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How to overcome the difficulty of belief
Hello and welcome to Spend Five with Jesus for this Monday, October 16th, 2023. I am the friar, and as always, I’m happy to have you with us today.
I live in a state whose motto is the “show me” state, and while it is not exactly clear how that nickname or slogan arrived for the state of Missouri, it is in fact an interesting expression. Some suggest it was a speech by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri. Others suggest it was something that was said to miners from Missouri and Colorado because the miners from Missouri didn’t really follow the same methods of mining as those in Colorado.
Either way, it’s come to represent a belief that you can’t really accept something unless you can see it concretely. Jesus speaks against this mentality though as we apply it to the faith. He says, in fact, that this desire to see something concrete that is exceptional or tremendous is not really the desire of faith.
He says this, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Now, it’s interesting because I think most of us would like some concrete sign that God God is doing what He promises. When someone is sick, we’d like to see them get well. When we have a major decision, we’d like God to make clear to us exactly what the right decision is.
On the other hand, sometimes when we hear what God wants us to do, we don’t do it. Sometimes when we read in the Word of God something that God challenges us to do, like loving him and loving our neighbor, we hedge a little bit. Maybe we love some of our neighbors, but not all of them.
What Jesus is really getting at is that our faith in him is the faith that comes out of a relationship. Think of other significant relationships in your life today. There’s friendship, for example. There is, in fact, sometimes a spousal relationship.
We don’t necessarily require absolute proof when we make these fundamental decisions to have a close friend or to commit to someone in marriage. We recognize that there is a certain faith that is required in all relationships if they are to be healthy.
What today will you do to deepen your faith in what Jesus longs to do for you? How is it you might pray that the Word of God becomes something more deeply rooted in your heart? Who is it that you will trust in your life who will lead you closer to the Lord Jesus?
Think of it in this way. Holy friendships are those friendships who lead us to a deeper relationship with our friends. lead us closer to a deeper relationship with Jesus. Marriage is a vocation. When we enter into it, it is a vocation that we believe will lead us to our salvation and our spouse to our salvation.
Whatever you do today, think about your faith. And maybe, like the apostles and disciples, ask Jesus to increase your faith, so that But rather than looking for a sign, you might seek out in your life the very person of the Lord Jesus himself.
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