Faith for the Long Haul
Commentary
It is getting toward the end of the summer, and a certain extended family is sitting out on the deck on some large, tree-shaded property with an awning overhead drinking beverages, enjoying barbecued meats, potato salad, and other foods “carried in” (or potluck donations). They are discussing the various directions their lives will take them this coming year after Labor Day. One young man just completed trucking school and will be taking long distance trips so he can save up some money for a wedding. His fiancé has a child and is also working hard at a local retail store to save up for a wedding. Another couple in the family will be moving four states away, this being the place they can obtain full time employment with benefits. Still, another couple will remain in the area to continue their careers and enjoy the community. Finally, the owners of the property are looking for potential buyers, because of the challenges to maintain such a huge piece of land at their advancing age. All have to be prepared to live life for the long haul.
All of these people attend their respective local churches — albeit some are more sporadic than others. When the whole topic of “God and religion” comes up after a few alcoholic beverages, all the high talker people have opinions they are more than willing to articulate. They conclude that, “Religious people are hypocrites….they say one thing in church on Sunday, but you would never know they are Christians by the way they live during the week.” Other family members push back to argue that while there are a few bad apples in every group, there are some very tenacious, self-sacrificing people of faith who do walk their talk. Such Christians are rarely recognized because the popular media and social outlets never acknowledge them outside of scandals and larger building projects. In fact, without their Christian faith, they could not go on another day. These are disciples of the church who have managed to become disciples of a faith for the long haul in life. Whether they are homebodies, or always on the road, their faith is what sustains them beyond survival into spiritual growth despite life’s obstacles. All three texts today address a faith for the long haul in different ways.
Isaiah 1:1; 10-20
After the calling of the prophet (Isaiah 1:1), this text is a polemic against people who carry out impeccable cultic worship practices in the temple, but are living their practical, daily lives as sinful people — similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. This text would resonate with the critics in the above illustration regarding hypocrites in the church. Similar to the prophet Amos, Isaiah confronts worshipers in the temple who have not sought to do justice, correct oppression, support the rights of orphans, or plead the cause of widows (Isaiah 10:17).
The prophet believes that practicing Torah (Hebrew scriptures) are daily existential decisions applying God’s will to those whom they have contact with daily. The other option is to support corruption and complacency while being self righteous themselves. Isaiah’s audience is the basic “hypocrite” modern people are quick to identify to mentally paint a picture of these people of faith.
As all faithful prophets, Isaiah brackets his message with words of hope. As people are obedient to God’s will and realize that all anybody has are gifts of God’s grace. This can yield to a high energy faith that will sustain them with a faith for the long haul (Childs, 19-20).
Deuteronomy 30:15-18 [20] might be the plumb line for the entire nation to measure their covenant relationship with God. Before entering their promised land, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.”
One direction of a sermon might be to warn against being complacent regarding one’s possessions, employment or family networks, and leisure activities. Isaiah warns that dire consequences could result from those who ignore their fellow neighbors or other humans on a lower socio-economic level. Any faith that will endure for the long haul must contain an allocation of time and resources for those who have not benefited from the economic arrangements of the times.
One example might be of a local business owner who is struggling to compete with larger box stores in the next county as well as more people placing orders through online stores. Rather than ignore the misfortune of the owner, it might be beneficial to discover how families and churches could purchase items for events, family gatherings or holidays to support the business. To be complacent might result in a boarded up local business.
Alternative Application
There are four kings of Judah listed in Isaiah 1:1. Uzziah was a strong and prosperous monarch. Hezekiah was the reliable, independent king who would not allow his father’s errors distract him from doing what is right in the eyes of God (judged by the Deuteronomy covenant). Meanwhile, Jotham was unimportant and Ahaz was a weak ruler. A sermon on what is meant as “strong leadership” is a direction to pursue. To be prosperous numerically might be the measurement of modern leaders within the corporate and even nonprofit organizational standards. Does covenantal loyalty and faithfulness during difficult times and benevolence to those who are not so fortunate have a place in what is defined as “effective leadership?” Has the church, on some levels, simply become indistinguishable from corporations and other groups who operate off the profit/loss business model? If so, why even bother to get out of bed on Sunday mornings to worship such a deity? [Sources: Brueggemann, Walter, Isaiah 1-39, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998); Childs, Brevard, The Old Testament Library: Isaiah, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001)].
Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-16
One overarching theme while reading this book might be to remember it is written to a discouraged community of faith that has second thoughts as to whether this particular belief system is worth all of the inconvenience, discomfort and being ostracized from more populist religions. The author of Hebrews writes in the 80s AD (CE) to provide pastoral care and encouragement to such people. In times when Charles Taylor’s book A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: Belknap-Harvard University Press, 2007) argues that people can live normal lives without any reference to organized religion, Hebrews is a very relevant Epistle for out times. With the other general or Catholic Epistles, Hebrews made it into the canon later.
One of the major claims to fame in Hebrews is the opening verse, in 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Having confidence in the unseen or things that are hoped for, is at first glance the definition of “faith.” The text raises the question of how can people have confidence and assurance from that which is unseen? In ancient times, believers held to the divine witnesses of times past as a source of evidence of promises kept. Hebrews 11 proceeds to list Abel, Enoch and Noah as examples of such divine witnesses. A sermon addressing the life and acts of any of these men might be a path to explore. The book of Enoch is not in the official Protestant Bible canon.
The pericope skips down to Abraham as a divine witness with much credibility. He and his family are dislocated from a generally familiar and safe home to pursue God’s promises (Genesis 12). Abraham obeyed God’s voice and became dependent on promises that he could not rely on normal human senses for verification. Neither his sons Isaac or Jacob would possess the Promised Land within their lifetimes. Abraham sojourned into many lands. He and his wife were tested with child birth as well as the possibility of sacrificing his son on an altar.
All of these patriarchs viewed themselves as passing sojourners who were faithful to God and God’s promises. They only received partial fulfillment of the promises while alive on earth. By Hebrews standards, God will welcome them into the presence of a heavenly city for those whom God is not ashamed to be called their God. The good news is that God has a home for all of the weary who have felt homeless throughout their time on earth.
This sojourner theme could prove to be a challenge if preaching to a community where the families have lived in the same area for generations. While many clergy have been uprooted and moved several times throughout their ministries, this may not be so in congregations where there are maybe five major last names that dominate the church membership. Still, a journey could be defined as a changing community in terms of economic fortune or misfortune. Also, every family will eventually experience the journey of parenthood in some capacity as it relates to various stages in life.
In some rural communities, there have been school consolidations which have muddied the waters of some town or village identities. Abraham and the patriarchs are symbolic for people of faith who must adjust to changes in the landscape, which may or may not result in desired outcomes promised.
Another example would be a school system that believes it is time to try to promote a tax levy to fund schools, rather than simply depend on property taxes. With much opposition, and many promises that this will “fix things in the long run,” the income tax proposal barely passes. It is soon discovered that there are not many high wage earners within the school district. Now the income tax idea seems oppressive when the school system seeks additional raises of income tax rates for the school. The state cross enrollment laws allow for families to simply enroll their children in neighboring school districts, as they resist paying taxes in their own. The faith of Hebrews would suggest that the families need to know exactly what they hope for in family education and why.
Another direction to explore: Would God be ashamed to be the God of a community if their priorities were self serving? Every community wants to grow and thrive, but at what expense? A manufacturer builds a plant in a certain community. It employs many people and the town is prosperous. Then the company decides to relocate the plant into a different state. Do the native residents follow the relocation of the plant or remain in their home with little employment possibilities on the horizon? These are basic faith for the long haul questions that Hebrews raises.
What about preaching to people who have had to take risks with the pastor and have had mixed results. What would we want to say to people who are simply tired of being shuffled around from job to job, town to town or experience one set of bosses after another. Are there times when people are simply tired of constant sacrifices with few measurable results? Such questions challenge faith for the long haul.
Hebrews believes that the patriarchs are models of the faith. Hebrews 11 provides assorted examples the preacher can select from according to his or her context. [Sources: Johnson, Luke Timothy, The New Testament Library: Hebrews, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006); Long, Thomas G., Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Hebrews, Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1997); Smith, Robert H., Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Hebrews, Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1984)].
Luke 12:32-42
This text has a parallel in Matthew 6:19-21. Luke creates loosely joined sayings with watchfulness, vigilance and good conduct as recurring themes. Where one’s treasure is located is also where his or her life is being lived out in the present. Earthly possessions are vulnerable to theft as well as natural destruction by moths. This might be a simple sermon on priorities or what is ultimately important in one’s life and life to come.
The text could also be divided into three sections: 1) Watchful servant of an absent master. 2) A watchful master and 3) Manager of an absent master. All of these metaphors point to watchfulness, vigilance and readiness for a time of accountability in some form.
