Pastor Dan Eddy

Mark 3: 20-21, 31-35 and Acts 1:12-14

Ups and Downs: Maturing in the Faith

8-1-10

About 20 years ago, members at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Rockford, started home Bible studies. It was a wonderful way for members to get to know each other outside the activities of Sunday morning.

I remember gathering in the home of a host family, eating and laughing, and everyone’s enjoying each other’s company. There were about 8-10 of us.

During the Bible Study the father of the host family announced that he didn’t really believe that God created the earth as described in Genesis. Okay, well then he stated that he felt that it was more important to be a good person. That’s how one would get to heaven. And perhaps the Gospel painted a less than objective view of Jesus. Way too much was being made of Jesus’ suffering and death. And well that whole resurrection thing…that didn’t really happen. Christ wasn’t the only way to heaven. We were in shock. We assumed this active family at St. Paul, opening their home for a group Bible study, would not have doubts about things like these in Scripture. But they did.

Doubts are a natural part of our faith in the Lord. Many of the biblical figures, at times in their lives, had great doubts: Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden; Abraham thinking the Lord God was going to give Him a child through Sarah’s servant, even though He said it would be through Sarah; Moses and 40 years of frustration leading whining Israelites through the desert to the Promised Land; And Mary, the mother of Jesus, CLC Biblical Figure #4.

“Mary,” you say, “had great doubts.” Yup. Just look at our First reading for this morning. And yet from Mary’s example we can learn much about our own faith and the doubts that come along with it. Put yourself in Mary’s shoes to empathize with her life.

Mary’s faith journey starts off well: A good teenage Jewish peasant girl. She believed the Angel Gabriel that as a virgin she would be pregnant with the Son of God. Her faith response is known in those famous words of the Magnificat. She enjoyed angels singing around her when Jesus was born, even through He was born in a barn.

She marveled at the some of the words Simeon spoke at Jesus’ dedication in the temple. Although, other words may have began to plant seeds of doubt when he said, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Mothers (parents), how would you feel if someone predicted that about you and your child?

When comes to faith in God, we have a perceived view of who the Lord should be? It should all be good, right? We love the blessings we receive from God. The good feelings we sometimes receive in worship; the fellowship among our favorite members; the sense of accomplishment when a meeting or project goes well at church. But the moment a pastor or a member says something that rubs you the wrong way…the seeds of doubt start.

Now with Mary, things get further complicated with today’s Gospel reading. Have any of you parents ever temporarily lost your child? Imagine the increasing anxiety searching for days only to find your child marveling religious experts. How bazaar? Where are this 12 year-old’s priorities?

Mary observed, took in all Jesus said, but the word translated as “treasured” from the original Greek text does not mean she left all warm and fuzzy about what happened. She fully observed, fully remembered, but didn’t fully understand. Shouldn’t the Son of God give His mother a bit more respect?

Doubts about Christ’s love and respect for us come when we can’t figure out why certain things in life happen a certain way: why children like Ricky Hoffman die of cancer, while other children live homeless on the streets? Why do good families lose their homes to foreclosure? Why we seem to be dealing with an endless string of problems in our own lives. The lack of convincing answers leaves much room for doubt. Doubts about God come when expectations aren’t met.

Little to no information is known about Jesus or his mother for the next 18 years, except He became a carpenter. Jesus had at least four half-brothers and an unknown number of half-sisters, and probably during this time Joseph passed away.

However, Mary still knew that her Son was more than a miracle birth. She knew Jesus was the Messiah, but I don’t think she fully understood what that completely entailed.

So when it came to the wedding at Cana, at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Mary had faith in her Son that He would help her out of this jam…since it was her job to make sure the wine wouldn’t run out. And Jesus came through. Hallelujah.

And we can think of times in our lives when God has come through to help us out of a jam: More money to pay bills; A surgery to eliminate pain; A successful job offer. Nothing strengthens faith more than prayers answered the way we want them…maybe even better. Faith without doubting.

But then we come to today reading from Mark 3. Jesus is 1 ½ years into His earthly ministry. His half-brothers and sisters were not buying this whole Messiah stuff, and mother Mary had some real doubts.

Jesus is out making claims about Who He is and what He needs to do. He’s doing scary stuff like purging out demons. Now you’d think that would be proof that He’s the Son of God. But no, Hs family thought Jesus was insane, crazy. Additionally, the religious authorities are calling Him Satan because of these things. Charges are about to be brought.

So Mary and the family walk 30 miles from Nazareth to plead with Him to come home and stop this charade. This was no shortage of wine in Cana problem. This was serious stuff.

