TUSITE NOVEMA 14, 2023
The Heart's Rough Terrain
Ko e Potu Tafungofunga ka ko e loto
JEREMIAH 17:9
THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY SICK: WHO CAN UNDERSTAND IT?
SELEMAIA 17:9
Ko e fungani ‘i he me‘a kākā ka ko e loto, pea ‘oku hiliō hono kovi: ko hai te ne lava ke ‘ilo ia?
In Hebrew, "heart" (lev) rarely refers to our blood-pumping organ but to the core of our being, the epicenter of our thoughts and desires. The heart is humanity's innermost headquarters. And what kind of shape are those headquarters in? Not good. Not good at all. Jeremiah uses two graphic words to describe the heart: aqov and anush. Aqou can mean "deceitful" (it's related to the name Jacob [Ya'aqov], that deceitful trickster), but its nuances include "uneven, bumpy, rough terrain" (see Isa. 40:4). The psalmist says, "For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep" (64:6). The heart is tortuous to explore-deep, dark, uneven, rough, deadly, deceitful. It's also anush, a medical term meaning "incurable and disastrous." We might say "inoperable." Don't even attempt surgery. The lev is too far gone.
That is bad news, to be sure. What hope then do we have? None in our own hearts! Our hope, rather, is in the heart of another-a heart that is smooth with mercy, true to the core, healthy beyond words. It is the heart pulsating within the babe in Mary's arms, the man on the cross, the king on his throne. The heart of Jesus is love above all things. Who can praise it enough?
Lord Jesus, "I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation" (Ps. 13:5).
No comments:
Post a Comment