FROM FAITH TO TRUST TO LOVE
Mark 10:46-52
Rev. Paul Wrightman 7/25/21
IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES,
HARRY FINDS HIMSELF IN ONE OF HOGWARTS CASTLE'S
MANY MYSTERIOUS ROOMS.
IN IT, HE SEES A LARGE, ORNATE MIRROR.
WHEN HE PEERS INTO THE LOOKING GLASS,
HE MIRACULOUSLY SEES HIS PARENTS,
WHO APPEAR TO STAND BEHIND HIM
AND ALSO GAZE INTO THE MIRROR.
HARRY IS AN ORPHAN AND DEEPLY MISSES HIS PARENTS,
WHO WERE KILLED FIGHTING AGAINST THE EVIL VOLDEMORT
WHEN HARRY WAS YOUNG.
HE RUNS TO GET HIS FRIEND RON
AND BRING HIM TO THE SECRET ROOM AND ITS MAGICAL MIRROR,
WANTING TO "INTRODUCE" RON TO HIS PARENTS.
BUT WHEN RON LOOKS INTO THE MIRROR,
RON SEES HIMSELF BEING CARRIED ON THE SHOULDERS
OF HIS SOCCER TEAMMATES
AND CELEBRATED AS THE ONE WHO WON THE GAME.
PERPLEXED, HARRY AND RON BOTH GO THEIR MENTOR AND TEACHER
DUMBLEDORE, WHO EXPLAINS THAT THIS IS A MAGICAL MIRROR
WHOSE SPECIAL PROPERTY IS TO REFLECT BACK
TO THE ONE WHO LOOKS INTO IT "THEIR TRUE HEART'S DESIRE."
HARRY HAS ALWAYS FELT ALONE IN THE WORLD,
WITHOUT A FAMILY,
WITHOUT THE CONTINUING LOVE OF HIS PARENTS.
RON HAS ALWAYS FELT UNACKNOWLEDGED AND UNDERVALUED
BY HIS PEERS.
AND SO WHEN THEY LOOK INTO THE MIRROR,
EACH SEES WHAT HE MOST WANTS IN THE WORLD.
(PAUSE)
ONE OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
IS THAT THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURE IS NOT LIMITED
TO THE TIME AND PLACE OF THE ORIGINAL EVENT OR ENCOUNTER,
BUT SPILLS OVER, AS IT WERE, TO IMPACT AND INFLUENCE
ALL TIMES AND ALL PLACES.
THUS, THE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHEN JESUS POSES
A QUESTION, AS HE DOES IN OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT THIS MORNING, WHEN HE ASKS BLIND BARTIMEAUS
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?" --
WE CAN ASSUME THAT THIS QUESTION,
WHILE SPECIFIC TO BARTEMAEUS IN HIS TIME AND PLACE,
IS AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESSED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US,
IN OUR UNIQUE TIME AND PLACE.
ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT JESUS ASKS IN THE GOSPELS
ARE DIRECTED TO EACH OF US JUST AS MUCH
AS THEY WERE TO THE PERSON WHO HEARD THE QUESTION FIRST.
TO READ THE GOSPELS IS TO BE QUESTIONED PERSONALLY BY JESUS
IN THE SAME WAY AS THE ORIGINAL HEARERS WERE.
THE JESUS WHOM THE GOSPELS SHARE WITH US
IS VERY MUCH LIKE THAT MIRROR IN THE HARRY POTTER STORY:
THE WAY WE ANSWER REVEALS TO HIM AND TO US
THE DEEPEST CONCERNS OF OUR HEARTS, OUR MINDS, OUR LIVES.
MANY OF OUR RESPONSES TO JESUS' QUESTIONS
MAY SEEM TO US TO BE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.
FORTUNATELY, JESUS CAN AND DOES READ BETWEEN THE LINES
OF OUR ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS.
SINCE HE KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES,
AND WANTS ONLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US,
WE CAN TRUST THAT EVEN IF OUR ANSWER IS INADEQUATE
JESUS WILL BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE IT INTO LANGUAGE
DEEPER THAN MERE WORDS.
SOMETIMES WHEN JESUS ASKS WHAT SOMEONE WANTS,
HE NOT ONLY GIVES THEM WHAT THEY ASK FOR
BUT WHAT THEY NEED AS WELL.
ON SEVERAL HEALING OCCASIONS, HE HEALS PEOPLE
OF A PARTICULAR MALADY
(THE EASIER PART, HE TELLS ONLOOKERS),
BUT THEN PROCEEDS TO FORGIVE THEM
ALL THEIR BROKENNESS AND SIN.
HE SEEMS TO KNOW THAT WE USUALLY ASK
FOR THE THING WE THINK WE WANT,
BELIEVING IT WILL MAKE US HAPPY AND WHOLE.
BUT JESUS UNDERSTANDS THAT BENEATH
THE REQUEST FOR HEALING IS A REQUEST THAT IS DEEPER,
OFTEN UNSPOKEN AND EVEN UNKNOWN TO THE ONE ASKING;
A HEALING OF THE SOUL, A HEALING OF THE INNER PERSON
THAT OFFERS THE ONLY TRUE HOPE OF HAPPINESS AND WHOLENESS.
WHEN JESUS ASKS "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?",
HE IS LISTENING TO THE RESPONDER'S HEART, NOT TO THEIR WORDS.
IN TODAY'S PASSAGE FROM MARK'S GOSPEL,
"BLIND BARTIMAEUS" MAY BE ASKING TO RECEIVE HIS SIGHT AGAIN.
BUT JESUS KNOWS THAT IT IS NOT JUST BARTIMAEUS' BLINDNESS
THAT IS MAKING LIFE UNLIVABLE FOR HIM,
BUT EVERYONE ELSE'S CONDEMNATION OF HIM
BECAUSE HE IS BLIND.
AFTER ALL, BLINDNESS, ILLNESS,
AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF SUFFERING WERE SEEN AT THE TIME
AS EVIDENCE OF ONE'S SIN, OR THAT OF THE PERSON'S FOREBEARS.
AND THAT MEANT THAT THIS BLIND BEGGAR
WAS BEING TREATED BY THE SOCIETY THAT SURROUNDED HIM
AS SOMEONE WHO WAS GETTING WHAT HE DESERVED.
WHAT BARTIMAEUS REALLY WANTS AND NEEDS
IS TO BE TREATED LIKE THE CHILD OF GOD THAT HE IS.
JESUS IS RATHER PREDICTABLE IN TENDING TO CHOOSE
THOSE OF LOWLY MEANS AND STATIONS IN LIFE
IN WHOM TO WORK HIS HEALING MIRACLES.
WHY?
BECAUSE THEIR VERY NEEDINESS
MAKES THEM FERTILE GROUND FOR GOD'S GRACE.
THE HIGH AND MIGHTY
(OF FIRST CENTURY ISRAEL OR OF OUR OWN TIME)
TEND TO THINK THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THEIR OWN PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE,
WITH LITTLE WILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THEIR UNDERLYING NEEDINESS
OR TO ACCEPT ANY HELP FROM GOD OR THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO JESUS OFTEN CONNNECTS
WITH THE OUTCAST AND MARGINALIZED
TO MANIFEST GOD'S GOODNESS AND GLORY.
IN ANSWER TO JESUS' QUESTION,
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?",
BARTIMAEUS RESPONDS, "MY TEACHER, LET ME SEE AGAIN."
JESUS NOT ONLY HEALS THE MAN'S BLINDNESS,
BUT KNOWS THAT IN HEALING THE BLINDNESS
HE IS RESTORING THIS PERSON'S PLACE
AS A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD.
THERE TAKES PLACE A PROFOUND HEALING CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE BLIND MAN AND JESUS,
A CONNECTION MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF JESUS' DESIRE TO HEAL
AND THE BLIND MAN'S FAITH THAT JESUS CAN DO JUST THAT.
JESUS' PARTING WORDS TO THE MAN-NO-LONGER-BLIND,
"GO, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL,"
ARE SURPRISING TO MANY OF US, BUT DON'T HAVE TO BE.
THEY'RE SURPRISING BECAUSE JESUS PLACES SO MUCH WEIGHT
ON THE MAN'S FAITH,
TELLING HIM NOTHING LESS THAN
IT IS HIS FAITH THAT HAS MADE HIM WELL.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
IN OUR CULTURE, THE WORD "FAITH" TENDS TO BRING WITH IT
THE CONNOTATION OF BELIEVING IN SOMETHING
PRECISELY BECAUSE OF ITS UNBELIEVABILITY.
SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE,
SO WE'RE TOLD TO HAVE "FAITH" IN SPITE OF ITS IMPOSSIBILITY.
THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT JESUS MEANS BY FAITH.
JESUS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF FAITH
IS MUCH MORE ALONG THE LINES
OF SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THAT IS BELIEVED
PRECISELY BECAUSE THIS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE
HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN SHOWN TO BE TRUSTWORTHY.
WHEN THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT "FAITH" IN GOD,
IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT BELIEVING IN GOD
IN SPITE OF A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE CONTRARY TO GOD.
IN SCRIPTURE, "FAITH" IN GOD IS "TRUST" IN GOD,
AND THIS TRUST IS BASED ON A PERSON’S LIVED EXPERIENCE
THAT GOD HAS SHOWN GODSELF TO BE COMPLETELY TRUSTWORTHY.
