Remain Faithful Because Our Help is From the Lord: Reflections on the Readings for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Exodus 17:8-13
Psalm 121
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8

Jesus spoke about faith relentlessly. Last week we saw how it was instrumental in the healing of the lepers. Today we see lapses and even ignorance of faith. The statement, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” is significant. (Mark 9:24) Today we see more of Jesus’ concerns about faith and lack of it which even impeded His work in Nazareth. (Matthew 13:58)

The first reading deals with the positive results from belief in God and His works. As the Israelites were battling Amalek they trusted in God who had already worked wonders through Moses. Thus, Moses took the Staff of God, with which he had parted the Red Sea, and placed himself on a hill above the battle.

In a gesture of placing God’s power over the battle he raised his hands with the staff over the scene. “As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight,
but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight.” Their faith and reliance in God caused them to invoke His power through Moses’ Staff of God, leading them to victory.

The responsorial psalm also tells us to have faith and trust in the Lord. “Our help is from the Lord.” In other words, we need to rely on God for help. When we humans try to do things without God, even when we ask His help but then go on to do it our way, chaos and often defeat ensue. Indeed, the psalmist reminds us that God is ever vigilant on our behalf, “indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps, the guardian of Israel.” We are the new Israel, for whom God is our Father and Guardian. We are adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:23, Galatians 4:5)

The idea of persistence also comes into play, “... he will guard your life. The LORD will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever.”

While in the second reading St. Paul is encouraging Timothy to hold fast to his teaching, this, too, is about faith. “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed” because it comes from Christ. Paul goes on to say, All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” There are two very interesting aspects about this selection. First, it is often used by Protestants to justify their belief in “Scripture Alone” (or sola scriptura) as the only basis for Christian teaching, ignoring Paul’s teaching in other places about the importance of Tradition (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:2; 2Thessalonians 2:15, 3:6). Look carefully – the word “alone” is not part of this statement. Also, Paul talks about using Scripture to enhance our ability to be “equipped for every good work.” Again, Protestants tend to downplay the importance of good works as part of being a faithful, practicing Christian, and advocate “sola fidei” or faith alone. Note that the only place those two words are found together in the Bible is in the letter of St. James, “See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24)

This passage also reiterates more of Jesus’ teaching (as we shall see in the gospel reading), “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” Recall Jesus comment in the gospels of Matthew and Mark: “But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:9-13, also Mark 13:13)

In the gospel Jesus tells us more about faith. And of course faith involves trust. Also, like Paul told Timothy, we need perseverance and patience. And while the judge in the parable “neither feared God nor respected any human being,” he feared the woman’s persistence. On her part, she had faith that, through her persistence, she would eventually prevail. Jesus tells us that God will reward such persistence. “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?”

Jesus final words can be taken as a caution for those whose faith is weak and “give up on God.” “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Faith is critical for gaining the benefits and graces that God has to offer. We saw this in the lack of faith Jesus observed during his return to Nazareth. “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:5-6)

We all fail at some time in our faith. Sometimes it’s because we are impatient and can’t wait for God to act, sometimes it’s due to our own pride thinking we can do it ourselves, and sometimes we just doubt. Look at St. Thomas the Apostle. And recall Jesus’ words to him after His resurrection, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)

These readings should bring to mind the importance of faith and cause us to examine ourselves to learn where our faith is weak and how to strengthen it. The Catechism gives a succinct but meaningful definition in article 176: “Faith is a personal adherence to the whole man to God Who reveals Himself. It involves an assent of the intellect and will to the self-revelation God has made through His deeds and words.”

Jesus sets the example. We begin with prayer. One very important prayer which can guide us in this self-examination of faith is the Creed, whether it be the Nicene Creed or the Apostles’ Creed. To get a better understanding, pick up your copy of the Catechism and go through its very comprehensive section of the Apostles’ Creed starting with “The Credo.” Pay particular attention to those statements you find troublesome or difficult to understand and pray for better understanding. Have the attitude expressed at the beginning of this article, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) Use this to build up an enduring and persistent faith life.