We will all talk about unconditional love, because it is something we all want to experience. But what about faith?
In the two readings today we get two approaches to faith: Jacob and the official whose daughter has died.
Jacob is the example of how we often approach faith.
If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father’s house, the LORD shall be my God.
We make promises about what we will do at some point in the future, if God first does what we want. It is the classical conditional sentence: if this, then that. Jacob wants to play Let's Make a Deal..
Contrast that with the official in the gospel.
My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.
The official does not promise to believe in Jesus if he heals his daughter. He expresses with certainty his belief that when Jesus lays his hand on her she will live.
The woman with the hemorrhage has the same certain. She say "if" but she is not making deal she is stating a fact. She says it in the same way I might say, "If I am up at 5 A.M. I will see the sunrise."
On a daily basis we must choose which kind of faith we are going to have the conditional faith of Jacob or the unconditional faith in the gospel. The psalm response for the day tells which one we should choose,
In you, my God, I place my trust.
This is the one we should chose. It's up to us each day which one we will chose..
