Jeremiah 17:5a & 7a Cursed is the one who trusts in man....but blessed is
the man who trusts in the Lord.

 One of the parts of our Catechism that I have learned to treasure is the
beginning question to the lessons on the First Article of the Apostle's
Creed.  It draws our attention to what is a problem for many but they
don't know it.  Listen to the question and its answers.
 "What does it mean when a Christian says, 'I believe in God?'"  Answer
one: "When a Christian says, 'I believe in God,' it means he has learned
to know the true God and accepts the Bible as God's Word."  Answer two:
"When a Christian says, "I believe in God," it means he trusts in God and
is certain that all of God's promises will be fulfilled."
 Isn't that a great question and answer?  And do you grasp what it is
saying and pointing out?  It is really a question that is addressing what
true faith is.  I like it because there are a lot, as a pastor I am
telling you it is A LOT, of people who claim faith but who do not meet
the requirements that God's Word lays down for faith.
 For instance, there is the person who will say, "Yeah, I believe in
God."  But they don't know that God is triune, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.  They don't believe that God knows everything, can do anything
and that each one of us is totally and absolutely responsible to God.
They don't know that God sent his Son to win our forgiveness from sin.
They don't know about sin.  In other words they really don't know
anything more about God than the fact that he is some sort of nebulous
being somewhere out there.  Dear people, that is NOT faith.
 Or you have the person who says, "I believe in God" but....and after
they give you that but there is a list of things.  But...I don't believe
in creation...I don't believe the Bible is without error...I don't
believe in the miracles recorded in the Bible...I don't believe the Bible
is real history...I believe the Bible has many interpretations so your
understanding will depend on what you believe.  The list could go on and
on.  That list is the mantra of those who don't want to believe the clear
teaching of God's Word and so they determine that it is okay to make
God's Word fit what they want.  Again, by the standard of God's Word that
is not faith.
 Then there is the issue of trust in God.  People say, "I believe in God"
but they don't actually trust in God.  You know what I mean.  As long as
things are going well, then they pretend the God thing but let things go
badly and the first volley of blame is thrown at God.  Why would he do
this to me?  Why do I have to suffer?  I am a good person so God must
have made a mistake.  To trust in God is to believe what He says and know
that it is absolutely true.  And often when I find people who don't trust
in God they come in two flavors.  Either they don't know anything about
God in the first place and are really ignorant of God's promises or they
just don't believe in the God thing to begin with.  Either way, what they
claim is not faith.
 What is the heart and core of faith?  Our text is one that lays out the
issues of faith rather well.  Yes, our text is one that does indeed point
us to Jesus.  Our theme for today will be: TO BELIEVE OR NOT BELIEVE.
1st. One is cursed.  2nd. One is blessed.
 As always, the revelation of the Lord is so interesting and so revealing
for our lives.  I find that this passage is even more pointed and more
revealing than what Mark 16:16 says: "Whoever believes and is baptized
will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned."  While both
sections of God's Word say the same thing I think that Jeremiah's picture
of faith is much more complete.  Look at what Jeremiah reveals.
 He says, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for
his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.  He will be like a
bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes.  He
will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no
one lives."  Looking at these words carefully can reveal quite a bit
about faith or no faith.
 Consider that first line.  I fear that many do not grasp the depth of
what is said here.  While I do believe that our translation is good
English and conveys good sense to us please let me note for you the play
on words used here.  "Cursed is the one" is what we read.  The word for
one is actually the Hebrew word "geber" or "young man, strong man."  It
is a word that refers to a male at the peak of his power and strength.
Then is says, "who trust in man."  Here is the word is "adam" a more
general term for man but especially a term that points to man's being of
the dust of the ground.  It really is a term that stresses the terminal
nature of man.  Please note that the text does indeed highlight this use
of words with the next line that says, "who depends on flesh for his
strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord."  Here is the reigning
counter point to faith.  Here is God pointing out the folly and
short-sightedness of work righteousness, of relying on anything human to
achieve anything Godly.