Doubt about our Lord come with misunderstandings about Scripture, or when something contrary to the Bible appears more genuine, rational and credible. This could be expressed with statements like: “Coming to church is fine to learn some good moral lessons or to hear how God loves you, but when the pastor or others start talking about the Devil, Hell, condemnation for our sins, and how we live in a world increasing hostile to believers in Christ…well maybe the pastor and others are out of their minds.” The doubts multiply, when the world in here doesn’t match the one out there.

In the text, Jesus was not turning back to go home with His family. He wasn’t going to give the authorities any reason to charge Him by agreeing with his family. And can you imagine how Mary and Jesus’ sibling felt when He identified His true family as the strangers sitting around Him for they were the ones doing God’s will…those who hear the Word of God and put into practice? Can you imagine how insulted you would be if you were Mary hearing those words? It was like Jesus was disowning His own family. Like a sword piercing through your soul.

The more we doubt God…the more puffed up we get with confidence that we know better than the Bible and the teachings of the Church. That’s what this family back at St. Paul was basically saying in their home Bible study.

Jesus was not wanting to disown His biological mother and His siblings. Perhaps He was trying to humble them, shake them from their pride, so they could see Him for who He really is. Mary did again a year and a half after this text, when Jesus was on the Cross at Calvary.

I have no doubts that it had to be extremely humbling and excruciatingly painful for Mary to see her Son beaten, suffering, and executed for crimes He didn’t commit. Can you imagine seeing your own children die in this way right before your eyes? The tears, the sorrow, the anguish.

It’s at the lowest humbling points in our lives when we realize we are defenseless against our doubts, and guiltiness of our sins that come from them. That’s when the Lord begins to clear those doubts with those simple words, “I forgive you and love you, because you’re my child.”

Doubts eventually evaporate to strengthened faith when we, like Mary, can see our risen Savior. Our Second Reading this morning, which happened only 40 days after the Resurrection, showed Mary’s doubting gone and her faith restored. And for the first time Jesus’ sibling brothers are listed among those who believed in Him.

This morning bring your doubts before the Lord’s Table, and leave them behind, as you are given the victory of His resurrection by receiving His real body and blood with the bread and the cup. Restore your faith again in Jesus.

You know Mary was born a sinner like you and me, but what makes Mary holy is the same thing that makes you holy…the thing you received at your baptism…the gift known as grace given to you as faith alone in Christ. Even when we have doubts…we still have faith. Because it’s not the lack of doubts that saves you and me…it’s the lack of sin…the forgiving life-saving power of Christ in your heart.

And the Church is the home where you keep working on your doubts so you can have a stronger, more mature faith in Him, because doubts don’t usually go away if one is away from the Church. Being inactive in worship shows doubts that could lead to unbelief.

Let me give you an example. I have a friend of mine back in Rockford. She is on our Prayer List. When I was active in our Christian singles group during the 90s, this person was always there at our Bible studies. She would often have great insights into Scripture. She was born and raised in the Lutheran Church. She would host events at her house, and had a great faith in Christ.

Well I hadn’t talked top her in a while, and I recently called to see how she was doing. She is struggling financially. She was left to take care of her dad by herself without much help from her siblings. Her mom passed away a few years ago. The school where she was going to get a degree closed down un-expectantly, taking her tuition while her credits won’t transfer.

The once happy person was clearly depressed. After listening for a while, I asked how Berta and I could help. She didn’t know how we could help. So I asked if I could say a prayer with her. And she said, “No thank you. I know you’re a pastor and such, but I don’t believe in God anymore.” I was shocked. Over the years, she has slowly drifted away from the church, practically unnoticed…no one there to help her through her many doubts about God until one day she stopped believing. I was devastated. I don’t know what to do except pray for her and I would ask you to do the same. And if you have any ideas how I or we, as a congregation, can minister to her, please let me know.

That’s what happens when we stop struggling with the doubts of our faith in the community of believers. We deny our baptism.

Our faith in Christ should be more like the Stock Market. Have you ever seen what the Dow Jones average look like over a 100 year period? It has its peaks and valley but overall the market keeps climbing, but the markets have to stay open for that to happen. If the markets closed forever…the Dow Jones average drops to zero. However, because the market stays open and struggles through bad times, it always recovered after huge drops. The opportunities for gains are there.

That’s the way it is with our doubting…through God’s Word meditated on and expressed in prayer and lived in life. From great struggles can come great joy. But an engagement on our part needs to happen.

I often think about that family at St. Paul. I don’t where they are today, but I pray their doubts have turned to a more mature faith.

Mary’s doubts about her Son turned to a more mature faith. Acceptance of God’s will and Word is the key. Through the ups and downs of her faith she went from doubter to advocate as our Second Reading showed.

God’s blessings as we learn from Mary and others the joys of stronger faith as we deal with the doubts in our own lives. Amen.