“Living by Faith”

Galatians 1:13-17; 2:11-21

¹³ You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. ¹⁴ I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.¹⁵ But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.  ¹⁷ Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.

¹¹ But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. ¹² When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. ¹³ As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

¹⁵ “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. ¹⁶ Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

¹⁷ But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. ¹⁹ For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. ²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

This morning’s reading reminds me of the one about a man who was having breakfast with his friend one day. They were talking about all their aches and pains when the friend told the man he didn’t trust doctors. The man was curious and wondered how anyone couldn’t trust doctors in today’s day. His friend responded, “About ten years ago I developed a limp and a pain in my leg. I went to the doctor, and he told me that the problem was that one of my legs was shorter than the other, and that I would need to wear special shoe inserts to even them out.” The man replied, “But that doesn’t sound crazy. Why would that make you distrust doctors?” His friend added, “Well, I wanted a second opinion, so I went to another doctor, and wouldn’t you know it, he told me I had the exact opposite problem! That proves that you can’t trust ’em, they’re just making wild stabs in the dark!” “So what did the second doctor tell you the problem was?” “He said that one of my legs was longer than the other!”

Though it’s true that, on occasion, doctors are befuddled by what they’re presented with and must make “wild stabs in the dark,” more often than not their assessments reflect years of training and experience. Doctors don’t like to make “wild stabs in the dark!” What if they’re wrong and a person’s health suffers from it? It’s a heavy burden on a doctor knowing they harmed a patient, not to mention a denial of their Hippocratic oath to do no harm. No, doctors rarely make “wild stabs in the dark,” so the man’s friend was wrong in suggesting the two doctors he had visited were prone to it. And besides, he was simply wrong in denying the truthfulness of both doctors’ statements. One of his legs IS shorter than the other and one of them IS longer than the other. It makes you wonder how trusting he is other people or things in his life…

Trust is important in life. Doctors trust in their ability to perform miracles day in and day out. Patients trust that doctors want what’s best for their health. Without trust, relationships are impossible. And without relationships there is little to no joy in life. We need relationships with ourselves, with other people around us, with the world, and especially with God. It is in relationships that we experience true joy in life. We are meant to be in relationships…loving, trusting relationships. Why is it necessary to remind ourselves of this? Because at the heart of faith is trust. When we have faith in someone or something, then we trust them to behave a certain way. And because they behave that way, we can feel a degree of safety and only in safety can life flourish. Proverbs tells us, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” (29:25)

Now then, we are continuing in the season of Easter and for all intents and purposes it is a season of mystery. It is a season built on the mystery of the resurrection. Jesus died and rose again three days later and over the last 2,000 years we just haven’t figured out how he did it. I suspect one day we’ll figure it out, but I don’t think that’s important. The resurrection revealed that our God has abilities that are beyond our understanding and capability. I imagine once we’ve figured out the resurrection then God will surprise us with yet another incomprehensible miracle. God will always be one step ahead of us. Is this something to celebrate or grieve over? It depends on how we regard God. Do we trust God as a loving God? Do we trust God only wants the best for us much like a good doctor? Do we trust God reveals answers to mysteries only when we need them? Do we simply trust God?

The apostle, Paul, had great trust in God. Not at first but eventually. We heard of his trust in his letter to the Galatians. He spoke about how God revealed Jesus to him so that he might proclaim the good news of what Jesus did on the cross for our behalf. For a long time, he wasn’t a believer in Christ until finally Christ came to him and convicted him. That encounter changed his life so much so that he experienced a metaphorical crucifixion, much the same way Christ experienced an actual physical crucifixion. His old self died, and he lived a new life with Christ at the helm. But even then, he had to trust in someone besides himself. He had to trust in Christ, and it made all the difference. Friends, trust is important! Trust leads to relationships which lead to joy and life. Again, Proverbs tell us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (3:5) Why? Because trust is key to life!

There will always be mysteries in this world. Only God knows all the answers to all the mysteries. We can be afraid of the mysteries and uncertainty, or we can place our trust in him and his goodness. David certainly did as we hear over and over again in his psalms. He sang, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (56:3-4) What has God promised? New life, abundant life, rich life! All we have to do is trust in his loving goodness! Let us be assured of his loving goodness and trust in it and give thanks for it. Thanks be to God!

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.