An Upgrade To Faith

August 19, 2007     Proper 15 C

Isaiah 5:1-7             Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19

Hebrews 11:29-12:2         St. Luke 12:49-56

Our Epistle Lesson is the exhortation concluding the roll call of Old Testament heroes of the faith. They were "witnesses" to the power of faith to endure against every temptation to apostasy.

The author of Hebrews pictures the Old Testament worthies as a host  ("cloud"?a good classical Greek term) of spectators standing by a racetrack and cheering on those who are now running the same race as they did in their day. As there will be several athletic allusions in this text, let me explain the first right now, and then others as they occur.

In the classical era, many of the spectators at races were people who had participated earlier in the day or in previous meets. These spectators were able to become involved with the runners because they themselves had run in a race. They were not spectators as so many are in today's sporting events- mere observers.

The witnesses cited here are involved with those who are still living because they also have run the race of life. They have now finished their own race, but they know and understand the plight of those who are still running.

Games in the classical era were not for fun, but for position of honor and in the end, the ability to continue living.. The victors in games were welcomed as heroes, and those who lost, were in some cases killed. It was not a time of "pick up" baseball. The games were far more serious. A person was entered into it by someone of higher rank, it was not a decision of the "player". The race we have to run is "set before us," that is, we have been entered into it at our baptism.

Another difference between competitions of the past and our own is the uniform. Today almost every team, from little league up through the professionals, has a uniform that immediately identifies it, usually by colors and logo. The only uniform a player in the classical era had was that in which he was born.  Athletic events were conducted in the nude because of the confinement clothing caused, both by style and the tendency of the clothing to cling to the body as it became wet with perspiration. To alleviate this, all clothing was removed for the games. This explains the next allusion in the text: like athletes stripping for the contest, we must strip ourselves of the constriction (this is the connotation of the adjective translated "which clings so closely") of sin.

It is in the context of this "game for life" that the heroes thus mentioned have struggled. They have battled with their lives to remain faithful to God in expectation of God's promises. But there is one who is even greater than the heroes of the Old Testament?Jesus, here described as the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith."

In his earthly life he was the pioneer because he initiated the way of faith, the way through suffering to glory, and its perfecter because he completed it, thus enabling believers to run the same race, through suffering to glory.

The Gospel is the conclusion to the chapter from which we have been listening these past few weekends. We have heard about the dangers of greed and about the followers of Jesus who must stay awake, attentive, and responsive as servants of the serving-Lord. These verses have been dramatic and hard to hear. Well, get set for the dramatic climax.

Jesus, again speaking to his disciples with the crowd hanging around, tells them that he, who proclaimed the blessedness of the peacemaker, has come "not to establish peace on earth." "Division" is his blazing, heart-driven desire. He refers to this as a  "baptism" with which he wishes to immerse the earth.

Our reading concludes with examples of family unity that will be split. Jesus is calling for a decision to surrender anything that might, no will, cause separation even within loving families, like clothes that stick to the body and hamper a runner.

Trusting, walking into the dark, going without knowing, these are tremendous violations of our present day cultural ways.

Making decisions is the natural process for us humans; we make thousands of them each day. Our senses take in all kinds of information some of which we accept, some discard and much, we are not aware of. Our minds move us to a yes or no, that is what the will does. We can eat peanut butter and our minds would still say that peanut butter ice cream is a big "no". So our imaginations can present data to our minds for a choice as well.

A faith-decision to walk the ways of Jesus needs some information which Jesus gives his disciples, but some information has to be provided by our memory and imaginations. We are invited to live less dominated by greed and possessiveness. This is pretty clear, but we would have to imagine what that would mean and our memories would remind us of times when we had nothing.

Faith is not easy. But the faith to which Jesus invites his followers moves them past the impossible to lives which reflect the very person and mission of Jesus.

It is much easier to follow from a safe distance and not have our lives changed by his relationship with us. The good thing about this is that Jesus keeps attentively calling all outside the comfort-walls and into the life of real living.

In Christ, we are given an upgrade to faith. We are called not so much to believe in what is to be but what has already become. This is the difference between Old Testament faith and Christian faith. Old Testament faith looks forward to what will happen when Messiah comes. Christian faith lives because Messiah has come.

This does not deny that there is a future aspect to Christian faith. But to put Christian faith only in terms of what will happen when Jesus returns devaluates what has happened because Jesus already was here.

Our faith comes to us from God because God has acted and canceled the effect of sin bringing newness of life. We are invited to share in that newness of life living not by what might be, but what is.