of being rooted in the ground and holding onto rocks, is deeply rooted in faith.
Sometimes faith follows our personal family tree, one generation after another. As Kaitlyn is confirmed, I am reminded of her great grandma Ramona, who brought her daughter Diane to be baptized and confirmed, who in turn brought her son Joe, who brough his son Joe, who brought his son Joey and then Kaitlyn to be baptized….and will be soon confirmed. Your big family is rooted in faith. But as big as your family is, you are just one small branch of Christ’s huge family tree of faith. Some people come in the same way as Kaitlyn did, one generation after another. Others were invited by friends or spouses or neighbors. But regardless of who invited you, all of you, all of us, were brought by the Holy Spirit.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are rooted in faith and watered by grace. For just as a tree cannot survive without water, so we all need to be renewed, refreshed and watered by God’s grace.
God gives us three gifts of renewal. First: the gift of confession and forgiveness: In those times in which we know we’ve made a mistake, done or said the wrong thing, are ashamed, embarrassed and feel as if we have lost it all… these are the times in which Jesus reminds us that we are his – and out of his great love for us, Jesus forgives us, renews us and makes us whole.
The second gift is the gift of Christ’s body and blood – communion. Again, out of God’s great love for us, even in or maybe especially in those times in which we are feeling empty, hungry and in despair, God welcomes us in and Jesus feeds us, renews us and makes us whole with the gift of his body and blood.
The third gift is the gift of God’s Word. In the ancient texts of scripture, written so long ago, God gives us an old word made new for a new day – and a Christian community, the church, to help us interpret and apply God’s word to our life today. God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, read and studied together, help us to reflect on what God is doing in our crazy world today – and how we can be a part of God’s plan for our world. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit who renews us, restores us and gives us faith.
It is with that same faith that Jeremiah writes that those who trust the Lord will be like the tree planted in 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.”
For Jeremiah knew that just as the tree had to overcome heat and drought and disease, so his people had many challenges to overcome. Some of them were the result of the weather and disease and some problems were caused by themselves – or other people.
The same is true for us in our world today. But like God’s people in Jeremiah’s day, we are rooted in faith and watered by God’s grace so that we do not have to be anxious, worried or afraid. Instead, like the tree who, despite all of the challenges, is able to overcome heat, drought and disease and instead bloom, we too can overcome our challenges. We do not need to be anxious, worried or afraid. Like Jeremiah, we too can trust in God.
Rooted in faith, watered by grace, God invites you to grow and bloom. Like the tree whose leaves stayed green despite the heat and who bore fruit despite the drought and diseases that threatened its very being, we too can grow and bloom and be true. That’s who God made us to be.
Just outside of the city of Hebron in Israel, the place where Abraham and Sarah welcomed angelic visitors under the oak trees of Mamre, there stands an old, old oak tree. The tree looks dead – but the monks who live in the monastery next door have tried their best to prop it up, putting metal braces around it to support it. It would have been easy for them to just give up on it – and get rid of it. But instead, they watered it. And one day… out of that dead looking stump, they saw a green shoot. And then another. Out of the dead looking stump came new life.
We have many challenges today, individually and as a community and as a world. But like the tree, we are rooted in faith and watered by grace because God is not done with you and me yet. Instead, God continues to shower us with grace and mercy, forgiveness and love so that we may be true. This is God’s blessing for you. Amen.
February 13, 2022 Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane