Do we dare take such risks?

We tend to think of faith as only our faith in God, but faith is much bigger than this. The section of Matthew’s Gospel which we are reading at present is about faith.

1Corinthians 13:13 says, “Now faith, hope and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.”  Love is the greatest and the other two are almost as important. In some ways of looking at it, they form part of love. To love someone requires that you have faith in them and hope for them. Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord our God with hearts, minds, souls, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. [Matthew 22:37,39] This is also applicable to faith. We are to have faith in the Lord our God and in our neighbours as in ourselves.

The central tenet of our faith is belief in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We also have other important trinities. In the two passages I have just spoken about we have God, others, and ourselves, as one trinity and faith, hope and love as another. When things are linked together like this, they have a special relationship to one another. 

We are wonderful and precious creations of God, made in God’s image but we can fail to give God glory by lacking faith in ourselves and others. We want God to do things for us which we CAN only do for ourselves.  Jesus could not walk on the water for Peter.  Peter had to do it for himself. The woman in today’s story had to come and ask as did the brothers of Joseph. Jesus did not take the initiative in many healings. People had to take the risk of approaching him and asking. This requires faith in oneself.

Do we dare take such risks?

Rev Julianne Parker (see sermons page for full sermon)