Dare Great Things

Our Readings Today

Call the participants to grow

From legal obedience to love of God (Dt)

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

5 Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.

From little faith to greater faith

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 17

Why could we not drive it out?” 20 *j He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Background

Canaanite & Patriarchal religions

Had a very different relationship to God (or the god)

from what we take for granted today.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Hittite Religion)

general and specific traits of the Hittite religion, one would say that it was characterized by the contractual nature of its relationship between the Hittites and their gods, by the importance played by rituals, and by the role played by the king.

Deuteronomy

— by contrast

Listen to the order of this list

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

Hear, O Israel!* The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength.

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

Take to heart these words which I command you today.

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 6

Bind them on your arm as a sign* and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.i 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates

These are signs and promises of love and devotion, not of detached obedience.

They show a real growth in Israel’s relationship to God.

Matthew

There is great growth here also

The disciples love Jesus and have faith in him

as a man, their teacher.

Jesus teaches them to dare more

Believe in him as Messiah and God.

Do the things he does and more as he promised them they would

if their faith is as big as a mustard seed.

Lessons From the Readings

Moses call the Hebrews to a much deeper relationship with God than they had previously.

Jesus calls the disciples to a much greater faith (trust) in him and his promises.

For us?

I think you know where I’m headed with this.

We Are Called to…

love God as he loves us.

Trust Jesus more radically, that he will fulfill his promises to us.

Do great things in faith.

What we do in Jesus’ name

may be very different from what we expected when we were young

and yet are not less great

if only our faith be as big as a mustard seed.