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| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 464 Registered: 8-2008 |
This, I believe, is why Hebrews tells us, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Note first that the text doesn’t say, “Faith is the hope for another reality,” but that faith itself is “the reality of what is hoped for.” It is as if God in grace planted a piece of His preposterous reality into us, and that piece of His reality doesn’t truly belong in human reality. Instead, like the yellow rings in The Magician’s Nephew, it wants very much to go back to that other reality that it came from. That other reality, that city “whose architect and builder is God,” is itself preposterous to humanity because it stands utterly contrary to the reality Religious Man has constructed for himself. Thus, faith is itself that reality from whence it came, and itself hopes for the reality that it is from. Hebrews also doesn’t say faith “believes in the proof it has seen,” but that faith is in itself “the proof of what is not seen.” When others observe a human being operating according to an utterly different reality, they either must chock it up to lunacy or stare in awe. But what is truly difficult is when faith both lives in that different and preposterous reality, and yet seems saner than those who do not. Thus faith in practice demonstrates what Kierkegaard said: “Act just once in such a manner that your action expresses that you fear God alone and man not at all—you will immediately in some measure cause a scandal.” Tertullian famously said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” If you think about this for just a second, you find how faith can prove that its object is true. Because it does the unreasonable, and seems utterly sane in so doing, and yet conquers, faith has the power to show that the preposterous is real, and the normal is false. As we said, the Apostles didn’t just claim Jesus rose from the grave. They endured hardship and even death for that very claim. The threat of death has a tendency to sharpen the mind, so if there was some collective insanity, you would think the daily threat of death, or even the daily threat of severe physical duress, would cause them to renounce the resurrection. But this is not at all what they did. Real faith, faith that does the preposterous because it believes the preposterous, stands against the religious ways of human thinking. Faith transcends human thought. The movie Defiance tells the story of the Bielski brothers, who saved over 1,200 of their fellow Jews from the Holocaust by creating a hiding place for them deep in the forests of modern-day Belarus. In the movie, a Rabbi named Shimon struggled deeply with his faith in God’s promises to the Jewish people. In fact, he went so far as to ask God to choose another people, because it seemed to him that God’s election of the Jews had resulted in nothing but hardship and suffering for them. Tuvia, the oldest Bielski brother, led his pack of Jewish fugitives across a swamp to evade Nazi troops. At the end of that journey, when they all lay safe on the banks of the swamp, Rabbi Shimon lay dying of tuberculosis. He said tenderly to Tuvia, “I almost lost my faith. But you were sent by God to save us.” Tuvia had never been religious. Whenever Rabbi Shimon had come quoted the Law or the Talmud to Tuvia as a requirement for him to follow, Tuvia always responded, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” But to Shimon’s statement of faith, Tuvia could only respond, “Ridiculous.” Shimon replied, with his last words of life, “I know. But just in case, I thank Him, and I thank you.” Faith believes the ridiculous, and thus subjects the believer to ridicule. Faith recognizes the improbability of what it believes, and it glories in that improbability. It does not seek to convince itself of the natural probability of it, but rather it rejoices in the miraculous impossibility of God’s grace. It rejoices in that impossibility because that impossible grace has been undeniably revealed to the believer's spirit. When faith does something like trusting in God to provide—to save 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust—it in the end proves itself to be true, because it brings about what is humanly impossible. Shimon knew what Tuvia had done was humanly impossible, but it had been done anyway. Thus, faith becomes “the proof of what is not seen.” | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10161 Registered: 12-2003  |
Great insights, Brent. Thank you for sharing them, as always. Colleen | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5243 Registered: 9-2006  |
Let us draw near to the fire of martyred Lawrence, that our cold hearts may be warmed thereby. The merciless tyrant, understanding him to be not only a minister of the sacraments, but a distributor also of the Church riches, promised to himself a double prey, by the apprehension of one soul. First, with the rake of avarice to scrape to himself the treasure of poor Christians; then with the fiery fork of tyranny, so to toss and turmoil them, that they should wax weary of their profession. With furious face and cruel countenance, the greedy wolf demanded where this Lawrence had bestowed the substance of the Church: who, craving three days' respite, promised to declare where the treasure might be had. In the meantime, he caused a good number of poor Christians to be congregated. So, when the day of his answer was come, the persecutor strictly charged him to stand to his promise. Then valiant Lawrence, stretching out his arms over the poor, said: "These are the precious treasure of the Church; these are the treasure indeed, in whom the faith of Christ reigneth, in whom Jesus Christ hath His mansion-place. What more precious jewels can Christ have, than those in whom He hath promised to dwell? For so it is written, 'I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.' And again, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' What greater riches can Christ our Master possess, than the poor people in whom He loveth to be seen?" O, what tongue is able to express the fury and madness of the tyrant's heart! Now he stamped, he stared, he ramped, he fared as one out of his wits: his eyes like fire glowed, his mouth like a boar formed, his teeth like a hellhound grinned. Now, not a reasonable man, but a roaring lion, he might be called. "Kindle the fire (he cried)--of wood make no spare. Hath this villain deluded the emperor? Away with him, away with him: whip him with scourges, jerk him with rods, buffet him with fists, brain him with clubs. Jesteth the traitor with the emperor? Pinch him with fiery tongs, gird him with burning plates, bring out the strongest chains, and the fire-forks, and the grated bed of iron: on the fire with it; bind the rebel hand and foot; and when the bed is fire-hot, on with him: roast him, broil him, toss him, turn him: on pain of our high displeasure do every man his office, O ye tormentors." The word was no sooner spoken, but all was done. After many cruel handlings, this meek lamb was laid, I will not say on his fiery bed of iron, but on his soft bed of down. So mightily God wrought with his martyr Lawrence, so miraculously God tempered His element the fire; that it became not a bed of consuming pain, but a pallet of nourishing rest. (Excerpt from The Eighth Persecution, Under Valerian, A.D. 257 (FBM) Brent's post reminded me of this and other history's. Well written brent. River | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 1096 Registered: 11-2007  |
In the book, "If Prison Walls Could Speak" Richard Wurmbrand talks about the purpose of the communist tortures were to cause a man to lose his reason. He said that the harder he struggled to hold on to his reason (his sanity) the more his faith was attacked... because faith is not based on our reason. It became a catch-22, but God sustained him through it all... in solitary for 3 years. Truly a miracle! And he loved and prayed for his torturers - an even greater miracle! Great posts! | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 713 Registered: 10-2008 |
Brent and River, Both powerful posts ... and so encouraging ... In some ways very timely for me ... You might say, "God sent". Thanks, Keri |
