4th Sunday after Pentecost 28 June 09 Sermon

4th Sunday after Pentecost 28.6.09 Believing without seeing

We find ourselves in a strange position in this earthly life. We suffer all sorts of adversities and disappointments yet we boldly proclaim that things are better than they look and will get better yet.

We are able to make such claims because of the gifts of faith and hope, instilled into us by the grace of God.

If we have these gifts we are able to believe in things which we cannot see (such as that God exists), and things which have not happened yet – but we know they will happen, for example the Second Coming of Christ.

We are asked to believe several things which all tie together. Not as hard as it sounds. For instance if we believe in an all-powerful God it is not so hard to believe in the Resurrection or the Real Presence. These are simply things which God has caused to happen, and put in place for our benefit.

Some people believe in God but not, for example, that He became man; or if He did, that He did not rise from the dead; or if He did that, He is not present in the Eucharist.

There is no need to pick and choose between all these items in our body of doctrine. We believe them all because the same God has made them so. And we believe in the power of the Church to teach us these things, without error.

It is not really harder to believe all of them than some of them, insofar as they all come from the same source. There is an inner certainty which flows from the reliability of God Himself.

He is totally reliable. If He has delivered us from past crises He will do it again; yet we doubt like crazy.

We always doubt the future no matter how blessed the past. We dwell on all the things that go wrong. We don’t have to be so negative.

God says: If I have done all these things for you, does it not follow that I will continue to watch over you?

We worry because it is unknown, but it is not unknown to Him. He is saying: let me bring that future to you just as I have brought you this far. If I have brought you out of Egypt I will bring you to the Promised Land.

In our anxiety we tend to leave God out of any future view, thus causing more anxiety.

Instead of floundering in the unknown let it be a peaceful rest instead.

The miraculous catch of fish: it can’t happen, it shouldn’t happen - but it did. The Lord can make things happen against appearances or expectations.

The Epistle: things look bad but we don’t go by looks. We go by faith and are happy with where that leads us: eternal life.

It is not just what we see with the eyes but how we interpret it.

We put negative fearful interpretations on things but if we could cultivate the gift of faith we would see sunshine no matter what present circumstances.

This I know, that my Redeemer liveth.

Present faith becomes a claiming of the future. Things cannot not get better.

All this works better the more we practise it. The future is not fixed in a fatalistic way. We can change what happens. We can make different turnings. eg Judas did not have to do what he did. The book is still being written.

It required the apostles to cast their net over the side for the miracle to happen. It requires us to do the simple things God asks of us for the miracle to continue.

We call them miracles, but it is really just the omnipotent God making things happen as He wants. Not so unusual if we see it in that light.

Things are better than they look, and they will get better yet!