FAITH MAKES WHOLE?
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7; Luke 17: 11-19
The
Luke reading for today ends where last week’s began,
at the question of exercising Faith. In 17:5 we find the
unexpected request of Jesus’ followers: ‘Increase
our faith?’ Why do they ask this? The text does not
say, and the context is no help either. 17:3-4 refer to forgiving
many times, but the parallel text in Matthew does not lead on to
the issue of faith. Equally, the parallel text in Matthew about
faith appears in a different context. Matthew speaks not of the
disciples’ asking for more faith but of Jesus’
criticism of their little faith. In Matthew, Jesus speaks
of faith to remove a mountain into the sea, not just a mulberry
bush.
There is one clue in the text itself that guides our
reading – the word ‘apostles’. Contrast
‘disciples’ in the preceding verses. Disciples, meaning
‘students’ is a frequent
word in all gospels. The word Apostles ‘sent
ones’, appears only once in Matthew and in Mark and never
in John, but in Luke, six times. Clearly, Luke wrote his
gospel from the viewpoint of his mission experience on the
road with Paul. Whatever the original setting of the faith issue
between Jesus and his disciples, for Gospel readers, the issue
becomes the faith of those sent out on mission in Christ’s
name. Such are we. How are we to increase our
faith?
Once again recently I was asked why I entered the ministry. There
were various motives, not all good ones. More basic is the
question Thomas Bandy asks: ‘Why am I on the road with
Jesus?’ For some years, I pointed to the theme of
reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:19. This theme touches me
deeply and the task of reconciling drives my life at the deepest
level. But more recently I have formed a new testimony around the
story of Jesus’ first encounter with the disciples.
‘If I was at work on the beach of Galilee, and this
impressive man came up for a chat and then said: ‘Would you
like to come along?’, I like to think I would have left my
nets and followed him’. I hope I am a person of such
faith and adventure. Are you? Do you think you would have
followed Jesus?
We may ask how the apostles could show any greater faith than the
life changing decision they had already made to follow Jesus? Yet
the text indicates to us that the first great faith step is not
enough. We need increased faith for the task of bearing
witness to Christ today.
In some ways, many of us these days are rather more attracted to
doubt – we are not attracted by claims to the miraculous
nor by the claims of traditional theology to cement our Christian
belief in unalterable language. In a world of fundamentalists,
Xian, Jewish and Muslim, thank God for the capacity to doubt. But
we can stay with our doubt and still seek greater
faith. For this faith we seek is a matter of trust and
venture rather than of belief. The story of the Ten Lepers
also reminds us that exercising faith has to do with being a
whole person.
The challenge of new faith confronted us in the theme of our
synod meetings last month: ‘Leave your nets, follow
me’. Table groups were asked what nets we need to
leave. They noted dependence on the minister, religious talk,
prejudice against people of other cultures, being tied to
buildings, pews, organs, and Sunday morning worship, fear of
losing our personal influence. We also opened up to new faith
in a renewed concern for evangelism, in plans for the new centre
for ministry education, in advocacy for old-forest protection,
and in greater excellence in aged care provision and
management.
Praise God that new faith is active in the Uniting Church in all
dimensions of life. But how can we in North Balwyn share fully
in it?
Let’s have faith like Jesus, that is as eager to grasp the
new as it is to hold fast to the tried and true; faith to move
beyond the comfort zone of conventional religious teaching, and
beyond the social barriers established in our culture. This is
the faith we need to reconnect beyond the ghetto that church is
becoming in our society. This is the faith through which the
Spirit of Christ will enable us and our congregations to move
deliberately and happily into the new future God holds out to
us.
And let’s have the faith Jesus inspired in the leper, which
with hope and love makes us mature and whole. Like Jesus, let us
have faith in each other and in ordinary people, that we all can
do God’s work in the world, not just ministers nor trained
and experienced lay people, and not just Christians. For faith in
each other enables us to grow more trustworthy and to fulfill
God’s best hopes for us all.
___________________________________________________
A sermon presented by the Rev Dr Paul Tonson
at St Aidan's Uniting Church North Balwyn, on 10th October,
2004.
IT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITH ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
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