Teach Me Your Way O Lord

Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Jeremiah 20:7-13 Matthew 10:24-39
Today we are continuing to talk about faith drawing from our scriptures in the Psalms, Jeremiah, and Matthew. Psalm 86 is a prayer from someone under pressure. Jeremiah 20 is the cry of a prophet who feels trapped by the very calling God gave him. And in Matthew 10, Jesus tells his disciples plainly that following him will not always make life easier.
None of these texts pretend faith is simple.

And honestly, that matters. Because many Christians quietly carry the assumption that if we are faithful enough, trusting enough, prayerful enough, life should become manageable. Conflict should lessen. Anxiety should disappear. People should understand us. But Scripture tells a different story.

David prays, “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.” Jeremiah cries, “O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed.” Jesus says, “A disciple is not above the teacher.” If Jesus was mocked, opposed, and misunderstood, his followers should not expect to be spared from struggle.

Faith is not a contract guaranteeing comfort. Faith is relationship with the living God in the middle of real life. Martin Luther understood this deeply, as you recall him saying faith is “a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.” Notice what he did not say. He did not say faith is certainty about outcomes. He did not say faith is emotional calm. He did not say faith is the absence of fear.

Jeremiah is a perfect example. Here is a prophet who is exhausted. He has spoken God’s word faithfully, and it has not made him popular. He has been mocked, rejected, isolated. He says something extraordinary: “If I say, ‘I will not mention [God],’ then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones.”

Jesus say some difficult words. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
At first, that can sound harsh. But Jesus is not dismissing human pain. He himself will suffer betrayal, violence, humiliation, and death, even as he participates in creating God’s new creation. He knows exactly what fear feels like.

“You are of more value than many sparrows.” That line is easy to miss because sparrows seem small and insignificant. But that is exactly the point. Jesus says not even a sparrow falls without God noticing. And if God notices sparrows, then surely God notices you.
Psalm 86 begins with a desperate cry for help, but it also contains trust: “You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love.” David is honest about his trouble, but he refuses to believe trouble is the whole story.

God meets us in weakness, suffering, and dependence. We want clear answers, guaranteed plans, obvious victories. But much of the Christian life involves trusting before we fully see. Neither Jeremiah, David, or even the disciples can fully see. Yet, they keep on.

Then Jesus says something even more disturbing: “Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” The cross in the first century was not jewelry. It was not decoration. It meant surrendering one’s life to a different kingdom.

Jesus speaks of division even within families—not because he desires conflict, but because love and truth can disrupt old allegiances. Following Christ reshapes our priorities and identity, calling us beyond tribal boundaries, fear, and self-protection.

Jesus never calls people to suffering for suffering’s sake. The goal is not pain. The goal is life. “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Many of us know what it is like to carry hidden fears — fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of conflict, fear of being misunderstood, fear that we are not enough. These fears quietly shape our decisions. They keep us guarded. Defensive. Tired.

And into that fear Jesus speaks gently but firmly: “Do not be afraid.”
Not because nothing bad can happen. But because God’s love is stronger than what happens. The good news today is not that faithful people avoid struggle.
The good news is that in every struggle, Christ remains near and walks with us.

So when fear rises, when faith feels costly, when the road ahead feels unclear, remember this: the gospel does not ask you to create courage out of nowhere. It asks you to trust the One who already holds your life. That is faith. Thanks be to God. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen