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I counted some 12 plus times that the author of Hebrews mentions, "by faith." The number 12 as we know, has that missional symbolic meaning of signifying the 12 tribes of Israel.... but it also symbolically represents the first witnesses to the Gospel, the disciples, Apostles. By the time of Saint Paul, these witnesses began to seed the church, not only by walking in their faith but with the sacrifice of their lives! Theological speculation has pointed the finger to Saint Paul's fellow Church Planter companion, Barnabas, as the true author of the letter of Hebrews. Barnabas sojourned in one direction alongside John Mark and Paul alongside Luke and Timothy, went down another. Together their fellowship and mission planted and reaped the early foundation of the Christian Church.
Why is this important? Maybe because it points to the work of the early church in formation first and most importantly in the hearts and minds of the early Christians. It’s hard to imagine or fathom, but the Book of Acts itself is an amazing record to how “The Way,” grew to become what maybe perhaps, we take for granted today! Here we are, over 2000 something years later foraging forward in a spiritual battle of harboring and sharing what I would like to call a "bi-faith." This is bi dash faith. Do we reap faithfully what was truly sown in our hearts by Christ Jesus’ gospel? This is what today’s texts had me thinking about. It is a movement that must begin in that first church, the heart then and only then afterwards our minds are to activate our hands and feet and all we have to give as an expression of “Living Faith.”
Perhaps a line from an old Beatles classic gives us the best clue: "The movement you need is on your shoulders..." for those music buffs out there that's from 'Hey Jude.' Paul Mccartney was more or less writing to console Julian Lennon on the dissolution of his mother and father’s divorce… Using this in talking about faith however: How do we get to make that “movement” needed to act upon our faith as disciples of Jesus? The heart must begin its journey to change. The heart, as I have said in many a sermon is that first church. This kind of change in the heart, is spiritual formation. It is a transformation essentially from “my will” be done to thy or “God's will” be done.
The author of Hebrews takes us through a historical journey of many figures who truly “walked and talked by faith,” from Abraham, Moses, Rehab and onwards. Jesus' seemingly harsh words in today's Gospel are trying to kindle a fire in the hearts of those who have perhaps, fell out of that spiritual focus, discipline in living into change for the sake of God and neighbor. In fact, He even accuses them of being hypocrites! Let's face it, it has been more than easy to become indifferent. We are in an age that has catered to indifference, opting more often than not, to circumvent the urgent need, calling of Gospel to reap that New Nature seed in our hearts planted by Christ.
Our lives may never seem to reach that point of our hope-filled, faith's desire, or ultimate goal.... Look at figure such as Bonhoeffer, he went back to Germany to try to take down Hitler… Sadly his efforts were cut short by his unknowable fate of being made a martyr, hung by the Nazis. But, if you recall what the author of Hebrews has said: we are all a part of the great “cloud of witnesses”—now is truly the time to act! We must change inwardly—what this is, is heart knowledge, essentially spiritual growth and formation. We are also called to change outwardly—this is by reaping that New Nature seed with the fruits of faith lived as gracious response. God has been calling us for some time now to respond. Don’t lament this reality but BE and become all things through Christ who strengthens us all!
The reality of Christ Jesus is an enduring lifetime's journey of trial and error. None of us will ever be “perfect.” Perfection in God’s eyes is something completely different from our interpretation of the word. This journey of trial and error in our lives is to be either transformed by the Gospel of Jesus or indifferently shaped by the gospel or better understood as the agenda of the world, the ego, the self..... So as you can see it is both “bi-faith” (bi dash faith) and the notion of “by faith” that we struggle and go to run the race for the ultimate prize—the kingdom of God and its righteousness. This righteousness is not won by empty gestures but truly by a “God-given faith!” We are called to bear our spiritual cross—this is a commissioning of our ultimate purpose.
Why would Barnabas feel he needed to keep reminding the Hebrews about all those historical figures walking and talking by faith? In almost the same breath, why would Christ, in some senses, seems so harsh in pointing to the people's blindness to the reality of what God really needs for us to do? There are probably many witnesses today in the “here-and-now” of our Christian journey together as the Body, who unknowingly walked by faith, were challenged by their faith, and were strengthened by that same faith to DO, what is right beyond themselves. Speaking from my own witness, every single day I am challenged, strengthened and manage to move forward through God’s own wonderful sense of timing and humor! Yes, I think God has a fabulous sense of humor, for many of His steps and lessons He places before us often do take us by surprise.
This is probably the most important lesson here—walking through, by faith. The gospel continues to pound away on that, what I would like to call, that “one string banjo” for us to hear and grow from: we must be shaped by the discipline, obedience of the Holy Spirit working in our lives upon our hearts and we must take seriously our call. This calling goes beyond accountability—being and faithfully living as a freely responsible servant of Christ. This calling becomes a spiritual requirement of being grateful, not willfully grateful for a “prize” or some kind of transaction in our very human way of understanding things... This is where we are to see things by willingly showing Grace naturally as fruits of the Spirit, gracious responses of faith or as one of my colleagues puts it best—“doing the DO’s of the Gospel!”
Sometimes doing things by faith require us to take that risk in order to change for the better. This change is for Christ's sake and for our neighbor. It can even be as trivial as driving an unsafe car, since you can't afford fixing it, miles and miles away in order to care for someone who is needing your assistance. It may mean that you sacrifice your time for someone else, out of love—no strings attached… Trusting in something with an almost blind trust goes against human logic, but then, that is in many ways the requirement of growing in Grace through faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was never to be something "cut-and-dry," something easily digestible by our human sense of logic, ethics and so forth. If you even just contemplate, look at the Beatitudes, you can see the radical spiritual challenge Christ is putting on our spiritual plates to digest.
Jesus didn’t spend those three years of ministry creating comfortable sayings to make us “feel rewarded” and simply “comforted.” As I was told at the beginning of my seminary journey, just like Jesus, we are called to be like that unpopular herald, Jeremiah and preach to “Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted…”
Did Saint Paul, Saint Luke, Timothy, John Mark and Barnabas among many of the early church Planters know what the lasting results would be of their sojourning? I highly doubt it, what they did have was that they genuinely held great hope, trust and were encouraging one another to take on the challenge of living into their faith. They, as the saying goes, not only “talked their faith” but “walked in their faith.” We are called to do the same, but not necessarily in the same shoes, but most truly and honestly, through our lives’ stories which all have differences but we are all called to be living into our faith, by our faith, for a much greater purpose!
The Peace of Christ which does surpasses all understanding is not out of our reach! This peace is something that you grow into. Growth as a disciple of Jesus, person of faith is spiritual maturity—your life times’ journey. May all of us learn through baby steps and then greater steps soon to become leaps and bounds on our own journeys. These leaps and bounds are what make up the “ultimate prize” or the goal, “the completion of the race” as spoken about in Hebrews. This goal is the kingdom of God in the Here and Now, for the glory of God and truly for the love of neighbor.
Let us pray,
Gracious and loving Lord Jesus,
Help us to find that spiritual balance
Where We Are changing inwardly and outwardly for the sake of your Gospel’s goal
May we joyfully accept and live into being that commissioned part of the Great cloud of witnesses!
May the peace of Christ truly take root in all that we DO and say for his sake and our neighbors.
In your most precious and beautiful name we pray
Amen
August 14th,
2016; 13th Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 15; Year C; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon By:
Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins
Psalm
119:81-88; Jeremiah 23:16-29; Hebrews 11:17-40; 12:1-3; Luke 12:49-56
This sermon was delivered at a special evening service at the Grace Hub's house church since Pastor Collins and her husband will be celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary, August 15th.
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