Witnesses to Faith and Life

 

Heb 11: 32-12:2  A Witness to Life

Readings-  OT

Exodus 14:5-14, 19-21, 24-28, 30

 

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

 

Hebrews 11:23-29, 32-40

 

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

The Gospel
St. Matthew xxii. 34.

WHEN the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

 

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The Collect

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

   Who are our role models today?  We all have them or are looking for them.  We all need friends, mentors and wise people to help us in our journey through life that we may live lives that are full with correct choices and paths of righteousness and humility.  What happened I have thought recently to the young ( 15 years old) High School student who was a prom king one week , and the next week texted his friends and some family members in school to be at a certain place where he would take a gun out and shoot them?  Two have died along with the shooter up to this point I and others remain were in serious condition.  Young lives , 14 years, ended for no apparent reason that we know of .  That young man needed someone he could go to for help and listening.  He needed to share what was bothering him with a person he respected and could trust.  They are called mentors in one tradition.  They are people of faith and hope who call out the best in us.

    Who are those people of renown and love in your life that care about you?  In Hebrews we read of names that may be unfamiliar but their stories are stories of faith and standing up for what was right at that time in the eyes of God.  Gideon, Jephthah, David , Samuel who through faith subdued kingdoms.  As we approach an election next week, are we not looking for people of character that are unafraid to lead with true wisdom and vision?

      Gideon is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 by the writer to the Hebrews  who acted by faith. Things were not going well in Israel.  The Midianites were oppressing them.  They cried out to God and an angel of the LORD Judges 6:11 appeared unto Gideon telling him that the " Lord is with thee." Gideon has a very human reaction. " Oh my Lord if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all His miracles ..?"Judges 6:12 He tears down the false idols of Baal and the people come after him. Gideon leads the people to reject the false teachings and gods of Baal and he fights with Midian defeating them by 300 men Judges 7:7 .  He follows God's plan and puts a trumpet in every man's hand and a pitcher which they would break,  and they defeat the Midianites.

     Gideon was a person who listened to God despite the odds and he led others by following the guidance of God. We all need people like this as well in our families, places of work and church. 

     We know of David and Samuel, but who was Jephthah?  He was raised to deliver Israel from the Ammonites in Judges 11.  All of these listed in Hebrews 11 "through faith subdued kingdoms." 

      We have the better thing 11:40 , an inheritance received through the promise of faith in Christ. " God having provided some better thing for us.."  “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses . Jesus is the " author and finisher " of our faith as we run with " patience the race that is set before us."

       Those who follow Christ in our relationships are true mentors to us.  They befriend us and listen to us. They are what the Irish called true " soul friends."  To be such a person we must listen to God first in our lives and follow His directions for the future.

        The young man who turned from prom king to murderer was responsible for his actions as we all are, but there could have been signs along the way that others could have seen to assist him, to listen, and to come alongside with true godly wisdom to share with him what was more important than the things and the situations we may feel defeat in .

         We desire to be people of God who " run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus" , but a light to others as well so that they may have the light of Christ.  As the hymn writer said in talking about the saints of God -living and gone before us to God, "

              They lived not only in ages past, There are hundreds of thousands still, The world is bright with the joyous saints Who love to do Jesus' will. You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea, In church , or in trains, or in shops, or at tea, For the saints of God are just folk like me, And I mean to be one too."