My sermon is based on
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4
Psalm 37:1-10
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
What we need is not more faith but fewer excuses.
How often have we ever said to ourselves, I can’t? I just can’t do it anymore. You try to live your life as a good, decent, and faithful person, but things get out of control – there is not enough money in the bank, the prices of groceries keep rising, and meanwhile, you have to worry about bills. The problem is not just financial; it could also be related to relationships with friends, coworkers, lovers, or family, or it may be linked to your job or personal health. Meanwhile, everyone else seems to be doing just fine. It makes you wonder why me?
If anyone can understand these feelings, it is Habakkuk, a minor prophet from today’s Old Testament reading. Seeing all the wrongs around him, Habakkuk cried out to God. God, why aren’t you doing anything? Don’t you care about us at all? It’s not right! I will just stay away from craziness until you take action. Instead of removing Habakkuk’s pain, God gives him direction. God tells him to keep the faith and write the vision, or take action, rather than remaining miserable far away. God teaches him that faith is not a denial of pain, but rather trusting God and taking faithful action to deal with the situation.
Habakkuk’s frustration echoes in the psalmist’s wisdom – both wrestle with evil and injustice, but both arrive at the same truth: trust is stronger than panic. We should not fret about evildoers, but instead trust in the Lord and do good, because fretting only corrodes the souls.
I know, it’s easier said than done. If you ask me, this is the last kind of message I want to hear from God or my friends when I grieve. I just want to be left alone. If I want someone, I want them to sit and listen to me instead of showering me with unsolicited advice. Sometimes, being miserable alone can be more comforting than trying to rise above it.
I bet Timothy understands what I mean. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul recalled Timothy’s outcry, encouraging him not to lose heart but to rekindle the gift of God within him. Rekindling the gift of God is like trying to keep a candle lit…. You can’t stop the wind – but you can cup your hands around the flame. That is what Paul urges Timothy: don’t wait for calmer weather; tend the flame. Faith is like that. It requires attention – it’s never a one-time deal. Paul tells him to think of his mother and grandmother if life gets hard because they, too, lived through these difficult times at one time or another. Despite the hardship, they rose above and overcame. Timothy inherited such resilient faith. He must take care of it so that he can also pass it on to others.
Teaching faith – to children, to others, even to ourselves – can feel discouraging. The disciples knew that, too. Compared to Jesus, they felt small and ineffective. It can be stressful because we try too hard to seek a profound outcome instead of focusing on small steps. Think of the disciples in Luke 17 today. They became frustrated as they tried to share faith. They tried to imitate Jesus, but they felt like a warm-up band for Jesus because they lacked the strong enough faith. It was when they asked Jesus to increase their faith.
Much like God said to Habakkuk, Jesus did not give them what they wanted. Instead, he taught them that faith is never about size; it’s a collection of small acts of love and compassion. We must pay constant attention to keep the light of faith lit so that it won’t be blown away. Faith is never about the one-time, grandiose, mighty act.
We all have moments when we become stuck in a spiritual pit, feeling completely helpless and abandoned by God. When life feels like too much, remember Habakkuk’s waiting, the psalmist’s trust; Paul’s rekindled flame, Jesus’ mustard seed. Faith is not about getting more – it’s about making fewer excuses. Not grand acts, but small, steady steps of trust. And in those small, steady steps of trust – that’s where God meets us.
Leave a Reply