One sermon path might be: Do people of faith carry out their discipleship commitments as they are “expected to do or inspected?” (Sermon title: Expected or inspected?) In Luke Jesus is the Son of Man who will one day come to judge humanity. It is a reminder that spirituality is often practiced when nobody is observing us (except God, if we believe that God desires such obedience in response to our salvation in Jesus Christ). Do preachers need to remind listeners that there is accountability to a higher deity in the gospel accounts such as Luke, Matthew and John?
If servants are to carry out their duties in expectation of the unannounced return of the master, a sermon path might be examining if modern people really believe Jesus will actually return one day? If so, how would they act toward neighbors? There is reference to alms giving in Acts 4:32-35, in contrast to the deception of Ananias and Sapphira, who attempted to hoard their possessions (Acts 5:1ff). This might suggest a stewardship sermon in some form. What would stewardship Sunday look like if a community knew they would be facing a natural disaster soon?
Sermon paths may also follow any of the metaphors in this text. For example, being dressed for action suggests that a person who holds one accountable may return at any moment (Luke 12:35). The community of Luke/Acts deals with the problem of being a second generation church which has yet to experience the Parousia or second coming of Jesus. Yet, the original disciples have died. Luke still urges readiness, because God could come in any form such as death, radical disruption of a community’s bedrocks of stability (employment, government or leaders), as well the second coming itself.
In Luke, Jesus uses illustrations of food more frequently than other gospels. This text is an opportunity to list meal and food themes in a sermon (Luke 12:36). Has the wedding party rented a “party bus” that is travelling all around town, and the wedding guests do not know when it will arrive at the reception hall? How long does the band and disc jockey wait? Will the catered food get cold? How much finger food and table snacks can one digest before the party bus arrives? If the pastor has not yet been paid, does s/he wait around or leave? This path has potential anecdotes for wedding related illustrations. Are the vows made during the service the main event? Or is it the party?
Another direction one might explore is to key off two well known verses of this text: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34. “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Luke 12:40. When the Son of Man returns, where will the heart of the community of faith or general populace be in terms of priorities? What would happen if the Son of Man arrived on such events as: Super Bowl Sunday, Indy 500 Race, Kentucky Derby or the television season finale week? What would this reveal about treasures in the heart? [Sources: Carroll, John T., The New Testament Library: Luke,( Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012); Fitzmyer, Joseph A., The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV, (Garden City, NY Doubleday & Company Inc.,1985)].
Alternative Application
If people of faith in every generation took heed to the sayings in this text since early second century, would the Kingdom be any closer to coming to fruition? Possibly. Every generation throughout the history of the world has had to take heed to these challenges. For those who believe that God works through salvation history, has there been any forward momentum with these teachings of Jesus?
All of these people attend their respective local churches — albeit some are more sporadic than others. When the whole topic of “God and religion” comes up after a few alcoholic beverages, all the high talker people have opinions they are more than willing to articulate. They conclude that, “Religious people are hypocrites….they say one thing in church on Sunday, but you would never know they are Christians by the way they live during the week.” Other family members push back to argue that while there are a few bad apples in every group, there are some very tenacious, self-sacrificing people of faith who do walk their talk. Such Christians are rarely recognized because the popular media and social outlets never acknowledge them outside of scandals and larger building projects. In fact, without their Christian faith, they could not go on another day. These are disciples of the church who have managed to become disciples of a faith for the long haul in life. Whether they are homebodies, or always on the road, their faith is what sustains them beyond survival into spiritual growth despite life’s obstacles. All three texts today address a faith for the long haul in different ways.
Isaiah 1:1; 10-20
After the calling of the prophet (Isaiah 1:1), this text is a polemic against people who carry out impeccable cultic worship practices in the temple, but are living their practical, daily lives as sinful people — similar to Sodom and Gomorrah. This text would resonate with the critics in the above illustration regarding hypocrites in the church. Similar to the prophet Amos, Isaiah confronts worshipers in the temple who have not sought to do justice, correct oppression, support the rights of orphans, or plead the cause of widows (Isaiah 10:17).
The prophet believes that practicing Torah (Hebrew scriptures) are daily existential decisions applying God’s will to those whom they have contact with daily. The other option is to support corruption and complacency while being self righteous themselves. Isaiah’s audience is the basic “hypocrite” modern people are quick to identify to mentally paint a picture of these people of faith.
As all faithful prophets, Isaiah brackets his message with words of hope. As people are obedient to God’s will and realize that all anybody has are gifts of God’s grace. This can yield to a high energy faith that will sustain them with a faith for the long haul (Childs, 19-20).
