A Cycle – 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 26

Mt. 14:22-23

I am convinced one of the greatest challenges we have is to have an absolute belief in God.  How many times in the scriptures do we hear Jesus saying to us, “if you believe.”  Do we believe if our faith is the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains?  Perhaps if our belief is strong enough and bold enough, we also can walk on water. Perhaps if we become like little children, we will be guaranteed entry into the kingdom of God. If we die to self which simply means we need to stop trying to become acceptable to God and surrender to His will we will understand what pleases God is not our offerings and sacrifices.  Instead, it is embracing and inviting the Holy Spirit to transform us.

But our faith seems to be smaller than a mustard seed and because it is we fail to trust God’s goodness.  Especially when we are being battered by the storms of life. It is during those moments we wonder if God cares what we are going through.

In our first reading today Elijah is hiding on the mountain because Queen Jezabel is seeking to kill him. Elijah had just challenged the prophets of Baal to determine whose God is the one true God. The challenge to the prophets of Ball was simple, put a sacrifice of a bull on an altar and call their god to consume it. The four hundred and fifth prophets of Baal chanted and call on their god all day. They chanted, cut themselves and danced around the altar growing weary as the hours moved on. Elijah mocked them asking them if their god sleeping, perhaps on a journey, or busy with something else, or perhaps he was unconcerned.   

When it was late afternoon, Elijah built an altar, placed the sacrifice on it, drenched it with so much water there was a moat around it. Then he lifted his eyes to heaven, called on God who answered by sending down fire which consumed the sacrifice and the stones upon which he sacrifices was laid.  Then he had the prophets of Baal seized and killed. Queen Jezabel was outraged when she heard what Elijah did and ordered Elijah to be killed.  Elijah feared for his life to Mt. Carmen and hid from Queen Jezebel.

You would believe his faith in believing God would have embolden him to trust God would protect him from Jezabel. Bu at that moment when his life was in danger hie fear was stronger than his faith in God’s provident care. Just as the disciples fear of drowning was stronger than believing in a miracle working God. You would have thought their experience endlessly carrying handfuls of bread and fish to thousands of hungry people would embolden them to trust God would not let them drown. 

There is a lesson here for us about how fickle our faith can be. Perhaps we have an excuse because most of us have never experienced a miracle.  We believe in them, but that belief is tempered by the belief that miracles are reserved for the incredibly holy men and women we call saints.  It is no wonder God tells us we must become like little children in our approach to living our belief.  Children believe without seeing or without witnessing anything to prove God will never forsake us. e.

Years ago, Anne and I were in New Orleans visiting family during the Christmas season.  I remember visiting one of her sisters who with her husband proclaimed themselves to be atheists.  I took one of their daughters on a walk around the neighborhood to see the lights and nativity displays. At one point she said to me, “my parents do not believe in Jess.” I asked her if she believed and her answer was quick as she boldly proclaimed, “yes I believe.”  She was about five years old at the time, and it seems those early lessons of faith had taken root in her heart. Unfortunately, that faith was not fed so it eventually died. 

It is no wonder Paul tells us to put aside childish things and adapt a mature faith.  A faith that needs to be exercised and lived by trusting God is always there and he will never abandon us and will always embrace us. Elijah could challenge the prophets of Gaal because they were powerless because He knew God was more powerful than the gods of Baal. But the army of Jezabel was another story and he fled rater than trust God would protect him by sending down fire and do whatever was necessary to neuter them. 

The twelve disciples, after witnessing the miracle of the multiplication, could not see God amid the storm.  God was absent, perhaps sleeping, or busy elsewhere.  Even when they saw Jesus’ walking on the water, they were not certain it was Jesus or the angel of death coming toward them. The storm was still raging as He stood by watching them but not responding to their cries for help. It was when Peter said “. if it is really you, let me walk to you.” 

I believe that statement is one of the most powerful words in the scriptures.  Each of us should desire Jesus to invite us to walk toward Him.  The simple truth is – He has invited us to do exactly that.  Believe we are walking toward Him each time we receive the Eucharist.  Walk toward Him each time we pray.  Walk toward Him during the storms of our lives. We do not need proof to walk to Jesus. We need to believe He will respond. We need to have an absolute belief in the promise of God to never abandon us? 

Where is our faith during the storms of our life?  Just a few weeks ago, I was with the five o’clock prayer team as they prayed with people after that mass.  A lady came forth to thank them because they had prayed for her about a brain cyst that had been detected fifteen years ago. A cyst that was not operated on because it was not impacting on her ability to function and it was not growing.  Routine scans over fifteen years the cyst remained unchanged.  After they prayed for her, she had another routine scan. It showed for the first time it had changed; it had shrunk. For the fir time in fifteen years, it changed by getting smaller. Something the doctor told her never happened and he could not explain why it had changed by getting smaller.

Faith comes by believing in things unseen and yet believed. We need to start believing in the promised of God and His plan for our holiness instead of depending on our own ability to grow in holiness.  We need to trust enough to get out of the boat and keep our eyes on Jesus.