The faith God demands of us is not so much believing the Bible as it is being God's "faithful servants."

1/31/15

Our first reading today comes from Chapter Eleven of the Letter to the Hebrews. This long chapter is a testimonial to what Israel’s heroes accomplished by faith. The chapter lists the faith-inspired deeds of David, Samson, Gideon, and many others, but let us limit ourselves to what Abraham and Moses accomplished by faith.

By faith Abraham gave up the security of his homeland for a land a way off in the mist. By faith Moses gave up the luxury of the Pharaoh’s palace to go seeking a promised land.

Like them, we must have faith in earning a promised land. Now, the Bible does not make it sound easy. Listen to what St. Paul wrote in Romans, 8:14. “In hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?”

There are two parts to the faith God demands of us. One part of it is believing him, but the more important part of having faith in God is trusting him. The “faithful servant” dear to God is not just the man or woman who believes the Bible. More importantly, the “Faithful servant” is the man or woman whom God can trust to stay on the journey. “Keep right on to the end of the road, keep right on to the end.”