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By Brian Mitchell
We can learn something about faith if we
see the full dimensions of the emphasis on "things not seen." This
is not a very popular part of Christianity because we would like to have
assurances each day that faith "works." Some people seek these
assurances in the form of economic benefits. Thus, we are told that faith
produces dividends in the form of new jobs, great bargains, and improved
social life. For others, the constant assurances come in the form of peace of
mind and in the absence of frustration and suffering. While it is true that
there is "joy in believing" there is something very faithless about
building our faith on tangible assurances.
In Hebrews, faith can involve both
frustration and suffering because it rests on "things not seen."
The author indicates the frustration of faith twice in chapter 11. In verse
13, he summarizes the experience of all of the heroes of faith. "All
these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and
having welcomed them from a distance, . ." In verse 39, after surveying
history, the author says, "And all these, having gained approval through
their faith, did not receive what was promised."
Faith, as these examples suggest, does
not receive instantaneous reassurance. The believer has to endure frustration
and agony all while wondering why God's promises do not seem fulfilled.
Perhaps our struggles with faithfulness is, in part, the result of our being
unprepared for frustration. We may be unprepared for the problems of the
local church. The tragedy that strikes us or our closest friends may appear
to make a mockery of God's promises.
If we believe that Christianity involves
an endless succession of victories, frustration will result in our
"shrinking back" from the demands of commitment. The promise of God
may lead us to dream impossible dreams. But in reality, we may not
"receive what is promised" in a whole lifetime on earth. What can
the Christian do with frustration?
Hebrews says we must learn to live with
it. The Christian does not give up at the first sign of despair. He must
accept the frustration and keep the faith. George Buttrick said that “our
lives will experience all of the tension of a cello string which sings only
when it is taut. This string is stretched between the infinite hope and the
finite limitations of our lives. Life can produce its best music only when it
lives with this kind of tension. We purchase a false "peace of
mind," which is eagerly sought, only at the price of giving up on these
promises which sustain us.”
Jesus taught us to believe in the
promises, but He also prepared us for frustration. He tells the parable of
the sower, whose work consisted mainly in sowing seed which did not produce
(Mark 4:3-9). He knew that His disciples would sometimes be like a helpless
widow making her appeal before an unjust judge (Luke 18: Iff.) Such stories
indicate that Jesus anticipated the frustration of the Christian life.
As we follow the biblical record, we
observe that the men of faith experienced deep frustration and despair. Job
struggled with the questions of faith. Jeremiah lived in anguish over his
calling. These people believed in "things not seen." What does the
church do with its frustration? We surrender to our own temporary values when
we "shrink back." Faith involves holding on when our only source of
security is found in "things not seen."
The faith that began many centuries ago
has survived, not because all of the faithful lived with constant victory,
but because they held on in the presence of adversity. The church of today
faces the same task and our heroes from the past can help us to do so.
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