Licking Sores

Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. 

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: 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. 

More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds. (Jeremiah 17:5-10)

Are we barren bushes in lava wastes?  Or do we stretch our roots to the stream and bear fruit?  The rich man described in Luke (below) was the former.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. 

When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. (Luke 16:19-31)

This Lent we must probe our minds and test our hearts.  When we are carried away by angels (later rather than sooner), let’s find ourselves at the bosom of Abraham – not in the netherworld.  Whatever will happen shall be based on the merit of our deeds – on the fruit we have born and on the sores we have licked.

Deacon David Pierce