Our readings are from Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33:1-12, Romans 4:30-25, and Matthew 9. 13:18-26.

https://takeleychapel.podbean.com/e/why-trust-god

Today we are able to declare with the psalmist, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The thoughts of his heart to all generations.” And why? Because we are followers of Jesus, Jesus people, a community of Jesus formed for his glory. Together let us build one another up, encourage one another and admonish one another. In the Church, the body of Christ, local and catholic, the poor are fed, the naked clothed, prisoners are visited, and all have a job of work to do. Are we doing enough for the persecuted?

The Genesis story reassures us that the thoughts of God’s heart are to bless all the families of the world. Abraham is immersed in the practice of his world, visiting oak groves and setting up altars. But his passion is the promise that he has received. He has heard God say, his family is to grow. He has no children and he is old. His wife is barren. Still he trusts. This trust is what he puts weight on and binds him to the Lord.

The Psalmist teaches us “…the word of the Lord is upright and all his works done in faithfulness.”

Whatever we hear from God, do we trust in his faithfulness to fulfil it? Sometimes in the depth of our despair, experiences of injustice and ill health, often all we can do is trust God’s promise. And all that can be done for us is that in the company of others, in the care of others, God is made present, by a silent sitting together.

The cry of our hearts is why? Why must you suffer? Why is there so much pain? The comfort of God, our God who by his spirit dwells in us and stands with us, can only be, and is, sensed as hope. Hope based on a trust in God’s word spoken to us. As a follower of Jesus, Jesus is the answer, the way, the truth and the life. It may be a while before we come to know this.

In Romans 4, Paul seeks to answer the question, can we trust that we are redeemed? He asks in the face of division, in the face of pain, in the midst of persecution and suffering? Can we trust that we are set free from the slavery of oppression, entering into the glory of God as promised. In the face of the works of principalities and powers can we trust? Can we trust that we are cleansed of all guilt and shame? The psalmist says, the Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He frustrates the plans of the people. Is this true?

All miss the mark? The world is organised around this certainty and the certainty of evil.

The nations work by creating laws. Religion works through laws. Communities work with laws. The law is a fetor, a binding of peoples, to make things work. The law opens our eyes to transgressions and there are consequences. The law brings wrath. This is not the way of Jesus.

We can’t put our trust in a nation, a priesthood, a system. Abraham received his promise for the world through faith, trusting in God’s grace. The people of Abraham were given the Law in Scripture, but Paul tells that this was not what made them a nation, or Abraham the father of many nations. It was faith reckoned as righteousness. If we think by rules and regulations, God’s purposes will be fulfilled, history testifies against us.

Abraham hoped against hope he would have a family with Sarah. No distrust made him waver, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised, Paul tells us.

And so Paul says, if we have heard the word that Jesus was raised for our justification, we can stand on this word fully convinced. Jesus our Lord is raised from the dead. He was handed over for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. We are redeemed by the righteousness of faith not law. This is the way of Jesus.

We are called to trust in the Jesus we hear about in the good news of Matthew, Jesus who dies, who defies convention, who saves with his body and the word that we are to love, God, our neighbour, even our enemy. Love ourselves!

Jesus sat with Matthew the tax collector and many others, transgressors of the law. He, in the face of scandal, stood with those who hoped against hope they were forgiven and restored in following Jesus. He was their physician. And then the need of a religious leader caused a commotion. He joined the unholy throng, centred around Jesus. The person he most treasured, his little daughter was dead and his trust was, Jesus could restore her to him. Lord have mercy. What he trusted was not the work of a physician. He had a hope against hope that Jesus would restore his daughter. As they walked through the throng to his home, one who had been failed by the physicians, trusted that Jesus was Messiah, the anointed one in whom was healing in his wings. She and grasped the wings of Jesus’ prayer shawl. Her faith drew the power of healing from Jesus. Jesus acknowledged her as a daughter, and drew near to the commotion around the house of the leader. Jesus took authority and in the quiet of the girl’s room, he reached down to one who was asleep in death and restored life. Jesus met her in her need. And this is the promise we are offered as followers of Jesus. One day we may sleep in death but one day we will rise with Christ to new life.

I believe we need to know we are restored today with the first fruits of this new life. I believe the need to know we are restored stirs each of our hearts. And as we trust in the face of all discouragements, that we are forgiven, our failings and falling short are healed and we grow. As we reach out to God who seemingly passes us by but notices us and names us; Jesus, who acknowledges us, respects our dignity, who takes our hand and raises us to new life, we can hope against hope that everything in our lives brings glory to God in the end.

 “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord. The people he has chosen as his heritage.” This includes the church; it includes us! Jesus forgives us. Jesus heals us. Jesus, our Lord raised from the dead, handed over to the authorities for our trespasses is raised for our justification that we might be born again and grow up. Hallelujah!

Grace and peace.

Art Work:

Wesley was born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh into a fifth generation Christian family of Hindu and Muslim descent. He belongs to the Lucknow school of painting. His paintings reflect this influence and that of the Chughtai school of painting that flourished in India at the turn of the century. Wesley made art based on both biblical and secular themes. He used water colours, oil paintings, miniatures and wooden carvings.

Wesley’s painting “Blue Madonna” was used for the first UNICEF Christmas card, while five of his paintings were exhibited at the 1950 Holy Year Exhibition in the Vatican. He is also known for designing the funeral urn for Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes.

“The bright glow of light on the back of his shoulders directs us to the radiant countenance of Jesus. He is moving away from us but over his left shoulder he is listening to those walking at his side. In this painting the artist’s fingers took over to define his own face more closely than anywhere else in his work. This is virtually a self-portrait. The woman suffering from haemorrhage is cloaked in black. Her hand reaches tentatively towards Jesus’ shoulder and is backlighted by the brightest spot in the painting. Again, we trace the convention of light from the body of Jesus providing both the physical and the spiritual illumination and power for the scene. This time, it is the figure of the woman who absorbs the light which blocks it from the viewer. Others who are with Jesus are illumined by his light. Only the woman, who takes so much of his power into herself, is shown in dark silhouette. Jesus is surrounded by many kinds of people, all with different needs. We see a lame man with a crutch, a man wearing the brass armband of a slave and an older woman holding a sick child on her shoulder. Children of all ages edge the path and reach out to Jesus. Jesus seems to be walking into darkness but behind him the sky is gold. The canvas is incandescent with joy and life and hope.” From Frank Wesley: Exploring Faith with a Brush by Naomi Wray