April 27, 2024
“They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace”. Jeremiah 6:14.
God is telling the prophet Jeremiah to rebuke the spiritual leaders of Israel for the superficial work they are doing. They were only pretending to “heal the hurt of the daughter of my people.” The false prophets and leaders were not truly addressing the root issues. Their problems and resulting hurt stemmed from their ongoing wickedness caused by their rejection of God’s Word. There is a remedy for this, but the false prophets were not offering it; they were only putting a bandage on a cut that needed stitches. These leaders were promising health, wealth, and prosperity even if people didn’t repent of their sins. Pleasant words, false encouragement, and lies may offer some temporary relief, but they do nothing to truly heal.
Many civic, business, and religious leaders believe that telling people what they want to hear is helpful. It seems to work, at least temporarily. These blind guides also think that giving their followers a bit of superficial encouragement now and then is beneficial. They will tell them anything except the hard truth; your sins have separated you from God, and that is your real problem. Be cautious of those who use flattery. Flattery is nothing more than superficial healing. These Jewish spiritual and civic leaders were not truly healing the wounds and hurts of the people. At best, they provided temporary relief but never addressed the root cause of the hurt. They offered short-term peace, not lasting peace.
I am amazed that most of our government handouts and programs are similar in nature. They provide temporary relief but rarely address the root cause of the problem. Many non-profit organizations are the same. They heal people’s wounds only temporarily and slightly because they never tackle the foundational issues. They promise peace but never deliver lasting peace because they refuse to confront the real underlying problems. They often cater to people’s weaknesses and rarely show them that only through their own desire and commitment to improve can peace and prosperity be achieved.
Feeding the poor is a good act as long as it doesn’t become a way of life. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Giving a man a fish, and you will feed him for the day. Teach him how to fish, and he will feed himself every day.’ Many of our programs, however, keep recipients dependent on the agency or government, making them slaves. Slaves have little or no peace and often live in poverty. There is little dignity in relying on the government, especially when the person is capable of working and supporting themselves. Lazy people should be compelled to work, as work is a blessing. We do them no favors by enabling their laziness.
Most of us seek relief from the symptoms of our problems rather than addressing the root cause. If there is a pill we can take, that’s great. If it requires a lifestyle change, many of us refuse to do what’s necessary. We prefer to medicate the symptoms rather than solve the actual problem.
When discussing spiritual matters, the stakes are much higher. A preacher, pastor, or teacher who is okay with healing their people’s wounds only superficially or slightly is a hireling and unfit for the office. It is a false prophet or false teacher who offers only temporary relief for their people’s hurts. Most, though not all, of our problems stem from impure motives and unrighteous actions on our part. Typically, that is the root cause, and until it is addressed, there will be no real healing or peace. It doesn’t matter how many times a false prophet promises healing, peace, or safety. Until each of us confronts our underlying issues, we will never walk in true peace with God. Our healing will, at best, be superficial. And being told you are not responsible is poison, not medicine.
For most of us, the root cause is sin. Until we confront our sin, the healing of our wounds will remain superficial. God wanted Jeremiah to rebuke the spiritual leaders of His people, who tried to heal their wounds without demanding their repentance and obedience to God’s law. Most pastors today are no different and no better. They try to heal their members’ hurts with kind words, flattery, and false compassion. Until they instruct and show them how to clean up their lives, they will never find peace, prosperity, or safety.
However, most evangelical churches tell their members that they will never be able to stop sinning and that it is foolish to try or believe it’s even possible. They falsely claim that people are born with a sinful nature that neither God nor they can fully conquer in this life. And we wonder why Christians struggle unsuccessfully with sin throughout their lives.
We must ensure we do not treat our own wounds or those of family and friends lightly. We need to heal the hurts of those we care about by telling them the whole truth. Lying to them to make them feel better is harmful. The truth is God’s medicine. It always works. Telling the truth is what love looks like and what it does.
The body of Jesus Christ should feed the poor, providing bread for physical life and the bread of life, the word of God, for spiritual life. Many souls are seeking real healing. Let us pray to God that He will use us to bring healing, and may we not be like those Jeremiah rebuked for “healing the hurt of the people of God slightly.”