Deuteronomy 30:15-18 [20] might be the plumb line for the entire nation to measure their covenant relationship with God. Before entering their promised land, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.”
One direction of a sermon might be to warn against being complacent regarding one’s possessions, employment or family networks, and leisure activities. Isaiah warns that dire consequences could result from those who ignore their fellow neighbors or other humans on a lower socio-economic level. Any faith that will endure for the long haul must contain an allocation of time and resources for those who have not benefited from the economic arrangements of the times.
One example might be of a local business owner who is struggling to compete with larger box stores in the next county as well as more people placing orders through online stores. Rather than ignore the misfortune of the owner, it might be beneficial to discover how families and churches could purchase items for events, family gatherings or holidays to support the business. To be complacent might result in a boarded up local business.
Alternative Application
There are four kings of Judah listed in Isaiah 1:1. Uzziah was a strong and prosperous monarch. Hezekiah was the reliable, independent king who would not allow his father’s errors distract him from doing what is right in the eyes of God (judged by the Deuteronomy covenant). Meanwhile, Jotham was unimportant and Ahaz was a weak ruler. A sermon on what is meant as “strong leadership” is a direction to pursue. To be prosperous numerically might be the measurement of modern leaders within the corporate and even nonprofit organizational standards. Does covenantal loyalty and faithfulness during difficult times and benevolence to those who are not so fortunate have a place in what is defined as “effective leadership?” Has the church, on some levels, simply become indistinguishable from corporations and other groups who operate off the profit/loss business model? If so, why even bother to get out of bed on Sunday mornings to worship such a deity? [Sources: Brueggemann, Walter, Isaiah 1-39, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998); Childs, Brevard, The Old Testament Library: Isaiah, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001)].
Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-16
One overarching theme while reading this book might be to remember it is written to a discouraged community of faith that has second thoughts as to whether this particular belief system is worth all of the inconvenience, discomfort and being ostracized from more populist religions. The author of Hebrews writes in the 80s AD (CE) to provide pastoral care and encouragement to such people. In times when Charles Taylor’s book A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: Belknap-Harvard University Press, 2007) argues that people can live normal lives without any reference to organized religion, Hebrews is a very relevant Epistle for out times. With the other general or Catholic Epistles, Hebrews made it into the canon later.
One of the major claims to fame in Hebrews is the opening verse, in 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Having confidence in the unseen or things that are hoped for, is at first glance the definition of “faith.” The text raises the question of how can people have confidence and assurance from that which is unseen? In ancient times, believers held to the divine witnesses of times past as a source of evidence of promises kept. Hebrews 11 proceeds to list Abel, Enoch and Noah as examples of such divine witnesses. A sermon addressing the life and acts of any of these men might be a path to explore. The book of Enoch is not in the official Protestant Bible canon.
The pericope skips down to Abraham as a divine witness with much credibility. He and his family are dislocated from a generally familiar and safe home to pursue God’s promises (Genesis 12). Abraham obeyed God’s voice and became dependent on promises that he could not rely on normal human senses for verification. Neither his sons Isaac or Jacob would possess the Promised Land within their lifetimes. Abraham sojourned into many lands. He and his wife were tested with child birth as well as the possibility of sacrificing his son on an altar.
All of these patriarchs viewed themselves as passing sojourners who were faithful to God and God’s promises. They only received partial fulfillment of the promises while alive on earth. By Hebrews standards, God will welcome them into the presence of a heavenly city for those whom God is not ashamed to be called their God. The good news is that God has a home for all of the weary who have felt homeless throughout their time on earth.
This sojourner theme could prove to be a challenge if preaching to a community where the families have lived in the same area for generations. While many clergy have been uprooted and moved several times throughout their ministries, this may not be so in congregations where there are maybe five major last names that dominate the church membership. Still, a journey could be defined as a changing community in terms of economic fortune or misfortune. Also, every family will eventually experience the journey of parenthood in some capacity as it relates to various stages in life.
In some rural communities, there have been school consolidations which have muddied the waters of some town or village identities. Abraham and the patriarchs are symbolic for people of faith who must adjust to changes in the landscape, which may or may not result in desired outcomes promised.
Another example would be a school system that believes it is time to try to promote a tax levy to fund schools, rather than simply depend on property taxes. With much opposition, and many promises that this will “fix things in the long run,” the income tax proposal barely passes. It is soon discovered that there are not many high wage earners within the school district. Now the income tax idea seems oppressive when the school system seeks additional raises of income tax rates for the school. The state cross enrollment laws allow for families to simply enroll their children in neighboring school districts, as they resist paying taxes in their own. The faith of Hebrews would suggest that the families need to know exactly what they hope for in family education and why.
