August 7, 2022 St. Andrew Church Rev. Anne McAnelly
First Lesson: Colossians 2:6-7
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Second Lesson: Luke 11:1-13
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? 13 If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. (Trust) is the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Stephen Covey, author, change agent and motivational speaker wrote these words reminding us of the vital importance of trust in our life and I would add, our faith. So how do you do with trust? Are you a trusting person? Being distrustful of others is often an outcome of past trauma or a learned culture. Your ex had an affair, or you discovered that she was a chronic liar. Or maybe distrust was baked into your family structure. But how we trust impacts how we live as people of faith.
Both of our passages today deal with trust or the lack there of. Luke tells of God wanting to give you God’s kingdom and asking us to trust in God rather than our own efforts. Don’t be attached to your own purse and possessions, rather add to the treasure you have in heaven by trusting in God. Summed up powerfully in the often-quoted phrase, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So, if your focus, treasure in life, is the pursuit of the almighty dollar, then you will not have focused on your relationship with God and your treasure will be based on the riches of this world, not your father’s heavenly kingdom. Of course, trust is more than our money, it is our attitude and connections. Luke then offers two strange vignettes on being ready like waiting for a bridegroom to return and not allowing a thief to enter your house. Maybe we need to rethink this thief idea. One commentator writes, “There is a thief who steals and destroys—and there is a Thief who saves. In the words of Alyce McKenzie, God’s Holy Thief is a ‘burglar…[who] returns to steal our false priorities and overturn our unjust structures.’ When he breaks into our house, we will never be the same” (Working Preacher, Jerusha Matson Neal). If Jesus is a thief who saves, what would you like him to steal from your life that seems to get in the way of your faithfulness?
Reading up on trust, one author distinguished between trust and control. People with trust issues often feel a need for control. This can sometimes manifest as mistrusting behavior. But control is us not really trusting God. A friend once told me, “You’re playing checkers, but God is playing twenty-seven-level chess.” Can you trust God the chess master? Do you trust that God wants to give you God’s kingdom? Do you trust in God’s promises?
Abram was one of the first to trust in God’s promises. Before God changed his name to Abraham, the father of our faith, Abram was one of the first to act on faith, leaving his home to follow God’s call. Abram was called by God to the promised land just three chapters earlier. God promised him land, blessing, and children. He then faced a drought and fled to Egypt before battling to free his kidnapped nephew Lot. But Abram declines the spoils of war, after receiving another blessing from the king he just defeated. So, when the passage starts with “After these things,” it’s important to know what came before.
Isn’t that true with us? When things are going well, we trust with the best of them. We have faith in God, and we believe God’s promises. But when our insecurities creep in, or our fears take hold, trusting becomes a much bigger task. I am watching a show on Hulu called The Split, it is about the complicated Defoe family of divorce lawyers and people having affairs. When suspicion takes hold, trust crumbles under the strain.
So how does Abram do it? Trust God even in the hard times? What is his relationship with God like that makes this possible? Three things to note: Trust dispels fear, Trust is based on honesty, Trust needs a foundation.
First thing God says is “Do not be afraid Abram.” For us to truly trust we need to address the fears that arise and give them over to God. God’s words acknowledge the presence of fear, because we all have fear, at times. It is not that we are not to be afraid, but rather allow our trust in God to overcome our fear. God follows this up with two promises- to be his shield and to reward him. God is giving Abram his continued protection. God just gave him victory in battle and now he is saying I will be your protection, your shield, moving forward. In other words, you don’t have to be afraid of anything or anybody, because as your shield, I stand between you and every enemy that would harm you. God also addresses his need for sustenance and wants to bless him with a reward. In other words, what I will bless you with, will be far beyond anything you could have imagined. Abram declined the spoils of war, and now God wants to take care of him. But this leads to the second aspect of their relationship.
Honesty is the foundation of trust. God has spoken to Abram before, made promises and called him to the promise land. But this is the first conversation between God and Abram, and it speaks well of their relationship. Abram, at this point, feels free to question. Abram is honest and direct with God, sharing his feelings and his needs. God promised him children, but he is still childless. So, Abram takes that up with God. How can Abram bless all nations if he does not have an heir? Remember Abram is already 75 years old and his wife Sarai barren. What good is God’s reward if they never have an heir, if God never fulfills his promise?
Trust deepens when we share our truth, our heartfelt needs and our conflicts with God. Abram inspires me to share my deep needs with God, to honestly share what is on my heart with my Lord and my God. Remember God is strong enough to hear anything we need to share. God has heard it all before and wants to respond with love. Barbara Smith wrote, “Trust is to human relationship what faith is to gospel living. It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where trust is, love can flourish.”
Finally, trust is built on a foundation over time. God had promised land, blessing and children. Abram has yet to be blessed with children, so he is asking God to make good. From Abram’s honesty, God responds with a very concrete answer. “Look towards the heavens,” God says, promising his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. God reaffirms his promise, building on the foundation. “God does not give Abraham what he is asking for at this point. Rather, God invites Abraham to imagine what the future might be like if God is faithful to the promise. ‘Trust me,’ God says, and Abraham does” (Working Preacher, Callie Plunket-Brewton).
We too need to share our thoughts with God, even the “Hey God, what gives?” thoughts. Our disappointments and fears, our hopes and aspirations. Trust is based on honesty! It will be a few more chapters before we hear of Sarai’s pregnancy, but here God is reaffirming the blessing of children and building on the trust he shares with Abram.
Abram believed the Lord, trusted the Lord’s promise, and that was reckoned as righteousness. Nothing had changed, but Abram believed, trusted God. That is the essence of faith. Leaning into God even when the world feels dark, uncertain. One commentator wrote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” (Corrie Ten Boom).
Today we get to reaffirm our trust in God at the communion table. We rededicate ourselves to our loving trusting God. We get to say what we need to say to God and know God is working on it in one of the 27 levels of chess being played. It is our faith, our trust, that makes a difference in how we live our day to day lives. How we are placed back on the right path with God because we reaffirm our faith, seek God sustenance and blessing, and humbly share honesty with our Lord and our God. Amen.
