Long ago the prophet Habakkuk wrote, “The righteous live by their faith.” His wisdom, passed on by the apostle Paul, would become part of the core of Martin Luther’s Reformation that we will observe on Oct. 31.
Faith, Luther explained, “is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.” It’s not some theoretical ideal that resides only in one’s mind, but a lifestyle built on courage and trust. It inspired Francis of Assisi to abandon comfortable wealth and wander the countryside preaching to birds. It leads people to serve others, to help God’s mission on Earth, speak the truth in power, trade in security for solidarity with those in trouble, and share grace bigger than themselves.
This October, church readings from Luke offer striking profiles in faith. A leper healed by Jesus breaks away from the only community he has ever known to commit an act of grateful disobedience: he turns back from his religious duty to say ‘thank you.’ A widow overpowers a judge with her tenacity that Jesus equates to “faith on Earth,” and a tax collector’s tragic honesty outshines a Pharisee’s sterling résumé. Zacchaeus responds to a thunderbolt by giving away half his fortune.
Before any of these episodes, however, the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could [do impossible things].” A closer look at the text about the mustard seed leads one to question whether Jesus is talking about size here. Perhaps, faith is about quality and not quantity. A grain of mustard seed so completely trusts what God intends it to become that it’s willing to give up what it currently is and be buried underground. Living by faith includes a willingness to risk dying. Nature bears witness to this truth. Each October here in rural southwestern Ontario means the faithful witness of the maple and oak trees. The vibrant green of summer life gives itself away in a colourful blaze of glory! Leaves die like fireworks, bursting with colour. Honestly, nature shows us the beauty of life and what comes next in a way that we often struggle to see. Does death possess a beauty that we who fear death cannot see? Through faith, we know the answer is yes!
When we look at our own lives, especially as we get older and start to feel our leaves turn red, we often focus on what doesn’t matter. We are easily fixated on surface appearances – on the decline of meaning, the decay of relationships, the end of our working careers. But if we look more deeply, we see the amazing possibilities being planted to bear fruit in some future.
Saint Francis said, “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” In Luke’s Gospel, the shadows are lengthening. Jesus is nearing the bare tree. Death looms. Faith smiles because life is drawing closer. Fear not, faith will preserve you and make you well!
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Rev. Michael Mayer serves as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Monkton.