WHEN MISSIONARIES IN THE FAR NORTH
OF GREENLAND AND CANADA WANTED TO GIVE
THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEIR OWN TRANSLATION
OF THE BIBLE,
THEY STRUGGLED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WORD
FOR "FAITH" OR FOR "TRUST" IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.
FINALLY THEY SETTLED FOR A PHRASE INSTEAD OF A WORD,
AND THIS PHRASE WAS "KNOWING-FROM-EXPERIENCE-THAT-
SOMETHING/SOMEONE-IS-SO-STRONG-THAT-YOU-CAN-PUT-YOUR-
ENTIRE-WEIGHT-ON-IT-AND-IT-WILL-HOLD-YOU-UP."
(REPEAT)
THIS IS THE KIND OF "FAITH" OR "TRUST"
THAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT!
AND AS WILLIAM TEMPLE SAYS:
“TRUST IS ALWAYS ON THE WAY TO BECOMING LOVE.”
SO HOW DO WE GROW INTO THIS KIND OF FAITH AND TRUST?
HOW DO WE MOVE FROM FAITH TO TRUST TO LOVE?
NOT ALL-AT-ONCE, BUT GRADUALLY.
MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS DECIDED
TO PUT A SUSPENSION BRIDGE ACROSS A WIDE GORGE.
HOW COULD THEY BUILD A BRIDGE ACROSS SUCH A WIDE SPACE?
IN FACT, HOW COULD THEY EVEN START?
FIRST, THEY SHOT AN ARROW FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
THE ARROW CARRIED ACROSS THE GULF A THIN THREAD,
AND THUS THE CONNECTION WAS ESTABLISHED.
THE THREAD WAS THEN USED TO DRAW A PIECE OF TWINE ACROSS,
THE TWINE CARRIED AFTER IT A SMALL ROPE,
THE ROPE SOON CARRIED A CABLE ACROSS,
AND IN GOOD TIME CAME THE IRON CHAINS
THE BRIDGE WAS TO HANG FROM.
GROWING FAITH OR TRUST IN GOD IS JUST LIKE THAT --
ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME,
EACH STEP A TINY BIT BOLDER THAN THE LAST.
THE DEGREE OF FAITH THAT ONE PLACES IN A GIVEN OBJECT
IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL
TO ONE'S EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE OBJECT.
FOR EXAMPLE, CONSIDER A WOMAN TERRIFIED OF FLYING.
WHEN SHE FIRST ARRIVES AT THE AIRPORT SHE BUYS INSURANCE
AT ONE OF THOSE INSURANCE-POLICY MACHINES.
SHE HAS HER SEAT BELT BUCKLED TWENTY MINUTES
BEFORE TAKE-OFF AND LISTENS CAREFULLY
TO THE ROUTINE EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS.
SHE HAS NO FAITH IN THE ABILITY OF THE PLANE
TO GET HER TO HER DESTINATION.
BUT, AS THE JOURNEY PROGRESSES,
THIS PASSENGER BEGINS TO CHANGE.
SHE UNBUCKLES HER SEAT BELT, HAS SOME LUNCH,
AND PRETTY SOON IS TALKING TO THE PERSON NEXT TO HER
AND JOKING.
WHY THE CHANGE? WHAT HAPPENED?
IS THERE MORE FAITH AT 36,000 FEET?
THE MORE THIS PERSON LEARNED ABOUT THE OBJECT OF FAITH,
THE PLANE, THE MORE FAITH SHE PLACED IN THAT OBJECT.
JUST AS IT IS BETWEEN THIS PERSON AND HER GROWING FAITH
IN THE PLANE CARRYING HER ON HER JOURNEY,
SO IT IS WITH GROWING OUR FAITH IN GOD.
THE MORE WE LEARN ABOUT GOD,
THE MORE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF GOD,
THE EASIER IT WILL BE FOR US TO TRUST GOD.
AND THE EASIER IT IS FOR US TO TRUST GOD,
THE EASIER IT WILL BE FOR US TO LOVE GOD.
JUST ONE CAVEAT:
ABSTRACT, SECOND-HAND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD
IS SIMPLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT
A GROWING TRUST IN GOD.
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD NEEDS TO BE LIVED, EXPERIENTIAL
KNOWLEDGE AND NOT MERE BOOK-LEARNING.
ONE COULD CONCEIVABLY READ ALL THE BOOKS
EVER WRITTEN ABOUT PRAYER,
AND AT THE END STILL NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY.
REAL PRAYER IS BORN OUT OF THE STRUGGLE TO PRAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF TALK THESE DAYS
ABOUT HAVING A "PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD."
