C Cycle – 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 25

He. 11:1-2, 8-19

One of the hardest things our faith demands of us is patience.  That period of waiting for what we are seeking to become a reality.  The opening line in today’s first reading speaks to the absolute belief individuals like Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, had in the promises of God.  Abraham became known as the “father of faith” because he believed God would raise his son Isaac from the dead if Abrham offered his son as a sacrifice to God. 

Where did that kind of faith come from?  There was no Jewish nation when God first spoke to Abraham.  There were the ancient stories of creation, Adam lack of trust in the goodness of God as well as Noah’s belief in the goodness of God.  When does belief become a motivating forced taking us beyond hope to an absolute assurance in the promises of God?  Noah had to withstand the ridicule of everyone as they mocked him for building an ark.  Especially in the middles of dry, parched land.  How long did he endure the ridicule before the flood finally came?  How long did Abraham wander before God’s promise to make him a great nation happened?

How can that kind of an absolute belief in the promises of God remain the motivating force in their lives.  Especially, when every sign around them was saying the opposite would happen. You could say they were specially selected and because of that they had this supernatural faith.  But if we look at other figures in the scriptures you will see that was not why their faith was that strong.  The person who wrote todays second reading in his letter to the Hebrews is telling each one of us we can have that kind of faith. Paul tells us faith is more than a professed belief.  It is a lived response to a reality, an experience with the living God.

Every person in salvation history had an experience with God that formed a foundational belief in God’s promise to equip us to be holy men and women of God.  God spoke to Abraham, and it was powerful enough to cause him to pick up all his belongings and begin a journey to a “land God would show him.”  No directions, no indication of how long, only God would be with him. Paul, we know denied Christ as the Messiah and was arresting the so called “Christians.”  Jesus spoke to him and gave him the one thing we all need – the promise of God – the Holy Spirit. 

Paul tells us in his letter to the Hebrews that “faith is the realization of things hope for and the evidence of what is unseen.”  He is speaking from his experience with Christ on the road to Damascus.  He is talking about the moment the Holy Spirit opened his eyes and his heart to understand.  Paul also tells us “…when I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” Now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known: (1Cor.13:11-12).

This was after his experience with Christ, and he is stressing for us a great truth about faith.  It begins with us as children, and it is a faith that will be important for a lifetime.  It is welcoming, anticipating, eager, and never disappointing.  Children can see beyond reality to know what is hoped for is coming.  In their world Santa can disappoint but God never disappoints.  In our world we do not depend on Santa to fulfill our need, and we are often disappointed in God’s timing or His willingness to answer our prayers exactly as we desire.   Paul tells us once we have an experience with God what we now see dimly becomes clear after we have an experience with God.   

Why, because we listen to the promptings of the Spirit and are renewed each day by the grace of God.  We become intimate with God. An intimacy where we are given a renewed strength because God is the God of Psalm 23.  He is always with us, guiding us, protecting us, and feeding our hunger.  Like Abraham we can talk to God intimately. Like Noah we know the flood is coming so we begin to prepare listening to God not the world around us.   

Our faith becomes more than hope because we know we are clothed in righteousness by the gift of forgiveness. The presence of the Holy Spirit transforms us and guiding us and teaching us. And because we stand firm on one of the three hundred and fifty promises of God in the scriptures.  If you do not know one, then try Jeremiah 31:33 where God makes us three promises.  One that he would change us. Two that we would know Him intimately and never need anyone to teach us about Him.  What we will know is how much He loves us and what He has done for us so we would enjoy eternal life with Him.