Printer Friendly VersionYou’re familiar with the cliché, “seeing is
believing!” Perhaps you have even used it on occasion and actually do
believe it. But this is not always the case with everyone. Take for example,
the religious leaders of Jesus day…
While it may not be clearly obvious the gospel lesson for today
is a question of belief; the Pharisees refusing and Jesus insisting! “For
John the Baptist came and showed you the way of life, and you didn’t
believe him.” Even when they saw the most unlikely people, tax collectors
and prostitutes responding to John’s message of repentance and being
baptized into a changed life, “even when they saw this happening, they
refused to turn from their sins and believe him.” (21:32) I guess seeing
isn’t always believing.
It is true of the Israelites in the Exodus passage too.
The Israelites are in exile, found themselves in a place called
Rephidim only to discover, that there is no water, nor any belief that there
will be some! So, tormented by their thirst they cry our to Moses, Why did
you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here? We, our children,
and our livestock will all die!” (17:3) Now that’s faith for ya!
"Is the LORD going to take care of us or not?" (17:7b)
The irony is they had already seen how God delivered them from
the Egyptians, but believing in his ability to do the same thing in the desert
was another thing all together.
What kept them from believing?
Perhaps similar issues that many unbelievers wrestle with today.
Like the Pharisees and maybe even the Israelites, we don’t believe what
we see because of our histories, because we’re afraid of our colleagues,
or we don’t want to be identified with the “tax collectors and prostitutes”
of our day.
I would venture to say that this is not an uncommon challenge
that we face when we preach every Sunday. The question of belief is a big
one. And what we do with it will determine eternal outcomes.
We do have the glorious privilege of inviting people to believe
in what they can’t always see, God’s grace that forgives us of our
sin and opens our eyes to see the truth that John proclaimed…Jesus Christ;
the way, the truth and the life! It’s interesting, isn’t it, our
life is defined by believing in One we cannot see!
Do you believe this?
Then let us confess our belief together by confessing together
the Apostle’s Creed…
We believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in His Son, Jesus Christ, who…
Was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hades.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
And sits at the hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins, and the life everlasting, Amen.
No, seeing isn’t always believing, but then again, why
does it have to be? Jesus said, “You believe because you have seen me.
Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.” (John
20:29) Do you believe?
Song of Consecration: “I Believe in God”