AGAIN, ONE COULD READ INNUMERABLE BOOKS
ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND STILL BE NO CLOSER
TO ACTUALLY HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
BASED ON MY OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE,
AND ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MANY I KNOW,
I WOULD SAY THAT THE WAY TO BEGIN
IS TO EXPRESS TO GOD THE DESIRE, THE NEED,
-- EVEN THE DESPERATE NEED --
TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S PRESENCE,
NOT JUST IN ONE'S HEAD OR HEART,
BUT IN EVERY ASPECT OF ONE'S LIFE.
THE CAREER OF MISSIONARY AND AUTHOR E. STANLEY JONES,
WHO DIED IN 1973, WAS NEARLY CUT SHORT BY CHRONIC WORRY.
WHEN HE HAD FIRST ARRIVED IN INDIA,
JONES WORE HIMSELF OUT, WORKING AND WORRYING.
"I WAS SUFFERING SO SEVERELY FROM BRAIN FATIGUE
AND NERVOUS EXHAUSTION," HE LATER WROTE,
"THAT I COLLAPSED, NOT ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES."
ABOARD THE SHIP RETURNING TO AMERICA,
HE COLLAPSED AGAIN AND THE DOCTOR PUT HIM TO BED.
AFTER A YEAR'S REST, HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO INDIA,
BUT BECAME A BUNDLE OF NERVES ON THE TRIP
AND ARRIVED IN BOMBAY A BROKEN MAN.
HE COLLEAGUES WARNED HIM
THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE MINISTERING
IN SUCH A STATE OF ANXIOUS CARE WOULD BE FATAL.
WHILE PRAYING ONE NIGHT,
GROPING IN EMOTIONAL DARKNESS,
JONES SEEMED TO HEAR A VOICE ASK HIM,
"ARE YOU READY FOR THIS WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED YOU?"
"NO, LORD," REPLIED JONES.
"I AM DONE FOR.
I HAVE REACHED THE END OF MY RESOURCES."
"IF YOU WILL TURN THAT OVER TO ME AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT,"
THE VOICE SEEMED TO SAY, "I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT."
JONES ANSWERED, "LORD, I CLOSE THE BARGAIN RIGHT HERE."
A GREAT SENSE OF PEACE CLOSED IN OVER STANLEY JONES,
A RUSH OF ABUNDANT LIFE
THAT SEEMED TO SWEEP HIM OFF HIS FEET.
HIS ENERGY RETURNED, HIS ENTHUSIASM BUBBLED OVER,
AND HE PLUNGED BACK INTO HIS WORK
WITH A VITALITY HE HAD NEVER KNOWN.
JONES WENT ON TO SPEND A LIFETIME OF MINISTRY IN INDIA,
WRITING NUMEROUS BOOKS,
AND MINISTERING TO MULTITUDES AROUND THE WORLD.
HE LATER WROTE,
"THIS ONE THING I KNOW:
MY LIFE WAS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED
AND UPLIFTED THAT NIGHT…
WHEN AT THE DEPTH OF MY WEAKNESS AND DEPRESSION,
A VOICE SAID TO ME:
"IF YOU WILL TURN THAT OVER TO ME AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT,
I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT,"
AND I REPLIED, "LORD, I CLOSE THE BARGAIN RIGHT HERE."
LET ME SUMMARIZE THE IMPORTANT POINTS OF THIS SERMON:
1. CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS NEED TO RETURN TO JESUS'
UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH AS TRUST -- TRUST THAT GOD IS GOOD,
WANTS ONLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US, AND IS STRONG ENOUGH
TO BEAR US UP NO MATTER WHAT.
2. ABSTRACT FAITH OR TRUST OR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
IS UNABLE TO BRING US INTO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
ONLY LIVED FAITH AND TRUST AND LEARNING CAN DO THIS.
3. THE BEGINNING OF A LIFELONG LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
OFTEN COMES ABOUT BY OUR EXPRESSING A DESPERATE NEED
FOR GOD, MUCH LIKE E. STANLEY JONES DID.
4. AFTER AN INITIAL BREAKTHROUGH, OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD
WILL GROW GRADUALLY AND STEADILY.
AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT GOD
THROUGH VARIOUS EXPERIENCES WITH GOD,
OUR FAITH AND TRUST WILL EXPAND AND DEEPEN
AS OUR EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD EXPANDS AND DEEPENS.
A GOOD PLACE TO FURTHER OPEN ONESELF TO EXPERIENCING GOD
WOULD BE TO PRAY EVERY DAY
THE ANCIENT CELTIC ENCIRCLING PRAYER
WHICH WAS OUR CALL TO WORSHIP THIS MORNING:
I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS.
I PLACE MY WILL IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY WILL IN YOURS.
I PLACE MY DAYS IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY DAYS IN YOURS.
I PLACE MY THOUGHTS IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY THOUGHTS IN YOURS.
I PLACE MY HEART IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY HEART IN YOURS.
I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS, LORD,
I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS.
AMEN.