All About Our Faith
Introduction
A story was told of a farmer who found a hand-like fossil in his field one day. The fossil was like a human fist holding to certain thing tightly. Not knowing what to do with it, he treated it as a decoration and placed it on a table in his living room. One day his wife accidentally broke the fossil and found something sparkling had been hiding inside. With a closer look, she realized there were a handful of ruby and diamond like jewels spread on the floor. With this discovery, they tried to figure out what could have happened right at that place hundreds perhaps thousands years ago. It could perhaps a volcano was erupted and people tried to run for their life. This fossil had shown perhaps a rich man who grasped a handful of precious stones while trying to escape from the natural disaster. Unfortunately he could not make it. He was buried by the volcano lava with the jewels still in his hand. He died with what he grasps. His soul and spirit has gone leaving these precious stones behind so also his physical body. This remind us what Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” (Luke 9:25) Today gospel passages are about Jesus welcoming children and the rich man who enquired about eternal life. It was about the contrary between being welcomed into God’s kingdom and trying to get into it.
1. Some observations
In fact most part of Luke 18 talks about prayer. Here we have 4 stories all together.
a. Vs 1-8 is the parable of a persistent widow who kept on begging the judge to deal with her enemy. Here Jesus used contrast in a parable about prayer. He told of a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. (Luke 18:2) A widow appealed to him to deal with her enemy. The judge had the authority and the responsibility, but he would not act. The widow did not give up however. Instead she kept on begging up to a point beyond the judge’s ability to stand anymore. Finally, in exasperation, the judge decided to settle the widow's case. He still didn't care. It was only because she bothered him so much and in order to get rid of such irritation, he finally acted.
b. Vs 9-14 is a parable of the prayers of a Pharisee and a tax-collector. Here Jesus speaks of the self-righteous Pharisee who prays with fake confidence. No doubt the Pharisee did pray. He came to God however only saw himself and for himself. His vision was cluttered and muddled with the show off things he did and did not do. Due to his self-satisfied and self-righteous, he saw neither God nor his own heart clearly. He prayed not to God but about himself. In the contrary, there was also a tax collector, too ashamed to even raise his eyes to heaven. This man came humbling himself before God and found forgiveness. And Jesus said, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14).
c. Vs 15-17 demonstrated in real life terms how the humble inherits the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "Let the little children come, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:15-17). To the adults, including Jesus’ disciples, they thought children have nothing to do with the kingdom of God. But to Jesus, we must be child-like (not childish) in order to inherit God's kingdom. That‘s the simple faith we need! Follow on was a typical example of how complication in our life would jeopardise and endanger our faith in God.
d. Vs18-30 tells of a rich man enquired about how to inherit eternal life. To the children and childlike people, Jesus welcomes and receives them into his kingdom. For people like that rich man, pleaded and begged the possibility of getting in. What’s wrong? This wealthy ruler in Israel wanted to do something in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven. That was the ever biggest mistake we must get away from. The fact is no one ever can do anything to inherit God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is by invitation just as Jesus invited the children. Jesus listed the commandments that govern relationships between men (Luke 18:20), and heard the ruler claim to have "carefully observed" them from youth. Then, with a single stroke, Jesus revealed the block that kept this man from faith. And Jesus challenged him, "Sell all that you possess . . . and come follow Me" (Luke 18:22). This was no condemnation of riches, nor was it a general command to all disciples. It was a skilled surgeon's competent stroke revealing a cancer. God spoke to the man: "Sell all; follow Me." Which one is easier? Observe the laws or sell all? And the man went away! He went away sad, for he was rich. He chose his wealth over his God!
2. What are the lessons?
a. From the story of the widow who pleaded the judge, we learned to be persevering in our prayer. Sometimes we pray, and when no quick answer comes we thought that God isn't listening. We easily became discouraged and eventually stop praying, feeling that He doesn't hear or care. Or perhaps we have done something wrong to prevent an answer from God. But Jesus wants us to learn to put our trust in Him totally. We may not see immediately what He is doing and what He will do, but we can trust the Lord. Faith, then, is a central element in prayer. Faith moves us to persevere, not desperately, but with confidence in Him. For faith lets us look beyond our circumstances and fix our eyes on the Father who cares.
b. From the story about the Pharisee and tax-collector, we learned to be humble in approaching God. Self-righteousness is one of the worse sins that cut us off from God. The self-righteous trust in himself and does not believe in God’s love and forgiveness. Only faith, a faith that lets us see God, frees us to discover our real selves which need God’s love and forgiveness. The self-righteous would try to hide their sins from God and even from himself. Only the humble will fall on his knees and see with faith God’s love and forgiveness. Similarly, like little children, we must each take our place before God, looking up and see a Father's face of love. And then, in a timeless portrait of what it means to trust, we may reach out, to take the Father's offered hand and opened arms. The rich man who has been observing the laws from young still asking and wanted to know how to inherit eternal life while the little children were already resting at Jesus’ bosom. What a contrary? As the man went sadly away, Jesus remarked to His disciples that it is hard for a man with riches to enter the kingdom (Luke 18:24). Why? Because such men tend to misplace their hearts and their faith. With God set aside in one's life, a person seeks something else to have confidence in—good works, morality, respectability, even adherence to orthodoxy. Yet so many of our lives are empty today of Jesus' new life because we fail to admit that God is not our priority. That our ground of confidence has drifted, and shifted to become something other than Him. The disciples were amazed and asked who then could be saved? (Luke 18:26). The answer is never as clear as this: only those who look to God for what they themselves can never do. Salvation, impossible with men, is like all things, possible for God (Luke 18:27). Let us fix our faith in God. He alone can do the impossible.
a. First and foremost, God is the solid subject of our faith. "Faith" is not just a subjective phenomenon: it is not something simply inside us, whose reality is measured by how "strongly" we believe. Faith must have an object. And faith is only as solid as that object; only as valid as the thing we put our confidence and trust in. If you put your faith in money, your limitation will not supersede what money can do for you. If your faith is all about worldly position and prestige, you know the end result. Let us rest our faith in God and God alone.
b. Secondly, right manner and right attitudes are essential in our prayer to God. If we do not humble ourselves, God will humble us. Let us learn to pray like the persistent widow pleaded the judge to do her a favour yet be humble. God surely hears our prayers whether our prayers are right or not. If our prayers are right, God will answer rightly. If our prayers are wrong, God will answer accordingly. For instance, if we are too proud, God will answer our prayers by humbling us. If we have no patience, God will certainly delay in answering our prayers so that we will be more patience.
In response to the theme today, I challenge you to join me in prayer. As mentioned sometimes ago, I have set every Saturday morning 6.30 to 7.30 for prayer at the church. This coming Saturday, we are going to do things a bit different. We will do prayer walk. That’s mean we will walk around the town and say prayers accordingly. You are welcome to join me. For those who think morning is a problem, I have set another time for you, that is every Wednesday 12.00 noon except the first Wednesday where we have Noontide Eucharist. If you think noon time is not convenient too, Wednesday evening 8pm should be a good one. You see, we are going to have 3 prayer time slots for your choice. If you cannot come to any of these, don’t be down hearted. You can always pray wherever you are.
c. Thirdly, we need to pray specifically. I would like you to concentrate on praying for the lost souls and unchurched people. They could be your family, your friends, your neighbours, even strangers. Pray for the Mandarin service to be launched on 14 Nov. Pray for other ministries and ministries yet to come as well. Please help by filling up a prayer request form so that we know what to pray for. Prayer is not just important. Prayer is essential.
