Pastor’s Sermon

The Tenth Sunday of Matthew

By V. Rev. Timothy Baclig

August 13, 2023

Last Sunday, I began my message by speaking about how growing spiritually, unlike our physical and intellectual maturity involves our personal repentance, also that true repentance is born in humility.  

In today’s Gospel lesson, we are presented with the encounter Jesus had with a father of a boy who needed healing.  It is another lesson that parallels the account in St. Luke’s Gospel of the centurion who came pleading to the Lord for the healing of his servant; or of the woman who in a crowd reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment as was healed.  They are among the encounters Jesus had with men and women who either faced a personal needs or who approached him on behalf of others.  Some of their challenges can be described as “mountains” that seemed insurmountable, and we often hear a cry of desperation in their conversation with the Lord.

In today’s lesson we hear Jesus say to the disciples:  …if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible to you…

Now, the words of Jesus is for some a tool in achieving something they want, something that may appear impossible to attain, or possibly something  they earnestly desire with their whole heart.  In this way Bible verses are used by some like a magical formula in a difficult situation.  And  guess what?  For those who are sincere, and who in their request may have just a little faith, as the Lord describes, miracles are known to happen.  But not in every case.  And that is precisely the point of today’s lesson. 

Jesus’ conversation with His disciples begins with their questioning Him why there were unable to heal a boy who was brought to them by his father.  The Lord’s reply at first sounds like a contradiction:  He begins saying “Because you have so little faith” (v. 20).  He goes on to say:  “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible to you” (vs. 20-21).  In other words, it was not the quantity or volume of one’s faith that makes the difference.  However in verse 21 of today’s lesson (a verse that is recorded from the older Aramaic text), we read the following words: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”  This verse tells us that there are times when something more is required and essentially necessary in overcoming difficulties and personal challenges.

In other words: “being a positive thinker” or “being an optimist” as a Christian is not the whole story.  A sincere devotion and an intense desire for God with the consistent discipline of prayer that may include the need for abstinence by fasting are, at times, essential components for a transformation, or at least, for change to begin taking place in one’s life.  In other words, there is no “quick fix” for every need.

We live in a time when desiring God - or even acknowledging knowing Him as the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, and having Him as an intimate part of one’s life has been branded as a Protestant experience.  Some are of the mind that a belief in God or going to church is for the weak and uneducated.  Doubt and pessimism is prevalent in one’s view of the church as an institution.  We commonly hear: “If God exists…,” why do tragedies hit innocent people who have to face great misfortune.  People’s ideologies have been influenced by secular thought.  Therefore, my beloved, if you and I want our children and grandchildren to know and to love God, our lives have to reflect our own living relationship with Him.  Parents, grandparents and godparents must be engaged with their children in finding the right questions to ask and to be unafraid of facing undeniable truths.  This means that if you and I are party to lies, gossip, distortions, fabrications, conspiracies, and if our way of thinking is political and manipulative, we will only add to the fog that has disabled our youth from seeing things clearly, leading them into despair and hopelessness.

During the ministry of Jesus extortionists and harlots were transformed into new men and women of the Kingdom.  Zacchaeus was liberated from his life of greed.  Mary Magdalene was freed from guilt.  The disciples, who at times, were weak and cowardly, became fearless witnesses of Christ.  There are numerous examples in the New Testament together with the lives of countless saints are testimonies of men and women who by God’s grace and mercy experienced the “mountains” and heavy burdens of sin, guilt, sickness, and fear lifted from their life.  Christ’s promise to all was: “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).  And again:  “In the world you will suffer.  But be brave!  I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)! 

However, this experience of transformation is frequently misunderstood.  To be more like Christ and to allow the likeness of Christ to shine through in our life does not mean diminishing who we are.  It does mean, that when we put our egos aside, you and I can discover what it means to be truly human, just as we were created us to be.  Desiring God  as human beings has everything to do with our need for healing, reconciliation, the forgiveness of sins, and a proper focus upon priorities; something that I described last week as what begins by taking first steps followed by many more steps in what we Orthodox call: theosis.

The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel that speak of mountains as great obstacles—is not so much the physical mountains, but the great burdens that weigh heavily on us; those great, or what we might consider: insurmountable challenges in our lives—some of which we have created for ourselves.  In the case of the Apostles, their lack of faith or powerlessness was directly related to their lack of prayer and fasting.  And concerning prayer and the practice of abstinence, we must not overlook that prayer involves our need to repent, and our need to “let go” of those things that we often think are so important or necessary, but may be the very things that are our stumbling blocks, if not the “mountains” in our life;  things that actually separate us from God!

Throughout my years in the priesthood, over and over again, I hear the stories our faithful whose lives were shaped by the lives of their parents and grandparents, Godparents and teachers – people of faith who did not hide or create a façade for any of their struggles and challenges.  They were men and women who were unafraid of being human.  They knew how to laugh and did not take themselves too seriously.  Consequently, they allowed God to be God and never presumed to be in-charge of everything.  They were hard working people with a lot of passion and love in all that they did for the benefit of their children and grandchildren.  If you ever had the opportunity as I have to observe and spend time talking to them, these were men and women who met every personal challenge with a deep faith and trust in God.

We are blessed to have some still among us who have a wonderful story to tell.  Their stories are always with a lot of laughter and great joy—that are the true evidence of their faith and love of God; and most importantly, their humanity.  They understand that the best joys in life are the simplest and least complicated and yes, the best gifts are the gifts that are of the heart.

Today our expectation is for instantaneous change.  It is the reason why our Lord’s words in today’s lesson sounds so easy; like a simple pressing of the delete button on our computers.  But this is not how it works for you and I spiritually.  

As parents, grandparents, stepparents, godparents, you have so much to give your children, grandchildren and godchildren.  I am not talking about the material things that pass away.  The gift of your story; the gift of your life and experience, your lessons of faith is what will help your children to understand and truly believe that we grow from all that are good, truthful, honest and praiseworthy; not from what is false, dishonest and scandalous.  Don’t kid yourself or believe that we accomplish everything on your own!  Your children who love you and respect you need you.  If you, like I, feel technologically challenged, don’t despair.  Computers and iPhones don’t have an ounce of blood in them.  They will never become a substitute for being a mother, a father or a godparent.  Don’t miss the opportunity to help your children through your love to receive the best and most valuable building blocks for their lives and their future.  It may be precisely that grain of mustard seed that will help them to move mountains!