Luke 17:1-10
Meeting God in Scripture: Enough Faith
James Sledge October
6, 2019
Over
the summer, I read a church-focused blog post on preaching entitled “Don’t
Start with the Bible.”[1] It
suggested bringing Scripture into a sermon only at the last possible moment, after
raising some issue, examining ways the culture is responding, and identifying
fruitful responses. Then and only then, connect the fruitful responses to Scripture.
The
author is concerned that starting with Scripture invites folks to tune out the
preacher because people don’t see the Bible as an authority. In fact, many view
Scripture with suspicion, an antiquated religious book with little connection
to their everyday lives.
I
can’t argue with that, but still, I’m inclined not to follow the blog’s
recommendation. Yes, there are difficulties. Some of you may view the Bible
with a degree of skepticism, and I would never expect to win any argument with,
“Well the Bible says so.” Yet in a time with so few cultural inducements or
expectations to attend church or be Christian, surely most people who do show
up are looking for something more than what they can find on their own. They
are hoping to find meaning or purpose not found from culture, from work or
hobbies or other experiences. They are hoping Church has something unique to offer.
The
Bible would seem ready made for this, a huge collection of stories, poetry,
imagery, regulations, teachings, letters, and more drawn from the various
experiences of the faith community over the centuries. All of these explore,
examine, and reflect on the encounters with and efforts to live in relationship
to the mystery we call God.
In
his new book, Ron Byars says of Scripture. “It is not a direct transcription of
speech from God to humankind, but a vehicle, an artistic creation from many
hands, by which the holy One has chosen to engage us… We find ourselves in Scripture;
the world and its people will be found in it; and God is in it. It is a meeting
place.”[2] A
meeting place. I love that.
Unfortunately,
many imagine the Bible a textbook, a record of events and happenings, a rule
book, a tome transmitted directly from the lips of God to be taken quite
literally. Few in this congregation are literalists or fundamentalists, yet we
may have allowed such folks to define the Bible for us. If so, we may imagine
that Scripture is not something we can take seriously, and we may have cut
ourselves off from an important meeting place with God.
I
started thinking about such things after reading this in a commentary on today’s
gospel. “Somewhere along the way we have grown to expect a steady dose of
condemnation from Scripture… It is surprising, in fact, how often
congregations, and the people who lead them in worship, assume a punitive tone
when reading and hearing biblical texts.”[3]
Surely
not. After all, much of Scripture is subversive, champions those who are poor,
weak, or oppressed, and it is filled with hope and assurances of God’s
steadfast love. But the Bible has typically been wielded by religious
institutions heavily invested in prevailing power structures. So I guess it’s
no surprise that people often assume that the Bible, perhaps God as well, is
harsh, concerned mostly with maintaining order and keeping people in line.
I
wonder how much our view of the Bible influences what we hear when we encounter
it. That could be an issue in today’s passage from Luke. If we’re inclined to
think of Scripture, of God, as harsh, then Jesus’ words may feel like a rebuke
for not being good enough.
But
if you read the gospel of Luke in its entirety, I can’t imagine you would find
a Jesus who berates his followers. He is gentle and forgiving to those who have
stumbled on their spiritual journeys. Typically, Jesus gives harsh rebukes only
to sanctimonious religious leaders who imagine themselves better than others,
the very sort of people who’ve helped give the Bible a bad reputation.
Jesus
is not speaking to such folks in our reading. He is speaking to his followers,
those he loves deeply and who love him in return. These followers are afraid
they might not be able to do what Jesus asks of them. Ensuring that little
ones, those just coming to faith, do not stumble; correcting those who sin
while always forgiving and remaining in relationship with them; that is asking
a lot. “Increase our faith!”
You
already have plenty, says Jesus. The tiniest amount can do the most amazing
things. Don’t worry, you’re good. Jesus offers no generalized statement about
working miracles. Rather he offers reassurance to those who are doubting
themselves.
Even
the words about being “worthless slaves” or “servants” – a single Greek word can
mean either – are not meant to berate or belittle. Jesus simply draws on
examples and terms well known to his followers to emphasize that forgiving
people over and over and over is not something done for extra credit. It is the
basic work of disciples, work that they are more than able to do with the faith
already given to them.
When
I hear Jesus speak, I can’t help but hear him in the context of our ongoing
Renew process. “Gathering those who fear they are not enough…” – at least when
we understand gathering as reaching out into our community – sounds a lot like
helping little ones, people new to faith, begin their spiritual journey and
keeping them from stumbling on their way.
Gathering
people, active work to reach out and draw in those who fear they are not
enough, is often not in the DNA of Presbyterian congregations. We’re talking
about the dreaded E-word, evangelism. I don’t know if we can do that, Jesus.
Our faith isn’t strong enough; we don’t know it well enough; we don’t have it
all figured out.
And
Jesus smiles, holds two fingers together, and says, “Even this much faith is
more than enough. I have called you to be my disciples, to gather in those who
fear they are not enough, so that together, you can experience grace,
wholeness, and renewal as God’s beloved. My call is not too much for you. In answering
it, you will discover your truest and fullest life. In answering it, you will find
that the faith you already have can do far more than you ever imagined.”
[1] A
post by Bill Tenny-Brittian on The Effective Church Group blog, effectivechurch.com,
August 13th, 2019
[2]
Ronald P. Byars, Believer on Sunday,
Atheist by Thursday, (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2019), p.28
[3]Kimberly
Bracken Long in Feasting on the Word:
Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C Volume 4 Louisville: Westminster
John Knox Press, 2010) Kindle Locations 5437-5438
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