Faith Misunderstood: Five False Views And The Cry Of The Beggar

Text: Luke 18:31-43

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In America, you will often see the word ‘faith’ printed on coffee cups, wall art, and social media posts.  You will also hear about ‘faith’ in many modern-day contemporary praise and worship songs on the radio.  Even among Pagans, you will hear talk about faith.  And so, this begs the question, what is faith?  

Many American Pagans understand faith as a mystical force, karma, or devotion to a higher Power. For the average Pagan, faith is about seeking hidden knowledge or aligning oneself with spiritual forces to achieve positive life outcomes. 

For the rest of America, those who lean toward a Christian persuasion, faith is either therapeutic, motivational, or individualistic.  Let me unpack this, though.  

Often, we will see phrases like, 

“Faith over fear,” 

Or, 

“Just have faith,” 

These phrases are often on coffee mugs and t-shirts.  More specifically, this use of the term faith means that a person believes things will turn out o.k. due to having an optimistic outlook.  For them, faith is thinking positively – being cheerful and upbeat.  

Now, there are others who understand faith as something that you generate from within yourself.  You will hear things like, 

“If you have enough faith, God will bless you.” 

Or, 

“Believe in yourself, because God believes in you.”  

In other words, these individuals will view faith as a personal superpower.  Faith is equated with pulling yourself up by your bootstraps – tapping into your internal grit.  

Some other well-intentioned Christians in America will view faith as something that controls God’s actions.  You will hear them say, 

“Step out in faith and claim your blessings.”  

In other words, if you have enough faith, then God will reward you.  For them, faith is like a transaction – it is a formula for success.  

And finally, but certainly not least, there are those who see faith as an emotion and feeling – nothing more.  And so, many will see faith as a strong feeling.  The stronger the faith a person has, the more strongly they should feel their faith.  Faith is equal to a person’s intensity of belief.  Tragically, those who hold to faith as an emotion will often be trapped with the question of, 

“Do I have enough faith?  Is my faith on fire?”  

And so, considering all of this, what exactly is faith?  Is it positive thinking? Is it cheerful optimism? Is it a person’s superpower?  Is it a transaction with God?  Is it an emotion?  Or is it something else?  

In the reading from the Gospel of Luke, we see faith.  We hear about the faith of a blind man.  And here is what is interesting, when the blind man cried out to Jesus in faith, he didn’t exert positive thinking, cheerful optimism, or a personal superpower.  Even though the blind man was certainly emotional – crying out in desperation – his emotions, though, were not something that he considered to be a part of faith. Instead, the blind beggar’s faith was empty, desperate, and unpolished.  

You see, the blind beggar’s actions are a perfect picture of faith.  He had no status, power, or way to fix himself, but he knows one thing – Jesus is his only hope.  Indeed, the blind beggar had nothing to give to Jesus.  He had no worth, no prestige, no fancy intellect – just empty hands and a voice crying out, “Have mercy on me!”  

Dear friends, it has been said before that faith is like an empty hand.  Martin Luther in a book titled, “The Freedom of the Christian” says it this way, 

“Faith is the empty hand that receives the riches of Christ.”       

And so, when we look back at this blind beggar, does the beggar’s faith do anything except cry for mercy?   Please pay attention here!  The blind beggar cries out to Jesus with nothing to offer, no merits of his own – only a desperate need for mercy.  The blind man’s faith is a desperate trust that Jesus alone can save and heal him. The blind man’s faith is a kind of spiritual poverty. Therefore, when the blind beggar cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” he essentially extends empty hands – acknowledging his helplessness and clinging to Christ alone.   

Baptized Saints, faith is an empty hand that receives Christ.  And so, mark and avoid anyone who makes faith into a mighty power, cheerful optimism, a transaction, or an intense emotion, for this is not what faith is.  Faith is not a full hand of potential, but an empty, helpless hand receiving the mercy of Jesus.  Faith is not a personal achievement or a strong internal force but rather a receiving, a clinging to Christ alone.  

* * *

At this time, I would like to ask everyone to open your hymnal to page 186.  Yes, please open your hymnal to page 186. . . .  Looking at the bottom of page 186 you will see the Kyrie.  And off to the right side of the Kyrie, you will see the scriptural reference of Mark 10:47.  Now, to clarify, Mark 10:47 is Mark’s account of the blind beggar crying out for mercy.  In other words, Mark 10:47 is the same story as our reading from the Gospel of Luke today.  And so, when we sing the Kyrie in our Divine Service every Sunday, we cry out with the blind beggar for the Lord to have mercy on us.  The Kyrie is the voice of our faith – our corporate cry of empty hands to receive from Christ. 

Now, here is the point that I am wanting to make.  Technically speaking, the Kyrie is the beginning of our church service.  Everything that comes before the Kyrie such as the opening hymn, confession and absolution, and the introit is preparing us for the Divine Service.  And so, when we sing the Kyrie, it is the first thing that is spoken by the church and pastor before the altar.  Hear that again, when the pastor enters the chancel area and comes right before the altar for the first time in the Divine Service, the first thing out of the church’s mouth is, 

“Lord, have mercy upon us. 

Christ have mercy upon us.  Lord, have mercy upon us.”

When we begin our church services here at St. Paul’s before the altar, we do not bring a handful of goods before God Almighty.  We bring nothing of our own. Instead, when we start our Divine Services, we come before the altar in a beggarly status just like the blind beggar that day.  That is right, here at St. Paul’s we come before this altar often with weak and faltering faith and cry out for mercy by singing the Kyrie.  Our singing of the Kyrie is not positive optimism, a personal superpower, a formula for success, or a strong emotional vibe.  No, it is none of these things.  When we approach the altar during the Kyrie, there is no therapeutic, motivational, or individualistic version of the world’s view of faith.    Instead, during the Kyrie, we come before God Almighty,

just like the blind beggar with empty hands – we come with weak and faltering faith to receive good gifts from Christ Almighty.  And mark this, even though our faith is often weak and faltering, what matters is not the strength of the faith but the One in whom the weak faith trusts and receives from  – Christ.  

And so, Baptized Saints, the blind beggar is us.  And we – we are the blind beggar before Christ.  Together we cry out in faith for mercy from Jesus. Just as the blind beggar cried out to Jesus that day 2,000 years ago, Christ’s Holy Church continues that cry every single Sunday by singing the Kyrie with empty hands.  We are essentially crying out every Sunday: 

“I have nothing to offer you, Lord.  I come to You broken and in need, depending completely on your grace.  I am sinful and desperate for mercy – Jesus, cleanse me, or I am lost.”

And just as the Lord heard the cry of the blind beggar and came to Him, the Lord comes to your cries for mercy in the Divine Service and freely gives you His saving Word and Sacraments.  

Baptized Saints, this is why you continually come to this place – this holy sanctuary.  You come with empty hands to receive Christ’s perfect righteousness - week after week after week.  And the good news of the Gospel is that you do not need to come with hands full of strength, knowledge, or worthiness. But you can come with the blind beggar – with empty hands – crying for mercy.  And the Lord gladly and joyfully fills your hands with forgiveness, life, and salvation – so that you may be His own.     

In the name of Jesus. Amen.