August 8, 2010
Faith in things Unseen
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Year C
Introduction
A missionary family went to dinner with some other missionaries. The small children are outside playing before dinner, and when it is time to come in the hostess reminds all of the children to make sure that they wash their hands. They have been playing in dirt, she reminds them and they don’t want to get germs in their bodies. One of the little boys replies, germs and Jesus – that is all I hear about all day. You cant see either of them, but they seem to be all that anyone ever talks about. It is interesting that none of us have ever seen either, but there are people who seem to know that germs are a reality of our lives.
List of things that we have never seen….
Germs, never seen outer space, never seen Australia – but we don’t question whether they exist or not.
But for some reason, we love to question Jesus – is he real, what does he do, what role does he play in life.
The real question is not about jesus, but about faith.
Hebrews says that faith is something that you cant see, or touch, but you have to know that it is there and you have to use it.
There is a difference between religion and faith.
Religion is what you do, faith is why you do it
There is a value to having faith in Jesus
The situation of Hebrews. They were discouraged. There were told that this man Jesus was going to return and make everything better and instead things were getting worse. They wanted to start to see results – results that they could see and touch.
Paul reminded them that if they were looking for the real evidence of faith – they needed to look in the lives of those who had it. We will hear more of the faith story later – but today he uses the example of Abraham. He stepped out on faith and a command from God – and he gave us all faith.
There are times when we question God, we question what going on in our lives, we question why things are happening.
The antidote for anxiety – is to believe to have faith. To be watchful, ready, and willing to serve. In luke – Jesus knows that the faithful get restless. But he reminds us that when we get restless, we also become careless. We stop paying attention, we stop having a living relationship with god. Be always dressed for action and have your lamp lit. in other words to always be prepared to see god.
Faith is a journey – that never ends. You alre always going somewhere, trying to dosomethings for God. If you know god. The one thing that you realze that you never know god. F you have ever been called by god – you know that there is a danger of being stuck. Just because you talked to god yesterday, doesn’t make you prepared for god today. Circumstances of faith are always changing.
Firsthand, in askng god for a gift, in thinking was seeing the signs tht god said yes and getting into the biggest most challenging stuggle of my life. And asking god- but you said that could have this – but I never thought aout the responsibilities that came with it. It doesn’t take much to see that every day is a challenge, and just when I think I got the hang of the situation, somethine new comes up.
Is god doing that to me on purpose, or is god reminding me, that worship and unknown god. A god that I have to constantly reach out and hold onto, and alwys be willing to follow no matter what. Don’t have to know god in order to have faith that God is doing what is best for me.
Hebrews says something important about the people of faith. Abraham never fully saw his promise fulfilled that his ancestors would be as prosperous as the stars – he only saw that one miracle baby. He didn’t have to see the promise fulfilled, to lve by the promise.
He was a foreigner, a stranger, if we are on a journey – we are supposed to be uncortable, feeling out of sorts, not quite fitting in or making things work – that is the nature of the life we live.
But most importantly – he points our that Abraham started his journey at home – he was with family, he had a job, he had a place, he understood what was going on – and god called him to do something more- to find a new home, a new family, a new sense of direction. The home he was seeking was a new home a better home, a home with god.
The biggest antidote to life is to have asense of homesickness – a yearning to be with god, a yearning yo be near god. To believe in the promises of god. An understanding that iam not there yet, but that is always where I am headed. Faith is a journey – where I am a foreigner in this land – makng my way home. To know that the fathers good pleasure is to give you the kingdom. But you are not there yet. What happens when you get comfortable – and start to think that you are at home, you get lazy.
Carl sagan was a famous author – be he was also an atheist. If he could not see god, did nto believe in him. Once asked a pastor- you seem like a really intelligent person, why would you believe in god. You seem like a really intelligent person, why don’t you believe in god. He died, never confessing, never questioning, never having an inkling tht just maybe there s something that he cant see. Someone asked his wife why he never confessed god. She said because he was the type of person who was not comfortable believing – he needed to know.
I like this quote from rick warren – god doesn’t respond to begging, bargaining, bribing, badergind of bemoaning. God only responds when we believe – when we have faith in what we cant see or understand.
We can never know God – or truly what god is going in or lives. But we gotta believe in the the peace that passing all understanding. Whatever we may see in the world – we can belive that god is working it out for the good of those who believe.
Everyday is a new day – every day we have to step out on faith, believing in the promises of God, never really knowing if we will see god or not. But always prepared, always vigilant.
I would leave you with a a wonderful prayer by Thomas Merton that goes
well with this reading, and we can almost imagine the letter-writer
including it as a closing: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I
do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will
end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am
following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe
that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I
have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do
anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead
me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I
trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I
will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face
my perils alone" (Thoughts in Solitude).
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