Unbinding Our Prayer
[audio http://www.opcbrookhaven.org/worship/audio/sermons/10-03-10.MP3] How much faith is enough?
That’s the question that’s really at the heart of the disciples’ conversation with Jesus in the lesson today. And I’m pretty sure it’s a question that each of us asks in our own way: Do I have enough faith? Why can’t I be more faithful? How much faith is enough?
It reminds me of this guy named Joe who hits on hard times. And he gets so desperate that he prays to God, “Please help me, Lord. I don’t know what to do. Please let me win the lottery.”
He tunes in that night, and someone else wins.
Joe drops to his knees this time, “Please, Lord. It’s getting worse out there. Please let me win the lottery.”
He tunes in the next night, and someone else wins again.
He falls to the floor, on his face, and cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? I have been good – OK, not great, but good. I’ve always worked hard. I don’t ask for help very much. Why can’t you just let me win this one time, and I promise I’ll get my life back in order!”
Suddenly, there’s this flash of blinding light. The sky splits in two, and this voice comes booming down, God’s own voice: “Joe, meet me halfway on this. Buy a ticket!”
Is that the better question for us today, how is it that we can meet God halfway when it comes to faith?
There are two things that happen right before today’s lesson that shed some light on the disciples’ request to have more faith. First, Jesus has just warned them not to put barriers in the way of someone who wants to follow Jesus. In fact, he says, if you do, it would be better if we tied a millstone around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. No pressure! And then second, Jesus goes on to teach them about forgiveness, saying that it’s not enough to forgive someone once for wronging you, or even three times as the rabbis would have taught at that time; no, even if it’s seven times in the same day and they repent each time, you must forgive them.
Of course the disciples want more faith! Let’s put ourselves in their shoes for a moment. Have we ever done anything that has been a barrier to someone wanting to follow Jesus? Say, cut them off in traffic so that they can get a good view of our religiously-flavored bumper sticker? Or said something so asinine or judgmental that what we really wanted was for the earth to split in two and swallow us whole? There may be a fortune to be made in millstones.
And what about forgiveness? Now, Jesus does say in this instance that forgiveness is contingent upon the other person repenting. But seven times in one day?!? How easy is it to forgive – I mean, really forgive – someone once a day, even when they say they’re sorry?
That neighbor who starts the leaf blower at 7 am every a Saturday morning: he apologizes for it every week when you point it out to him, and sounds really earnest, and yet there he goes again the next time!
Lord, if this is what it means to be your disciple, then we’ve gotta get more of that faith!
What about Jesus’ response? “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, if you had just this much faith, that would be more than enough. Forget millstones; you could move this whole tree – or even a mountain!” In other words, it doesn’t matter how much faith we have; what does matter is that we have it at all. That’s enough.
Can you think of anything else like this, where a little is all we need? Can you imagine your doctor saying, “It’s not important how much sleep you get; just that you nap for a few minutes.” Nope… Or recommending an exercise regimen to you: “It doesn’t matter how far you run; one step is enough to keep in shape!” Not helping…The closest image that comes to mind is that of light and dark. If you’ve got a room full of darkness and only one candle, you can still see that candle. But have you ever tried to read in a room full of darkness? Still not there…
Maybe that’s why this whole notion of faith can feel so foreign to us. The disciples clearly didn’t get it, and they were right there! How can we ever be expected to figure it out?
So let’s at least jot this little bit of wisdom down for now: it doesn’t matter how much faith we have, just that we have it at all. Maybe returning to the text will help shed some candlelight on this darkness-filled conversation.
In what follows, Jesus uses this image of the slave and the master ostensibly to illuminate his point. What master would say to the slave, “You’ve been working hard! Take a load off!” No – the slave should say, “I’m just worthless. Let me work some more. I was just doing what I was supposed to do.”
All clear now?
Yikes…We live in a world where we would like to think of slavery as a sin of the past. And yet, from child soldiers in Sierra Leone to human trafficking right here in Atlanta, this horrific practice of slavery is still very much alive. And here is Jesus, apparently commending slaves and masters to an “as is” approach to their relationship. In fact, that’s exactly how our Southern forebears read this text, as a blessing of the status quo. The reality, of course, is much different, and I think we know that already at a gut level. So let’s look at the text again.
As Jesus invites the disciples in, their point of entry is as the master: “Who among you would say to your slave…” By the end of the story, though, he has flipped the script on them. They are now in the position of the slave, because “You have done all that you were ordered to do…”
Jesus is re-calibrating the disciples’ self-importance here. Because they’re so close to Jesus, they always seem to be putting themselves in roles of power. And Jesus constantly reminds them that what the world considers power is actually weakness; and what the world considers weakness is actually power.
And lest we think Jesus is telling them to do as he says and not as he does, let us remember that it was Jesus who came to serve, not to be served. It was Jesus who turned the whole model of servanthood on its head. It was he, the master, who washed the disciples’ feet. In Jesus’ very life, he showed what it means to be truly faithful.
But this message isn’t intended for the disciples alone. Those of us who feel entitled to lord it over others might do well to learn what it means to serve. We may like to think of ourselves as the Master at the table, but that place belongs to God, and God alone.
Can we get that? Can we get our hearts and minds around that notion? If we do, if we admit that we’re not in charge but that God is, then our faith that we think is too miniscule to be of any use isn’t even ours. It’s God’s. That faith that is within us, that faith that is within you, no matter how great or small or intellectual or naïve you might think it is, no matter how tinged or overrun with doubts it might feel, at its core, it is true faith in God when it is true faith of God. So we shouldn’t worry about how much faith we actually have; because if it’s God’s faith, it is all that we need. All that God asks of us is that we meet God halfway by buying that ticket.
Which brings us to the theme; indeed, for our whole sermon and education series this Fall. How is it that we can meet God halfway? God brings not only faith, but mercy, forgiveness, or wisdom, God seems to bring most of the cards to the table. Our meeting “halfway” happens in a practiced discipline of prayer. Those of you who are already in one of our study groups for Unbinding Your Heart have already been challenged to pray daily as a matter of course. Let’s expand that to include all of us, that we would all buy that prayer ticket each and every day. Not praying that our faith would be great, but that God would turn that faith loose, that Christ would unbind that spark that already rests within each of us so that we might love and serve God with our whole being.
There’s an image below; you can print it out if you like. And if you already have a daily discipline of prayer, great; then just add this to it. If not, then here’s an easy way to start, knowing others are praying this prayer with you: “Oh Lord, how can I help people to see your face? Show me today. Lead me to the ones you can reach through me. Let me be a part of what you want to do next.”
If this is our daily prayer, if we truly desire to offer our very selves to God, then there’s no barrier that trip us up, no millstone that can hold or force us down, no seed of faith too small to bear fruit, no mountain that can get in our way.
So how much faith is enough? As much as God gives us is all that we need. Ask God to set it free!
Amen.
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