“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:7

Today’s startlingly vivid readings give us insight into the fundamental nature of choice, viz. the choice of trust. We begin by seeing from the first reading the stark terms in which Jeremiah categorizes humans: those with trust in the Lord, and those without. The imagery that he evokes is one of fertility vs. sterility, of growth vs. stagnation and decay. It is interesting that this choice of trust is then concluded with the Lord stating that to each will come recompense “according to the merit of his deeds.” God expects this choice of trusting in Him to become the cause of our good merits and deeds and our evil merits to be the effect of a repugnant distrust in Him

In the Gospel, Jesus provides a clear example of this dichotomy in trust. On one hand, we have Lazarus, a diseased man of poverty, who, in death, finds himself in the “bosom of Abraham.” On the other lies the rich man, a person of luxury who finds himself in “torment.” Can these statuses of eternal life and death be attributed to trust in God?

The man cries out to Abraham for himself and then for his family. It is here that we find Abraham’s words most potent: “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.” So, the man was indeed aware of the laws, the Will of the Lord, which he broke: that the hungry might be fed, clothed, and sheltered, amongst many more things.

What motivation, then, can be surmised for the rich man’s refusal to comply with the Lord’s law? It is undoubtedly his lack of trust. Were he to have trusted in God, he would have eagerly shown a willingness to be in union with the Lord and His designs, e.g., tending to Lazarus’ corporeal needs. Instead, however, the rich man placed his trust “in flesh” as Jeremiah states in the first reading, and this free choice of false trust led to his eternal decay.

In our own lives, how often do we put trust “in flesh?” Is it money? politicians? social programs? education? our own will and desire? No, all are fleeting: none is eternal. Only God the Rock will satisfy our need to trust, for only He can guarantee our growth, fertility, and life.

As we continue in this season of Lent, let us pray that we may have total trust and faith in Our Lord and implement, so that, as Jeremiah reminds us, we may be reward eternally with God by the merits of our deeds.