A recent guest to MCC San Diego was Rev. Elder Don Eastman, former vice-moderator of our denomination, consultant and longtime friend of our church. He imparted some ideas to us on finding joy and having a vision which I think speak to all people of faith, and that I am happy to share.
Where do you find the greatest joy in your life? I have discovered that some things in my life give me pleasure and some things give me joy. It gives me pleasure to eat a good meal. But it gives me joy to prepare a good meal that gives someone else pleasure. It gives us joy to make a difference that brings blessings to others. Our lesson today is about how your faith can lead to the greatest joy in your life.
In our Gospel reading of Matthew 17:14-20 we have an interesting story about Jesus and faith.
A man brings his son to the disciples of Jesus for healing. The boy suffers from epileptic seizures but the disciples cannot cure him. So, the father brings the child to Jesus who then heals the child instantly. The disciples of Jesus are upset; they take him aside privately and ask, “Why could we not help this boy but then you are able to heal him instantly.”
Jesus gives the disciples a very simple answer: “Because of your little faith.” The disciples have a little faith problem. In four different situations recorded previously in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus had told his disciples that they had a problem with their “little faith.”
But then Jesus says something to the disciples that sounds like a big contradiction. He says that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could do anything. Nothing would be impossible to them. Because it is so tiny, the mustard seed was used frequently as an example or metaphor for something extremely small. But what was also characteristic of the mustard seed was its tenacity and strength. It is a seed that is small in size yet persistent in its growth. When it grows it can crack concrete.
What Jesus is saying is that the kind of faith that can truly make a difference and can truly bring about change goes way beyond believing. It requires a deep level of trust that is expressed in what you do as well as what you believe or what you feel or what you hope for.
A “little faith” problem is not just a matter of not having enough faith. It is a matter of having enough trust in God’s promises to act as though they are true, even when it seems impossible.
This kind of faith is not merely a belief, nor is it extraordinary confidence. It is life-long trust in the promises and the purposes of God. It takes the long view. It is the journey of a lifetime!
Hebrews 11 has been called the Faith Hall of Fame. It is a litany of leaders who lived by such faith. Looking at the stories of some of these he-roes and she-roes of the faith we learn three great truths about the kind of faith Jesus was talking about:
The value of vision
The advantage of adversity
The power of persistence
The value of vision
Faith always begins with a promise and a purpose. To Abraham and Sarah, God said, “I will make of you a mighty people and in your descendents all the peoples of the earth will be blessed.”
Promise: I will make of you a mighty people
Purpose: in your descendents all the peoples of the Earth will be blessed
A journey of faith is more than a trip to a destination; it is a call to a destiny; a destiny that fulfills God’s purposes and promises in our individual lives and our life together as believers.
God will inspire a dream for your future. God has a purpose for your life. God has a promise for your blessings. God has a way for you to make a difference and be a blessing to others. To become aware of God’s promises and purposes for your life is to have a powerful vision.
To maximize our journey of faith, it is helpful to hear stories from others on a similar path and how finding a welcoming, affirming, inclusive faith community truly touched and changed their lives. I have heard countless such stories of people alienated by negative church experiences and or wandering aimlessly in their quest for spiritual comfort.
“On the brink of suicide, understanding gay = bad person, a friend suggested trying an open, affirming church. I came, I cried, I heard – God loves me. No change required. I began to feel loved by God, to know God would never leave me – no matter what. And, slowly, I emerged from my shell and away from being a wallflower. Today I am so very, very happy and unafraid.”
“I was in the midst of a break up from my partner of 16 years. I had always gone to church growing up and it had always been an important part of my life, however when I came out I was very angry with the church and stayed away for about 18 years. A friend introduced me to a church that was welcoming and non-judgmental. I was mesmerized by the music at the service to the point that I had tears in my eyes. I felt at home, and welcome and at peace for the first time in years. I came back the next week, and have been ever since.”
These are only two stories of people finding themselves – and connecting with God – in the midst of people who love, support and welcome them. And helping them develop a positive vision. Vision is having a clear sense of who you are as a child of God. Vision is gaining a sense of what God is calling you and us to become and be doing in the months and years ahead. Vision is embracing God’s promises and purposes even if they seem impossible!
