Faith—Psalm 95; 6-11; John 4: 5-29 and 39-42
Last weekend, I decided to go hiking. I have no idea what possessed me to do this, and I clearly paid the price as I’m presently in a boot. But at the time, I had faith, faith that I could make it these 3.5 miles literally up the broad side of a mountain. There were a few lessons to be learned: if I don’t try it, I will miss out; if I focus on every single obstacle, I’ll never make it; and finally, a few aches and pains are worth the adventure and companionship. Faith in a theological sense is much the same way.
Now, let’s apply them sermon-wise. Faith cannot grow in hardened hearts never willing to take the first step. Faith can only grow if we look to the long term and are open to where we may be led, obstacles or no. And finally, faith works when Jesus stays at the forefront and central focus. These lessons are found in our Psalm and Gospel lessons for today.
First, faith cannot grow in hardened hearts unwilling to take the first step. We read in the Psalm for today, ““Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness.” The Psalmist elaborates on this saying that from hardened hearts, the people tested God’s patience and were ungrateful for all that God had done for them. Therefore, they wandered in the desert for 40 years without ever seeing the Promised Land.
When our hearts are hardened, when we plant our feet where we are, God cannot lead us in faith. Faith calls us to movement forward whether it’s a simple few steps or an uphill climb. Imagine if the woman at the well had snapped at Jesus that she didn’t want to hear from a Jewish person because of the anger between the peoples. Hard hearts make for an empty and broken life. Yet we see hard hearts and an unwillingness to follow God’s guidance all around our world.
We see it in the halls of our capitals, our churches, and in some cases our families. A hardened heart never led Nicodemus to Jesus. A hardened heart would have cost the woman at the well the living water. A hardened heart cost one thief on the cross his eternal mercy. To walk in faith, we must be willing to let God be our rock and let ourselves be like clay—moldable and flexible to God’s wisdom and direction.
If we want to hear where God is calling and leading, we must have listening ears, softened hearts, and willing spirits. Hardened hearts are a problem because faith is built on trust. If we cannot trust, we cannot have faith. That’s why we hear over and over again about the importance of trusting God. Likewise, we must be able to trust those who teach us, lead us, and shepherd us through a life of faith. A hardened heart will keep us from listening, and it will hold us back from going where faith calls us.
Second, faith can only grow if we look to the long term of God’s guidance. When we encounter the Woman at the Well, we learn about a long history of division and prejudice between the Samaritans and Jews. The past was filled with disagreement, conflict, and injustice. But God doesn’t exactly call on us to look backwards at old behaviors and past conflicts unless it is to repent and atone for them. God calls us to look to the present and the future—the long-term of where God is leading and guiding us. Jesus, however, offers her living water, and eternal life.
She again gets caught up on the past—her 5 husbands, her present living situation. The funny part is Jesus identifies it, but nowhere does he judge her for it. Jesus was far more interested in the state of her faith than the state of her sin. When people do something wrong, they tend to know it. They don’t need us to analyze what they’ve done wrong. What folks DO often need help with is how make the change and walk in a better way. No one has found faith because a Christian carefully picked apart their sin. Faith is found when we guide others to follow Jesus and his way instead of a selfish or sinful way.
God had a plan for this woman. Through Jesus, she was going to help save practically the whole Samaritan village. The disciples’ hearts and minds are bothered, pondering about Jesus, “Why are you talking to her.” They didn’t really want Jesus talking to a Samaritan. It wasn’t proper. But if we go back to Jesus’s words to Nicodemus, “For God so loved THE WORLD,” that Jesus was given on a mission of salvation.
We live in faith when we follow the long-range plan God has for us, and when we help others find and stay on the path God has for their lives. If we never talk to others, we will never help them with God’s plan, and oh, what a missed opportunity that is. I heard a preacher once say to the congregation, “How sad it would be if Jesus hugs us closely in Heaven, then says, ‘I love you so much, but why were you so scared to work more for the kingdom of God?’” God’s calling and plan for our walk of faith is bigger and more powerful than we could ever know. We just have to trust God, and to follow where we are led.
Lastly, Jesus must be our central focus and at the forefront of our journey. The Samaritans asked Jesus to stay in their village. Because Jesus was willing to stay two days, many of them came to believe. Most agree the many was quite a sizeable number of people. What was the difference? The Samaritans were treated as outcasts and the Jews had a position of authority and privilege. It is infinitely harder to convince those who have what they need and feel strong in their own authority and self-determination that they need grace. It is easier to convince the oppressed and suffering that they need Jesus because being confidence and comfort bring us a false sense of security.
Faith cannot work in a hardened heart nor an indifferent or distracted heart. And distractions and confidence are easy to come by these days: my political party is in control, my bank account is sufficient, my Facebook friends agree with me, I’m going to totally dissociate from life and do nothing for a few months. We live in an age of infinite distractions. It’s not just the one TV with 3 channels. Faith needs our attention. Jesus needs our attention, our time, and our willingness. Jesus needs to be in the midst of our lives and our decisions.
Because Jesus was present, not only did a significant number of Samaritans believe and find faith, Jesus also single handedly reconciled the centuries of conflict between the two ethnic groups. If Jesus is in our midst and our lives, we can do amazing things and find love and grace within to heal the world’s brokenness. If we trust in our own confidence and capability, we may do well for a time, but we will soon find ourselves in need of Jesus.
Wayne Gretzky, a former professional hockey player, said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Faith is similar. If we never start the journey, we will never reach the end. We must remember that faith cannot grow in hardened hearts never willing to take the first step. Faith can only grow if we look to the long term and are open to where God leads us. And, faith works when Jesus stays at the forefront and as the central focus of our lives. Did the hike last week wear me out and leave me in a boot? Yes. Do I regret it at all? Not in the least. Faith is the same…it may not be the easiest journey we take, but, with Jesus, it promises to be the best.
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