 Should we rely on our own strength?  I look at me and my now 50 year old
body and I know the truth of fading flesh.  What I used to be able to do
on shear strength I now accomplish by cleverness and mechanical know how.
 Those tire lugs I could get off easily with just strength as a young man
now only come off because I use a longer lug wrench for leverage.  The
body fades.  The mind glitches.  The flesh tends to sag and lose tone.  I
have learned that that which will die and rot is not a good instrument to
rely on for eternal things!
 That seems such a clear lesson and we want to think that surely everyone
gets that.  But we don't.  We still like those movies that show us
accomplishing anything or movies that show how the spirit of man can
always win the day and battle.  We tend to think doctors, medicine and
science will conquer all our problems.  They won't.  The truth in this
sinful world is that man and his flesh will die, will fade and will never
measure up to the eternal power of God.
 And to make sure you get the entire picture the Holy Spirit leads
Jeremiah to point to the bush in the desert.  There is no water.  The
land is saline and poisonous.  The bush will die.  The picture I have in
my mind is the tumbleweed.  That tumbleweed that blows by, dry and
brittle, once used to be alive and living.  Such is what mankind is when
he tries to live on his own strength, tries to live without God.
 In direct contrast to this is the next revelation.  We hear, "But
blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its root by
the stream.  It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always
green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear
fruit."
 What a startling contrast is found here.  This same "geber" or young man
of strength does not rely on his flesh but rather on the goodness and
grace of God.  He trusts in God.  He relies on, has confidence in and
knows the security of God.  That trust in God chases away fear, ends
worries and brings blessings.  All of this because of the strength of the
Lord.
 And what a beautiful picture is given of that tree planted by the water.
 The water never dries up and therefore the tree always has green leaves
and always bears fruit.  No matter what the trial or tribulation that
tree survives and produces because of the grace and mercy of God.
 And it is in this verse that we see our Savior Jesus referenced.  I have
no doubt that most Old Testament hearers understood the reference to the
Messiah here.  The Messiah is found in the water and the stream that
brings life.  What better picture of that which gives life than water to
people who knew the desert and what the lack of water would do in a
desert.  For that matter, this picture is found in many other places in
Scripture.
 For instance, one of the first places I would turn would be Psalm 23.
In that Psalm you hear: "He leads me beside quiet waters."  In Psalm 46
is another reference.  Here is another Messianic Psalm that says, "There
is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where
the Most High dwells."  In John 4:10 when Jesus is speaking with the
Samaritan woman he says, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that
asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given
you living water."  In John 7:38 Jesus says, "If anyone is thirsty, let
him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has
said, streams of living water will flow from within him."  Or we could
turn to Rev. 22:1 which says, "Then the angel showed me the river of the
water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of
the Lamb."
 Every one of these passages shows this wonderful picture of God giving
or God being the living water.  This living water has eternal
implications.  In truth, the living water is the gracious and eternal
promises of God.  It is especially that promise of eternal life and
forgiveness that has been won for us by Jesus.  In Jesus our life is
given, sustained, made eternal and fruit producing.  In Jesus our fears
and worries are taken away.  In Jesus we can never fall short of the
glory of God because we have His glory given and poured out upon us.
Like the tree in our verse, no matter what happens we live and flourish,
we grow and bear fruit.  All of this because of the stream that we are
fed by.  The life giving water of Jesus.  The flow of forgiveness that
comes from Him and what He has done just for us.
 If you would, for just a moment, think of our Gospel reading!  In that
reading Jesus was teaching the same lesson that is found in these words.
If our trust and confidence is in the world and the things of this world,
especially in our own accomplishments and joys, what does he say?  He
says, "Woe to you."  This life and what it offers is all you will get.
But when your focus is the Lord and the things of God, then we are
blessed.  Jesus is the key better yet Jesus is the stream in this desert
of sin in which we live, the stream that nourishes, sustains, strengthens
and causes the fruit.
 Curses or blessings!  Which do you desire?  Put you trust and confidence
in the Lord our God and the Savior Jesus he has supplied.  In Jesus the
victory forever is ours.  Amen.