Last week the sermon passage looked at Jeremiah’s plea for the people of Judah to change their ways (Jer 17:1-18). Instead of trusting in man-made idols (e.g. materialism, romance, savings, career, etc), which bring no lasting satisfaction or fulfilment, Jeremiah called Judah to sink her roots into God (v. 8), who is able to sustain us through the longest of droughts.
The big problem with this call though is humans are unable to change by themselves. In perhaps the most scathing but honest indictment against sinful humans, Jeremiah tells us in v. 9 that ‘the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure’. But how exactly does the heart deceive?
Ever since the fall, humans have known deep down that there is something wrong with them. Where Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their shame, their descendants have turned to all manner of things to try and show ourselves, those around us and God that we do measure up. Being successful in love, successful in raising a family, or successful in career are all ways humans try to cover their shame, and show people we’re worth it. Yet not only are these man-made gods unable to bring true enjoyment or satisfaction in life, they incur God’s wrath for breaking Commandment number 1.
This is why we can never trust our heart. It always looks to man-made things to hide our shame. When Woody Allen was questioned why he started a sexual relationship with his girlfriend’s adoptive daughter – a girl he’d help raise – he said ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’. Sadly that’s true. But the heart always wants what is wrong, for it is desperately searching for things to help cover up our shame.
Christians should NOT trust their heart. Ever! It will always lust after man-made things, and come up with any justification needed for those lusts. Christians should rather check everything in life against God’s word. For God is the only person who can actually heal us (v. 14) and change us.
