Loving God, you remind us today that faith the size of a mustard seed can do great things, for yours is the power and glory.  Help us to take hold of your vision for us this day, trusting in you for all that is needed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    It seems to me that a lot of people these days can relate to Habakkuk (other than his name, of course).  Did you hear all of the lamenting that we heard in the first reading this morning?  There’s violence and trouble all around and everything seems to be getting worse and not better.  The law seems slack and justice never prevails.  The wicked seem to be taking over, and they win over the righteous with bribes.  And Habakkuk cries out, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?” (Hab. 1:2).  All of this, which sounds so very much like today, was taking place in the seventh century BC!  And we think that everything is worse now!

    Yet, whenever laments like this are found in the Scriptures, they are never without hope.  In Habakkuk, the answer comes from God:

For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie.  If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay (Hab. 2:3).

In spite of how things seem, there is a vision that will come from God.  And then, at the very end of today’s reading: “the righteous live by their faith” (Hab. 2:4).

    The lament assumes that God isn’t doing anything.  The lament sees all of the problems instead of seeing the power of God.  The vision, on the other hand, sees God’s intent for all of us.  The vision sees God’s power and God’s future.  The vision sees that God is in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it.  And it is faith that takes hold of God’s vision.

    In the most recent Canada Lutheran, Bishop Michael Pryse wrote about our tendency to focus on scarcity rather than abundance (“Cork the Whine”).  He was talking about the story of the wedding at Cana, where Mary the mother of Jesus comes to him and says, “They have no wine” (Jn. 2:3).  Bishop Pryse points out how many of us have similar experiences when we look at church attendance figures or get into budget discussions.  Our response tends to be, “Oh no!  We have no wine!”

    Yet, we forget the part of the story where Jesus acts, and there is such an overflowing abundance of wine that they almost don’t know what to do with all of it!  When God acts – when Jesus acts – there is an abundance!  And where there is not an abundance, somehow we are managing to block God’s activity.

    Keep in mind, here, that we are not talking only about numbers.  A small group can be a vibrant, thriving faith community, overflowing with the gifts of the Spirit and an abundance of resources that provide for every need.  In fact, that’s what the early church was – a small group of believers that continuously experienced God’s abundant grace and mercy.

    And so, one of the most important questions for congregations today is, What kind of a faith community do you want to be?  Do you want to be a community where a few people do everything and everybody else sits on the sidelines and criticizes?  Do you want to be a community where we constantly lament that things aren’t like they used to be?  Do you want to be a community where people vote with their pocket books rather than dreaming together about all of the marvellous things that we could be doing to further God’s kingdom?

    Or, do you want to be a community where each person offers whatever they have, whether time, talent or treasure, for the common good?  Do you want to be a community where an amazing monetary gift inspires us to do more, rather than less?  Do you want to be a community where every person is valued and affirmed and thanked and encouraged?  Do you want to be a community that knows the abundance of God’s grace and is always ready to heal relationships and to forgive?  Do you want to be a community where people who come here will know that we are Christians by our love?  Do you have faith the size of a mustard seed?

    Even today’s gospel can be read with an attitude of scarcity or an attitude of abundance.  When Jesus teaches his disciples about faith, he implies that they really don’t need any more of it.  All they need is a little wee bit, about the size of a mustard seed, and that’s enough to order a mulberry tree to uproot itself and be planted in the sea instead.

    Those who come to this gospel with an attitude of scarcity will respond, “Why haven’t I ever been able to command a tree to move, or a mountain to move?  I guess I just don’t have enough faith.”  On the other hand, those who come with an attitude of abundance will respond, “I get it!  I only need a tiny little shred of faith, and God does everything else.  I may not be able to move trees or mountains, but God can!  My God is big enough and powerful enough to do anything.”

    This is the same attitude that is reflected in our Psalm for today.  “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently.  Do not be provoked by the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes” (Ps. 37:7).  In other words, “God has it under control.  It only seems as though the wicked are coming out on top.”  Again, we read, “Put your trust in the Lord and do good” (Ps. 37:3).  Live by faith, do good, and you will see how God works it all out in the end!  “Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust in the Lord, and see what God will do” (Ps. 37:5).

    God has a vision that encompasses the past, the present, and the future.  God has a vision where all people will live as they were always intended to live – loving God with their whole heart and soul and strength, and loving one another as Jesus loved.  Yet, that faith that is as small as a mustard seed has a surprisingly large part in God’s vision.  For it is only by faith that we can take hold of God’s vision and make it our own.

    You know, a surprising number of us actually want to be in charge.  We will allow God into the picture, but really only in an advisory capacity.  When it comes right down to it, we want to have the final say.  We want to be the ones who say what is right and what is wrong, and what other people (and God!) should be doing about it.

    However, in order to trust in God and share in God’s vision, we really need to allow God to be God.  The parable in today’s gospel helps to put things in proper perspective.  We tend to think that we should be rewarded whenever we do something good.  However, what we receive from God is all grace and goodness, not reward.  In fact, God chooses to give to us, and to others, far more than we would ever deserve.

    And so, “put your trust in the Lord, and see what God will do” (Ps. 37:5).  God is quite capable of being the one in charge, and is quite happy to do amazing things through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  God has called us according to God’s own purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:9).  Let us take hold of God’s vision for us by faith, for God has indeed given us all that is needed for the life that really is life (1 Tim. 6:19).  Amen.

Lectionary 27(C)                            Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
October 3, 2010                            Psalm 37:1-9
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church                    2 Timothy 1:1-14
Pastor Lynne Hutchison                        Luke 17:5-10
© 2010 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved