Faith That
Creates a New Reality
As it is written: “I have made you a father of
many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—
the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though
they were. Romans 4:17
Does anyone remember the story "Horton Hears a Who", by Dr. Seuss? The
story linegoes like this:
One day, Horton the elephant hears a cry for help coming from
a speck of dust. Even though he can't see anyone on the speck, he decides
to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live
in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos and their
home, but this gives him nothing but torment from his neighbors, who refuse
to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands
by the motto that, "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small."1
Have you ever suspected there could be a community on a speck of dust?
You had better believe there is. That's why you need to wash your hands.
There are all manner of microscopic life forms inhabiting doorknobs, telephones,
and all the kinds of places your mother warned you about. Horton found a
whole new reality right under his nose.
Dr. Seuss's story also reminds us that things are not always what they
seem. Just because folks around you don't get it doesn't mean there is no
voice talking to you from places no one would suspect. More on this later.
But I had a kind of eureka experience myself reading the passage in Romans.
In a verse that I have read how many times, I stopped and noticed something
that taken at face value is mind blowing.
Now nothing in this is new. It's what we have believe all along, or at
least have confessed.
But when you put the thoughts together and think about them, they are
really enormous. Like finding a whole new reality in a few words.
I will read them again for you. It is Romans 4:17, especially the last
few words of the verse.
As it is written: “I have made
you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom
he believed—
the God who gives life to the dead
and calls things that are not as though they were.
and especially the last few words.. the God who gives life to the dead and calls
things that are not as though they were.
Two huge statements about Abraham's faith. The God in whom Abraham believed
is the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not--as
though they were. Someone who does not know our God might think God is suffering
from a mental illness. Calling things that are not as though they were.
God lives in some alternate reality that is detached from the reality the
rest of us know.
That would be a clear indication of psychosis in our experience.
Calling things that don't exist as though they did.
I am the emperor of Bosnia and you are all my loyal subjects. That's calling
something that is not as though it were.
But wait!
God is also the one who gives life to the dead.
Now there is a new reality.
When Jesus arrives at the tomb of Lazarus, after deliberately delaying,
everyone knows Lazarus is dead. Stone cold dead.
Martha in her earthy realism says, "Lord his body will stink" if you open
the tomb. It's been four days.
Everyone on the planet who knew Lazarus could have told you that.
But Jesus' faith creates a new reality.
Now wait a minute! What do you mean, "Jesus faith"?
Jesus didn't need faith. He had authority.
True and also not true.
Yes Jesus had authority. He says to them, "I am the resurrection and the
life."
But in the flesh he also functioned in the realm of faith.
That's right, faith.
That may be hard for us to realize because of how we experience faith.
For us, faith often is more like hope than faith.
We believe, but for a few foundational beliefs, many of our beliefs are
things we hope for, rather than things that we are absolutely rock solid dead
certain about.
Do you have faith that God hears your prayers?
Sure you do as long as you don't have to count on anything too rock solid
in the here and now.
I mean, do you pray for the sick?
Sure.
Do you believe God hears your prayers?
Sure you do.
But do you have an absolutely rock solid conviction that once it is spoken,
it is as good as done?
Of course you don't.
Only Jesus could do that. He knew the moment he spoke something out, the
Holy Spirit would make it into reality.
He knew he only had to speak the word of life to Lazarus and the Holy Spirit
would re-start his heart and undo the process of disease and deterioration.
He had not a moment of doubt that Lazarus would emerge at the entrance
in a few moments.
No matter how strong our faith is, that kind of certainty is a gift of
God.
The faith that Jesus had between himself, God the father and the Holy Spirit,
created new realities every time he spoke.
Be healed,... take up your bed and walk,... your sins are forgiven,...today
you shall be with me in paradise...Lazarus, come forth.
Paul is speaking about Abraham's faith in this passage in Romans.
He is using a legal kind of argument that rabbis used.
He is arguing that gentiles were just as much a part of God's covenant
with Abraham as Jews, as long as they came in the same faith as Abraham.
Faith in Jesus made them as legitimate children of Abraham and heirs of
the covenant as the born and bred lineage of Abraham.
He is saying that it was Abraham's faith in God that made the covenant
possible. Without his faith in God, there would be no covenant.
And so we are part of the same covenant through our faith.
Our faith in God.
Our faith in the God who raises the dead and who calls things into being
that never existed up to that moment.
Jesus goes into the house of Jairus and says the little girl is only sleeping.
Everyone jeered him, everyone except the little girl's parents and his
disciples who came with him.
Jesus sends the doubters out and says to the girl, "Little girl, arise"
and she does.
Jesus called something a different reality than everyone else.
He said in effect, "when there is God, there is always hope for new life."
More than that. He said, "there is life".
He knew she was physically dead. He is not denying that reality.
He knew Lazarus was dead.
But he knew that there was a far greater reality than death present. Life
was there.
We all face situations in our lives where the obvious reality gives us
no hope.
Relationships that are far too badly damaged to be healed.
Hopes that could never come to pass.
Sin that has taken such a toll on us and on others that there is no hope
for restitution.
Too much time that has flown by that all chances of change have flown away
with it.
But when Jesus is present in a situation, He is the One who can raise the
dead and who can call things that do not exist as though they did.
And when he says anything, it is as good as done.
Do you have that kind of faith in Jesus?
Maybe?
At times?
Not always?
Then you are human and the very people for whom He came.
What is needed?
Open up your willingness to believe in what Jesus can do and come to Him.
Sure you have reservations.
But you also have some faith.
Be willing to believe and act on the faith you do have and ask him.
Jesus says to ask, keep on asking and give thanks even before you see the
answer.
In other words to be willing to see a new reality on the way even before
it arrives.
That kind of faith creates new realities.
Someone says, "its too late".
You say, God who lives beyond time has all the time it needs.
Someone says, "its hopeless"
You say, I have hope in the God of Lazarus. If anyone was beyond hope it
was him.
Someone says, "get real!" You say, I want God's new reality, not
just any old reality.
Horton could hear voices in a speck of dust.
When the world is too much with us, the problem we have is screening out
all the discouraging voices.
Jesus would go alone to pray. He would dismiss people who could not and
would not hear His father's voice.
We need to do the same.
Find a quiet time in the day, and read the words of life and faith.
Listen to the faint voice that comes from outside our familiar reality.
You don't hear it right away? Pray for ears to hear and eyes to see.
What is your reality today? Much of it is good. Give thanks.
If there is something that just seems beyond you, ask the God who gives
us new realities to look in on it.
Then tune up your ears. He may give you instructions like, "remove the
stone" or "take you bed and walk"
or "neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more"
Let him change your reality.
Have faith. He will.
Preached February 17, 2008
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian
Church
Victoria, British Columbia
Notes
Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who, Random House, 1954
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