Advent Week 2 - Faith

We live in a world where faith is something to shake your head at, something only fools hold. It is seen as the opposite of intelligence, the delusion that religion uses to control their followers. People with faith are seen as burying their heads in the sand, refusing to acknowledge that science and technology have advanced past the antiquated view of God.

What a culture shift from just a few short generations ago! 

In a world steeped in constant information overload, it can be tempting to think that faith no longer has a place in our world. Why would we need to believe in something we can't see when we can look up anything we want on Wikipedia directly from our phone?

But does having more information available to you mean that faith is dead? Aren’t you still believing in someone else to tell you the truth? Or believing in yourself to discern the truth? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that God has a lot to say about faith.

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

God's word describes faith as the compelling reality of hope, the proof of what we cannot see. What a drastically different definition than we see all around us! Reality and proof are certainly not words our culture would use together with faith. In fact, the word that is most often used alongside the word faith is ‘blind’. Blind faith. This term is used to mean someone believing in something with no proof or reality involved in their belief at all. Yet that is not what God calls faith.

Several thousand years ago, there was a man who lived in Jericho, and he is a wonderful example of faith. His story is told in Luke 18:

“As He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant. “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by,” they told him. So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”” Luke 18:35–39

What a powerful phrase. Son of David, have mercy on me. This man couldn’t see Jesus, he couldn’t see the people Jesus was healing, he couldn’t see at all. He had no reason to believe that Jesus could or would heal him based on what he could see with his own eyes. Yet he still had faith. Why? Was he simply a fool clinging to delusion? 

Of course not! This man tells us himself why he has faith enough to shout over those trying to silence him. Son of David. This is a powerful phrase for the Jews because ‘Son of David’ means the Messiah. This man believed that he would be healed, not because he could see the proof for himself, but because he believed that Jesus was his savior. He believed. And his blind faith was rewarded:

“Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” “Receive your sight!” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.”” Luke 18:40–42

This man was no longer blind. His faith saved him. More specifically, his faith in Jesus the Messiah was enough to heal him. This man knew what our culture ignores. We all put our faith in someone. We either put our faith in our own truth, or someone else’s truth. And who better than to trust in the reality of a God who created everything? The beauty of faith in God is that He gives it to you Himself, and that faith itself serves as the proof of what you cannot see. 

Church, let us join this great example of blind faith in crying out to our Savior for His mercy, because we can be assured that He will give it.