FAITH.
Mark 6:1-13
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live your life apart from
faith in Jesus? For some people, this is not too hard to do because they can easily
remember what life was without faith in Jesus’ forgiveness and love. But for others,
this is almost impossible because of the great gift God has given them of growing up in
a home full of faith and a life with constant connection to God’s word through his
people.
Whoever we are, we might find it as astonishing as Jesus did to find people
who just will not or cannot see the love and kindness of God.
A pastor recounts a story about the finding and ramifications of faith in
Jesus…
“One night, I was driving home with a young guy who had started
coming to our young adult’s small group. He had a fairly difficult relationship with
his mum and dad. He was struggling to find his way in terms of directions for life.
This young man was fairly aimless. He was quite unsure of what he could do and
where he should be heading in life.”
“By the Holy Spirit’s good work through our young adult’s group and
through worship on Sunday, this young man had found something with us. He had
confessed faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and was seeking baptism.”
“As we drove along we were talking about all sorts of things. I asked
him what he thought of this “being a Christian”. Straight away he said, “It’s pretty
tough!” I asked him what he meant. He said that he was now aware of all his
weaknesses. He now knew that his sin was not just against people but against
God. This made his wrongful attitudes, words and actions more serious.”
“This new Christian described that he now knew he was always in a
struggle – between living as God wanted him to and the way he used to live before
– just the way he wanted to. He said that “being a child of God” was tough. He
confessed that sometimes he wished that it had never happened because if he
had not meet Jesus among us, he could have just gone on living without any bad
conscience and do what he liked without having to worry about it.”
Can we understand what he is describing? At times have you also thought it
would be easier to leave this life of faith in Christ and live the way you thought best for
you and your family? Maybe you have tried to do this? Do you ever find yourself, even
for a brief moment, thinking how different it would be if you didn’t have a conscience, if
you didn’t know of the Triune God, if you didn’t have to care about others so much?
If we have had moments of wondering about the cost of faith in Jesus we
are not alone. The questions and thoughts we experience are not unusual. We have
probably all come across people who are playing it safe when it comes to any talk
about living a life of faith in Christ.
Some people are quite adamant that they are “Christian” but discount
worshipping God with his people on any regular or meaningful basis. Some people
even demand much from the church and yet are very busy fulfilling their own pursuits
and goals with little regard to Jesus way, truth and life. Some people never really
mention faith in Christ, but still want to be affirmed as “Christians” and are keen to “do
the right thing”, as they see it – as if being a Christian is only about “doing right”.
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Jesus found a few people in his home town that weren’t too open to his
ministry of power and compassion. No doubt they were people going about their
business, living for their own well-being as most people do. But surely as Jewish
people living in Israel, they would have been very concerned about “doing the right
thing”. They were astonished at what Jesus said at the synagogue for sure. But they
would not trust that this was the gracious power of God at work in his Son, the
Messiah.
There are plenty of people who are impressed with the wisdom of Jesus as
they read it in the Bible. Lots of people are impressed with Jesus as they hear him
spoken of by others. But plenty of people are not willing to believe that this same
Jesus is who he says he is – the living Son of God. In fact they might even suggest
that Jesus got it wrong in places and that he really shouldn’t have said so much or
done so much. Things might have turned out better for him if had been more wise.
Jesus looked pretty ordinary to the people of his home town. He’s just a
hometown tradesman. He’s just Mary’s son, and he’s just one of the lads who grew up
here. Like many people in our day, Jesus’ hometown people may have thought that
Jesus is just a bit deluded. We might imagine them saying, “Sure, Jesus did and said
some amazing things and his teaching is at least noteworthy. He may have even
possessed some magic spiritual powers. But there are other people like that – some
living, some already dead”.
Jesus’ is amazed. He is amazed at their lack of openness to receive his
Word and the signs that accompanied them. Might Jesus also be amazed at times by
our lack of willingness to receive his teaching and direction? Might he be a little
stunned at our lack of openness to his transforming grace spoken into our very souls
as we gather in his very presence and receive his gracious call to follow and life in his
promises? Could it be that we long-term Christian people have grown resistant to
Jesus’ transforming Word and his holy gifts of grace he offers week by week?
It is good to ask these questions of ourselves. It is good for us to hear these
questions as the voice of Jesus reminding us, calling us, encouraging us to receive
him anew today.
There is one more question we need to ask. How does God respond to
people who will not believe in him – people like those we work with, live with and relate
to in our family and community?
This same Jesus keeps moving to the cross for these unbelieving people
and for those of us who struggle with faith. Our lack of understanding, welcome and
faith does not deter him from nailing all of these things to the cross once and for all. He
continues to call us and love us and invite us into his transforming power and new life.
And then he does even more for us. Jesus responds by sending grace. He
sends us out in his grace to partner with him in his mission to let his kingdom of gave
come in our graceless world. Jesus sends people out to be agents of his grace to
anyone who with ears to hear and eyes to see his grace at work for them.
May you hear his grace and mercy calling you to faith again today and may
he send you to where he has placed you to continue the new life of faith in Jesus.
The LCA provided this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author. Read by
Mike Dillon.
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