A Question of Faith
Many of us have seen either war movies or documentaries, so it’s not difficult for us to imagine the intense shelling of towns in Europe during World War II. If you’ve seen these news clips or recreations of the events, then you’ve also seen the scene of a father and his little girl heading for a dugout shelter. He slips into the darkness of the hole, and then calls for his daughter. He can see her silhouetted against the light of the sky, but she cannot see him in the depth of the hole. He calls out: “Just jump, and I’ll catch you.” Because it’s the reassuring voice of her father, she makes the leap of faith. In cases like this faith comes easily. Indications we have allow for us to move forward with a good amount of reassurance. But this isn’t always the case is it? At times we don’t have a lot of reassurances. So we might find ourselves asking, “How much faith is enough?
Do we need to have a conversion experience like the centurion who was facing Jesus when He breathed His last? When Jesus looked to God and cried out with a loud voice and breathed His last, the centurion said “surely this was God’s Son.” (Mark 15:37-39) Or do we need just a little more faith than Thomas who said unless I see the nail prints in His hands and side, I will not believe? (John 20:24-25) Or is it somewhere in between? During the passion readings of Holy week we heard about the dramatic faith of the centurion depicted in those readings. This can be contrasted with the passages we’ve all heard and read, and will once again revisit next week, when we explored the depth of Thomas’s uncertainty. Thomas was certain about his devotion to Jesus, but not about the reasons why. The reality is, that faith that demands proof really isn’t faith.
Paul reminds the people of Corinth about the distinction. He writes: “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). Faith isn’t a matter of proof. In Romans we read: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:24-25). However, one thing we can be assured of is that our faith is not without evidence.
There were many witnesses to Christ’s resurrection—not just the disciples, but at one time to more than 500 people at once (1 Corinthians 15:6). It’s actual eyewitnesses who carry the weight of proof, and our Lord has left a legacy of eyewitnesses for those of us who hunger for something tangible. We also experience His presence in Holy Communion, where we can “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). Faith is also able to “see” what is precious, and is willing to risk everything for it.
It’s said that Oliver Cromwell was about to execute a soldier for dereliction of duty. He ordered that the man be killed as soon as the curfew bell rang in the church tower. A maiden to whom the soldier was engaged climbed to the belfry and, risking life and limb, leaped to grab the clapper of the large bell. She hung there precariously. As the rope was pulled to toll the curfew, her hands were repeatedly slammed into the sides of bell. Cromwell demanded to know why the bell was silent, and when the girl was brought before him, she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell said to the maiden: “There will be no curfew tonight. Your beloved shall live.” God’s hands were bruised and bleeding. Faith shows us the loving God who carried the weight of our sin and punishment on Himself. Jesus paid the supreme price, as Scripture declares: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The crucifixion would remain a sad and tragic story of love lost if it weren’t for the fact of the resurrection. The wages of sin is death, yet Paul goes on to say, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As Paul once mused, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain … if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:14-20). In Jesus’ resurrection, we have the guarantee of our future resurrection.
Faith is what Scripture calls “a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Jesus rose bodily from the dead. He is alive! He lives in the hearts of all believers. God is present with us. He hasn’t abandoned us to our weaknesses, our troubles or our sorrows. He is with us through all of them, as David declared, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Faith leads us to serve one another in the power of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us. Faith believes in a living God who is active in our lives. Paul humbly trusted God and confessed, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Faith sees the love of God and wants to share that love with others. In the famous love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes, “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” It was love that moved Jesus to hang on the cross for us, trusting God the Father to raise Him. And it’s our faith that believes in Christ, which trusts unconditionally in the love of God, which can stand at the foot of the cross, not seeing how sins are forgiven, not seeing the gates of heaven opened—and yet, still believes.
Where is the evidence of our faith? Or the more important question is this: Where is the evidence of Jesus’ love? That evidence is found at the cross and in the empty tomb! We proclaim with the writer of Hebrews, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Or as Jesus said to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Proclaim your faith this day and every day and say, “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!”
In Jesus’ name. Amen.