PENTECOST • 18

What does it mean to have faith in the Lord and remain faithful to him?

SONGS FOR PRAYER

SET PRAYER

God of all the ages,

you have revealed your grace

in our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

As we wait patiently on your mercies,

strengthen us to live in your justice,

that with open hearts we may hear

and accomplish your will,

through Christ, who lights the way to life everlasting. Amen.


reading for: Tuesday Night, 27 September

Luke 17:5-10

Having faith in him which empowers us to serve him

  • READ

    This chapter starts with Jesus talking to his disciples about not leading others astray and learning to forgive their brother. Perhaps the disciples felt that what Jesus was saying was too difficult for them, for the next words that came out of their mouths were to ask the Lord to increase their faith.

    Luke 17:5

    The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 

    The apostles were asking Jesus for more faith, perhaps so that they could obey the words of Jesus and not lead others astray or forgive their brothers. How does Jesus respond to the question?

    Luke 17:6

    And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 

    Jesus told them that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, it would be powerful enough to uproot trees. Jesus is not merely calling them to uproot trees. Jesus is telling them that their faith in him which they have no matter how small enables them to serve him. 

    Jesus then continues to talk about serving him by telling them that the role of the servant is not at first to eat and drink with the master but to prepare supper, dress properly and to serve the master while the master eats and drinks. Only after the master has eaten does the servant eat and drink. This is the role and duty of the servant. 

    Luke 17:7-10

    “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ” 

    Jesus was in effect telling the apostles that their duty was to serve him. They are empowered to serve him because they believe and trust in him. In other words, because of their faith in him, they are empowered to serve him by not leading others astray and forgiving others who sin against them. This is their duty that they must do. Jesus does not make it something we do for a bonus but makes it clear that serving him and others is a duty.

  • REFLECT

    Some of us see serving our Lord as optional or a bonus, we think we will be rewarded for our service. Or perhaps we think we can just be a Christian and go to heaven and don’t need to serve the Lord.  Jesus makes it clear in this passage that serving him is not optional, but it is our duty to serve the Lord. It is our duty to forgive others and not lead others astray. 

    Pray and ask the Lord to help us to believe him, for it is faith in him that empowers us to serve him. 

reading for: Wednesday Night, 28 September

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Having faith in the Lord

  • READ

Today’s reading comes from Habakkuk, and it starts with an explanation of what the book is.

Habakkuk 1:1

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

Habakkuk was an oracle that the Lord gave to Habakkuk to see. Habakkuk then makes a cry to God. Habakkuk cries out to God on why the Lord seems not to hear and save his people.

Habakkuk 1:2-4

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralysed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

The Lord answers Habakkuk from Habakkuk 1:5-11, and the Lord speaks of doing a work of raising wicked Babylon, who will be very strong and sweep through nations, including Assyria.

Habakkuk then makes a second cry to the Lord and asks the Lord why the Lord looks idly by when the wicked is strong. The Lord answers Habakkuk and tells Habakkuk to write the vision down and declares that the time for the judgment of Babylon will come, and he exhorts Habakkuk to wait for it if it seems slow. Wicked Babylon will eventually be judged even if it is slow.

Habakkuk 2:2-4

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk thus speaks about the judgment of wicked nations, whether they are Assyria or Babylon. Judgment will come eventually on the wicked. Habakkuk is exhorted to wait for the judgment of the Lord on evil and live by faith. Evil has its consequences, and judgment will come at a time that we do not know. However, we who are the righteous of God need to live by faith and wait on him.

  • REFLECT

    In the midst of evil in the world, let us have faith in him and wait on him. At the appointed time, there will be consequences for evil. Let us be people who continue to trust in the Lord and be shining lights in the midst of evil so that we may bring others to the light.

reading for: Thursday Night, 29 September

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Guarding the faith that he has given to us

  • READ

    2 Timothy is a letter by Paul to exhort his spiritual son Timothy. Paul wants Timothy to remain strong and faithful in the face of false teaching and persecution.

    2 Timothy 1:3-5

    I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

    Paul tells Timothy that he prays for him constantly, and he longs to see Timothy. Paul is reminded of the faith that Timothy has, which dwells in his grandmother and mother and now dwells in Timothy.

    2 Timothy 1:6-14

    For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

    Paul exhorts Timothy that God has given him a spirit of power, love and self-control which he is to fan into flame. Timothy is not to be ashamed of the gospel which God has given in Christ. This is the gospel that Paul preached and he is suffering because of it. The same gospel Timothy is to preach and to share in suffering for the sake of this gospel. Paul exhorts Timothy to guard the good deposit that has been entrusted to him. Timothy is not to deviate from this gospel but to remain rooted and follow the pattern of sound words.

  • REFLECT

    Just as Paul exhorted Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ but to remain strong and faithful in the midst of suffering. Let us guard the good deposit that has been entrusted to us and follow the pattern of sound words that we have been taught. By the power of the Spirit that empowers us, let us guard the good deposit we have received.

reading for: Friday Night, 30 September

Psalm 37:1-9

Trusting in the Lord

  • READ

    This psalm is about trust in the Lord, and it starts with calling the hearers not to fret and be envious of evildoers and wrongdoers. Because they will not last. 

    Psalm 37:1-2

    Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

    Just as we read in the Habakkuk passage this week, evil will eventually be judged. Even if it seems slow, we are to wait for it. Evil will eventually fade and wither. 

    What are we then to do? The psalmist exhorts us to trust in the Lord and commit our way to him.

    Psalm 37:3-9

    Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

    The psalmist does not want his hearers to worry about evil, but he wants his readers and hearers to put their trust in the Lord and dwell in the land. They are to be faithful and delight in the Lord. In short, they must focus on their walk with God and wait for his timing.

  • REFLECT

    The psalmist calls on us as his readers to trust in the Lord, to delight in him, to commit our way to the Lord. Will we answer the call of the psalmist? Will we put our trust in the Lord? Pray and talk to the Lord, asking for his strength and help to trust him and walk with him.

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