Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh…Jeremiah 17:5 

This divine message is somber and blunt, but we shall thank God for it even so. 

How accurate is this warning? Let us begin by asking ourselves: “who keeps failing us?”  

Many would say that the Government, at the local, or at the state or at the federal level, fails them. Even some of those whom we elected to look after our interests and rights do fail us.  

However, let us start, instead, by listing those closest to us, those whom we love, those on whom we count, especially during difficult times. 

We could have been let down by our spouse, parents, siblings, children, friends, members of our own family. And it hurts—badly! 

Can we trust priests and bishops? Obviously, we cannot trust all of them, especially in the wake of the sex scandals and shameful cover-ups.  

Can we trust doctors? Hmmm. Not all of them. Hopefully, our doctors will try their best.  

Can we trust our teachers? Not all of them.  

Can we trust lawyers? Perhaps some of us know of a trustworthy, God-fearing, honest lawyer.  

Can we trust experts in fields of vital importance such as food and drink consumption, health issues, environment, crucial information, etc.? 

Although to different degrees, we have all been hurt and let down by other human beings. 

The message is clear: we should not be too shocked, or too upset because, by definition, all human beings are born with innate flaws, limitations and faulty drives stemming from self-interest and pride, ultimately traceable back to original sin. 

Can we trust big organizations and large agencies designed to help national and global communities run smoothly and with cooperation to achieve the common good? 

Since they are made up of human beings who are limited, they, too, turn out to be flawed and disappointing, if not dangerous and corrupt, more than single individuals could ever be. 

But our Heavenly Father, who warns us not to trust in human beings, demands us to have understanding and to exercise forgiveness and even compassion in dealing with each other’s weaknesses. 

It extends also to human beings whose wickedness is very pronounced because they have chosen to work for the prince of darkness.  

Far from putting our trust in them, we should repudiate their ways as they intend to lead us to self-destruction. 

Yet, even with them we are called to apply compassion and understanding because we do not know their history, what is in their hearts and what or who brought them to such a sorry condition. 

Our trust must be in God alone. This is the good news which Jesus is eager to share with us. 

Notice how Jesus, with his chosen disciples, comes down form a mountain, i.e., a place of closeness to the Father. Notice also how he selects a level and wide stretch of ground so that the largest number of people can hear him deliver what amounts to his guidelines to true blessedness and stern warning about how to avoid being cursed. 

Intentionally, almost as a challenge to a godless world, Jesus addresses directly those who are “cursed” according the to the world’s standards.  He addresses us who are poor, who are hungry, who are weeping, who are hated, insulted, denounced, and declares all of us blessed.  

Jesus’ declaration of blessedness is unique because it is not approved and even less envied by the world.  But it is guaranteed by his love in full display on the cross and it becomes a source of unshakeable hope sealed in his resurrection. 

He follows his hope-filled promise of blessedness with a series of woes delivered as a warning for all in his vast audience assembled on that stretch of level ground.  

These chilling woes are for those who are presently content with what the world has to offer and want more of the same because their hearts are still dissatisfied.  

Thus, we who, at times, envy those who have a lot more than we have; for us who tend to forget Jesus’ promised blessedness whenever we are tested, this page of the gospel (Luke 6:17, 20-26) forces us to choose between Jesus Christ and the world.  

It must not be a choice we make lightly because we should be wise enough to realize that it must be a fundamental choice on which countless, smaller, daily choices depend.  

And it cannot be a choice which is designed to shape only our time-constrained earthly life, but a choice on which our eternal future depends.  

Indeed, both blessedness and woes from the lips of Jesus possess an echo that keeps reverberating on and on. 

Perhaps we can be helped by reminiscing past experiences of grief and joy, of trials and elation, of failures and successes.  

We should also compare the brand of happiness which we experienced from earthly things to the brand of happiness that we felt from closeness to the Lord and by obeying his law. 

If we are wise and honest with ourselves, our choice will be made by placing our crucified Lord on one side as the evidence of the Father’s love for us.  But what do we put on the other side? 

As a guarantee of reliability, we know we can put the Resurrection of Christ, his victory over our worst enemies on one side. But what can we put as a guarantee of reliability on the side of the world? 

It should not be a difficult choice. And it should not take too long to decide either!