Another direction to explore: Would God be ashamed to be the God of a community if their priorities were self serving? Every community wants to grow and thrive, but at what expense? A manufacturer builds a plant in a certain community. It employs many people and the town is prosperous. Then the company decides to relocate the plant into a different state. Do the native residents follow the relocation of the plant or remain in their home with little employment possibilities on the horizon? These are basic faith for the long haul questions that Hebrews raises.
What about preaching to people who have had to take risks with the pastor and have had mixed results. What would we want to say to people who are simply tired of being shuffled around from job to job, town to town or experience one set of bosses after another. Are there times when people are simply tired of constant sacrifices with few measurable results? Such questions challenge faith for the long haul.
Hebrews believes that the patriarchs are models of the faith. Hebrews 11 provides assorted examples the preacher can select from according to his or her context. [Sources: Johnson, Luke Timothy, The New Testament Library: Hebrews, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006); Long, Thomas G., Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Hebrews, Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1997); Smith, Robert H., Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Hebrews, Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1984)].
Luke 12:32-42
This text has a parallel in Matthew 6:19-21. Luke creates loosely joined sayings with watchfulness, vigilance and good conduct as recurring themes. Where one’s treasure is located is also where his or her life is being lived out in the present. Earthly possessions are vulnerable to theft as well as natural destruction by moths. This might be a simple sermon on priorities or what is ultimately important in one’s life and life to come.
The text could also be divided into three sections: 1) Watchful servant of an absent master. 2) A watchful master and 3) Manager of an absent master. All of these metaphors point to watchfulness, vigilance and readiness for a time of accountability in some form.
One sermon path might be: Do people of faith carry out their discipleship commitments as they are “expected to do or inspected?” (Sermon title: Expected or inspected?) In Luke Jesus is the Son of Man who will one day come to judge humanity. It is a reminder that spirituality is often practiced when nobody is observing us (except God, if we believe that God desires such obedience in response to our salvation in Jesus Christ). Do preachers need to remind listeners that there is accountability to a higher deity in the gospel accounts such as Luke, Matthew and John?
If servants are to carry out their duties in expectation of the unannounced return of the master, a sermon path might be examining if modern people really believe Jesus will actually return one day? If so, how would they act toward neighbors? There is reference to alms giving in Acts 4:32-35, in contrast to the deception of Ananias and Sapphira, who attempted to hoard their possessions (Acts 5:1ff). This might suggest a stewardship sermon in some form. What would stewardship Sunday look like if a community knew they would be facing a natural disaster soon?
Sermon paths may also follow any of the metaphors in this text. For example, being dressed for action suggests that a person who holds one accountable may return at any moment (Luke 12:35). The community of Luke/Acts deals with the problem of being a second generation church which has yet to experience the Parousia or second coming of Jesus. Yet, the original disciples have died. Luke still urges readiness, because God could come in any form such as death, radical disruption of a community’s bedrocks of stability (employment, government or leaders), as well the second coming itself.
In Luke, Jesus uses illustrations of food more frequently than other gospels. This text is an opportunity to list meal and food themes in a sermon (Luke 12:36). Has the wedding party rented a “party bus” that is travelling all around town, and the wedding guests do not know when it will arrive at the reception hall? How long does the band and disc jockey wait? Will the catered food get cold? How much finger food and table snacks can one digest before the party bus arrives? If the pastor has not yet been paid, does s/he wait around or leave? This path has potential anecdotes for wedding related illustrations. Are the vows made during the service the main event? Or is it the party?
Another direction one might explore is to key off two well known verses of this text: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34. “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Luke 12:40. When the Son of Man returns, where will the heart of the community of faith or general populace be in terms of priorities? What would happen if the Son of Man arrived on such events as: Super Bowl Sunday, Indy 500 Race, Kentucky Derby or the television season finale week? What would this reveal about treasures in the heart? [Sources: Carroll, John T., The New Testament Library: Luke,( Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012); Fitzmyer, Joseph A., The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV, (Garden City, NY Doubleday & Company Inc.,1985)].
Alternative Application
If people of faith in every generation took heed to the sayings in this text since early second century, would the Kingdom be any closer to coming to fruition? Possibly. Every generation throughout the history of the world has had to take heed to these challenges. For those who believe that God works through salvation history, has there been any forward momentum with these teachings of Jesus?
