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)
