FAITH BELIEVES, TRUST RESTS – Part 1 of 2

What is faith? John Patten (1824 -1907) traveled to New Hebrides (a group of islands in the Southwest Pacific) to tell the tribal people about Jesus. The islanders were cannibals and his life was in constant danger. Patten decided to work on a translation of John’s Gospel, but found that there was no word in their language for “belief” or “trust.” Nobody trusted anybody else.

Eventually, Patten hit upon the way to find the word he was looking for. One day, when his native servant came in, Patten sat back in his chair, raised both feet off the floor, and asked, “What am I doing now?” In reply, the servant used a word which means “to lean your whole weight upon.” This was the expression Patten used. Faith is leaning our whole weight upon Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross.

It all starts with God’s love for us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  [As a result of our sin,] we all deserve to “perish.” God, in His love for us, saw the mess we were in and gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for us. As a result of His death, everlasting life is offered to all who believe. 

-- Nicky Gumbel in Alpha’s “Questions of Life: A Practical Introduction to the Christian Faith”

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BLIND OBEDIENCE

“’Go,’ Jesus told the blind man, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”  (John 9:7 NIV)

Like many of the miracles Jesus performed, this one comes with a set of instructions. Jesus tells the blind man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. While we don’t know the exact distance he traveled to get to the pool, it was a hike…

So why would Jesus send this blind man on a scavenger hunt? Why not just heal him on the spot? A trip to the Pool of Siloam seems unnecessary, doesn’t it?

I recently heard a story by an Episcopal bishop named William Frey. As a young man, he volunteered to tutor a student who was blind. The student had lost his sight at the age of thirteen in a chemical explosion. He felt like his life was over. The only thing greater than his self-pity was his hatred toward God. For six months after the accident, all he did was feel sorry for himself. Then one day his father said, “John, winter’s coming and the storm windows need to be up – that’s your job. I want those hung by the time I get back this evening or else!” Then he pretended to walk out of the room, slamming the door. John got good and angry! In fact, he was so angry that he decided to do it. He thought, “When I fall, they’ll have a blind and paralyzed son!” But John didn’t fall. He discovered that he was capable of doing more than he realized. Even with blind eyes. Only after completing the job did he discover that his dad was never more than five feet away. He shadowed his son to make sure he was safe, but he knew that helplessness was a far worse curse than blindness.

I’m not entirely sure why Jesus had this blind man go and wash, but I’m guessing that he had lived a relatively helpless life. He depended upon everybody for everything! So Jesus didn’t just heal his blind eyes. He restored his dignity by rebuking helplessness… And that’s one secret to experiencing the miraculous: most miracles require an act of blind obedience. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible”

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THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized Him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy.’”  (Mark 1:9-11 NLT)

In the Greek language, Mark’s Gospel uses strong words to describe what happened when Jesus was baptized. The translators of the New Living Translation of the Bible describe the event this way: “He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him.” Mark is the only Gospel writer to use a Greek word that doesn’t just mean “open” but “tear.” Mark wants us to know that God “ripped open” heaven and sent His Spirit to descend upon Jesus. This was a cosmic event of epic proportions even though it was happening in nowhere Israel under the ministry of an insignificant, self-appointed prophet named John. Things would be different in the universe after this event, according to Mark.

What happens next defends Mark’s position. The ancient Rabbi’s taught that when God speaks, “the daughter of His voice,” or “the echo of His voice,” is heard. But Mark does not record God’s voice in this way. Instead, Mark says that the very voice of Jesus’ heavenly Father spoke words of approval over His Son. “You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy.”  John’s baptism of Jesus serves as a declaration to the world across time that Jesus was and is the Son of God.  

-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”

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CALLED TO FELLOWSHIP

We are called to fellowship with one another. The Greek word koinonia means “having in common” or “sharing” [--  sharing possessions, sharing experiences, sharing life, sharing one’s self with another.] It is the word used for the marital relationship, the most intimate between human beings. Our fellowship is with God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – 1 John 1:3; 2 Corinthians 13:14) and with one another (1 John 1:7). Christian fellowship cuts across race, color, education, background, and every other cultural barrier. There is a level of friendship in the church that I have certainly never experienced outside the church.

John Wesley said, “The New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion.” We are called to fellowship with one another. It is not an optional extra. There are two things we simply cannot do alone. We cannot marry alone and we cannot be a Christian alone. Professor C.E.B. Cranfield put it like this: “The freelance Christian… is simply a contradiction in terms.”

The writer of Hebrews urges his readers, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24-25a NIV). Often Christians lose their love for the Lord and their enthusiasm for their faith because they neglect [biblical] fellowship. 

– Adapted from Nicky Gumbel in Alpha’s “Questions of Life: A Practical Introduction to the Christian Faith”

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GROWING AND MATURING

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”  (Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV)

I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his Mom asked him what happened, he answered, “I don’t know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in.”

Easy to do the same with our faith. It’s tempting just to stay where we got in and never move.

Pick a time in the not-too-distant past. A year or two ago. Now ask yourself a few questions. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? Have both the amount and the joy increased? What about your church loyalty? Can you tell you’ve grown? And Bible study? Are you learning to learn?

There they are. Four habits worth having. Isn’t it good to know that some habits are good for you? Make them a part of your day and grow. Don’t make the mistake of the little boy. Don’t stay too close to where you got in. It’s risky resting on the edge.

Growth is the goal of the Christian. Maturity is mandatory. 

-- Max Lucado in “When God Whispers Your Name”

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