The Story of Faith

Narrative Beings

Telling the Same stories at Family Gatherings

Funny. Sad. Shocking. All these stories give a sense of unity and identity

The author of Hebrews is listing off the Heroes of Faith

The whole section starts off with Hebrews11:1-2

Hebrews 11:1 NIV

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Then there is great list of people whose stories are told in the OT

At the very least this passage in Hebrews tells us the OT matters and that we would do well to know the full story of God’s rescue mission.

But this passage also teaches us about ourselves who have inherited this story of faith through our baptism, but more importantly they all point to the character of God — in whom we place our faith

What Makes a Hero in the Faith? (+)

This past week we buried a local hero in the faith — but honestly she did not resemble the list of people in this passage.

The reading today picked up the list with the Exodus story. It commends the people for having the faith to walk through the Red Sea.

Then it commends them for their faith to march around Jericho in order to topple its walls

It praises Rahab for her faith in God and willingness to hide the Hebrew spies, thus sparing her and her family from destruction

Then the Great Judges are listed for their powerful deeds of Faith:

Gideon, Barak, Sampson, & Jephtah all who preceded King David (the slayer of Goliath, and the man after God’s own heart). All these men won impressive victories in difficult situations because they trusted God to use them for the deliverance of Israel.

Following the Judges and King David we consider the deeds of the prophets. Whom God delivered miraculously from execution through fire or wild beasts. And through whom people were raised from the dead.

At first glance these men and women of the faith were impressive! And God did do wonders through the ones who put their trust in him.

So what we can learn from these people is that if we step out in Faith God and do wonders through us too.

What Makes a Hero in the Faith? (-)

But what happens when we look at these same people through the study notes of our Bibles?

The Israelites didn’t even leave Egypt before the grumbling began. God complained about them being a stubborn and stiff necked people who tempted him to wipe them out more than once.

The victory at Jericho was immediately followed by defeat because someone disobeyed God’s command and stole the plunder of Jericho

Gideon tested God’s word 3-4 times before he stepped out in faith. God called him a mighty warrior when he was hiding in a ditch. Barak’s ultimate victory was achieved not by him but by a woman wielding a tent peg and a hammer. Barak made a stupid vow and sacrificed his young daughter for military victory. Samson was a brute who dishonoured his parents and did what was right in his own eyes (not God’s). David was a murderer and an adulterer.

This whole list of heroes were ordinary people with ordinary flaws from rage, to doubt, to depression.

So how are they heroes in the faith?

Because their stories are not meant to show how impressive they were, but how faithful God is.

If God could use someone as flawed as David to carry out his will to rescue and renew the Earth, then maybe he can use us too.

As I said earlier we buried a hero in the faith this week. She did not lead armies, or perform great miracles — but she was devoted to Jesus. Her presence made people feel at home. Her joy was contagious. Her peace was beautiful. Gods will was being carried out in her quiet blessed life.

Surely she was flawed too. But she showed up. And God made something beautiful in her life.

A Shift to Suffering

The Earlier list is often the story of underdogs who do incredible things through Faith.

But at v. 36 there is a shift to people who suffer and are killed because of their faith. These examples in faith have been shaped by the world-to-come and they refused to conform to the pattern on this world.

Some faced jeers and flogging and imprisonment — the audience of Hebrews could relate to such persecution. Ridicule from the crowd. Public beatings and jail time by the authorities for being disturbers of the peace.

Some were even executed by stoning or even being sawn in two. Traditionally this is how Jeremiah and Isaiah were executed.

There is even a reference to some of the Martyrs from the book of Maccabees who chose torture and death rather than compromise with a pagan government. Their allegiance was clear.

The faithful were forced out of society, restricted from doing commerce and were reduced to wearing animal skins and living in the wild.

The world would have looked at them and thought what a waste of life. But the author of Hebrews looks at these examples of faith and concludes that it was the world that was not worthy of them, not the other way around.

What sets them aside from those earlier in the list — is that they have yet to receive the reward for their faithfulness. There were no great miracles. No powerful acts of deliverance.

The question; If Heaven did not exist — would you still be a Christian? If there was no great reward would you still seek to live out the Kingdom here and now? Yes! Mercy for enemies. Care for the needy. Loving Self-restraint. I think these things make life better.

What do we learn from these nameless martyrs and saints? faithful perseverance. Not living for the reward, but out of a simple trust that God’s way is better

To be faithful in this world is to go against the flow. The only thing that will sustain us in that is a God-given love and trust in Jesus.

Jesus Our Model and Means of Faith

The Early Christians that Hebrews was written to were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. The message was plain: Don’t give up, instead lay claim to your inheritance: The witness of the saints.

The OT saints point to the faithfulness of God despite hardship and persecution, and despite their own personal moral failings. God is able — do not be discouraged; do not Give up. God will not give up on you.

As St. Paul wrote to the Philippian Church: I am confident in this: “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)

But then the author points to chief example of faith — Jesus himself. Who demonstrates the faithful commitment God has for our rescue, restoration and glorification.

We are to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the source of our faith — the author, the beginning. The one who is also the perfecter or completer or destination of our faith.

Jesus endured ultimate suffering: rejection from humans, physical torture and separation from his Father in order to go to the fullest extent of our wandering and rejection to look us full in the face and say I love you — even here — I am with you, now come home.

The joy at our homecoming drove him through the hell of our rejection. Jesus delighted in the prospect of our resuming our God-given role to bear his image in creation. He delighted in Earth being a filled vessel for heaven.

The story of Faith

Family stories give a sense of identity, they unify us and they teach us about how to handle challenges in the future.

We inherit family stories. We also inherit the story of faith.

The story of faith is messy. We fail time and time again. There are beautiful glimpses of when we get it right and God’s power is unleashed in this world.

But what we learn through the heroes of the faith, and through the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ is this:

The love of God is stronger than our rejection. The faithfulness of proven in spite of our unfaithfulness. If God can work wonders through the cracked pots of the OT — then he can work through us too.

Do not be discouraged. Do not be afraid. God will not give up on you.