Sermon - October 3, 2010
Year C - The Year of Luke - Pentecost 19
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-1

I have to begin somewhere, and so, I will begin with what St. Paul says about suffering. If you listen to Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy, you are going to hear something that is not very appealing when he invites Timothy to “join with me in suffering for the gospel.”

“Suffering” is an unappealing idea. Who wants to suffer? In fact, many times we come to church precisely because we need to get through or get away from suffering. Sometimes we come to worship because we have some form of pain either physical or emotional and we seek comfort, direction. We do not come to church to suffer; we come to church as a way to resolve suffering. Consequently, these words from Second Epistle to Timothy do not make much sense.

No, those words by Paul do not make much sense unless one reads the whole sentence. "Join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God." That second part of Paul's sentence is what makes these words from Second Timothy worth reading. The truth is that as humans, we cannot endure on our own. We need the power of God to sustain and uphold us.

That is why we come to church when we are suffering, confused or seeking direction. When hardship is at its greatest, we can see our need for God and his strength most clearly. This is because we see our limits. We see how powerless we can be. We see all of this and realize that without God we cannot go on.

Let us look at this idea in relation to the prophet Habakkuk. He had some things to say about suffering and relying on the power of God.

Habakkuk was different from other prophets. When we think of the great classical prophets such as Jeremiah or Amos, we picture men who openly challenged the people of Israel. However, Habakkuk was different. Instead of challenging and confronting the people, he confronted and argued with God. The name Habakkuk means “one who clings to God”, and little is known of him outside of his name.

However, we do know that it was on the eve of pending destruction, and a period of uncertainty and fear, that Habakkuk wrote his message. The crisis around Israel was serious, and destruction loomed. Great unrest stirred within Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim was evil, ungodly, and a disaster as a leader. In this context, Habakkuk wrote his lament over the decay, violence, greed, fighting, and perverted justice that surrounded him. He asked, "Why does not God do something?"

As Habakkuk struggled, he declared the words that stand as a testament to the ages, "The just shall live by faith." It is by faith that Habakkuk knew the strength of God even in troubled times. It was by faith and not his own strength that the prophet was given hope and endurance.

The same is true for us. We worship during times of hardship because we know that if we were to depend upon ourselves we would always fall short. Consequently, we live by faith leaning on the strength of God.

In today's Gospel, the disciples cry out, “Increase our faith." For much of the gospel, Jesus seems hard on the disciples. Repeatedly he has questioned the faith of the disciples. “You have such little faith,” he says often. “Where is your faith?” he asks on the stormy sea. Therefore, it is only natural that they cry out, “Give us more. … Give us more faith.” Jesus has been pressing and pushing the disciples so that they may see their faith and themselves in a new way.

In response to the disciples' request for more faith, Jesus essentially says that you do not need to increase your faith; you just need the tiniest bit of faith imaginable. A grain of mustard seed’s worth of faith can empower you to do great things. Which is to say, unless you have no faith, you already have enough. You have enough! What you have is sufficient.

Jesus' words to the disciples are also words to us. They are words that reflect what the prophet Habakkuk was saying. Jesus is telling us that in times of hardship and loss, and in times of confusion and uncertainty, we have what we need with us. We have our faith and the strength of God. Yes, the world may seem overcome by darkness. The world is not perfect. However, we have faith and we have the perfect strength of God with us. These are things of power. They are exactly what we need. We are called simply to trust in the power of God and faith.

Does that sound too simple? I go back to the words of Paul to Timothy, "Rely on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace." It is all about trust. It is all about faith. It is all about a God who is great and strong.

Our faith is for us in times of suffering, confusion, or hardship. When we need direction, our faith tells us that we are not alone. We have a God who believes in us and calls us to his own purpose. We face this world and its questions and uncertainties as Paul says, "…with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us." Amen.