7-7-24 “As You Believe, so It Shall be!”

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“As You Believe, so It Shall be!”

 

I want to start with something funny that I found on an internet site: A girl asked her mother how the human race got started. Her mother explained how God created Adam and Eve. They had children, and then on and on. Finally, here we are today. A few days later, she asked her father the same question. He explained how many years ago, there were monkeys. And little by little, they became more like people. Now here we are. With confusion, she went back to her mother and said, “Mom, you said that God created people, but daddy said, we came from monkeys. I am confused about how that can be.” Her mother said, “Oh, honey, that’s easy. I told you about my side of the family, and daddy told you his.”

Yes, as you believe, so it shall be! If you believe God created you, you resemble God. If you believe you evolved from monkeys, you are some sort of monkey. What do you want to be? Kin of God or a kind of monkey?

Today, I want to talk about this thought, “as you believe, so it shall be!” You might have heard, “As you think, so you are led,” or As you believe, so you are led.” Actually, its original reference is from Jesus. In his healing ministry, when he healed the sick, he used to say, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50), or “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34; Luke 17:19; Matthew 9:22). Therefore, the important thing is that whatever you believe, it leads you.

Last Sunday, we learned about Jairus and a woman’s faith. Faith is like the women’s conviction, which was “If I touch his robe, I will be made well.” And then, she was healed immediately as she touched Jesus’ robe. Faith is like Jairus’ trust in Jesus. When he heard that his daughter was already dead, he was not afraid of her death, but only believed in Jesus. Then his daughter was raised from the dead. Faith is like Abraham’s decision, which was when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, he obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Then he arrived at the Promised Land. Faith is like believing that Jesus is here with us even though we can’t see him.

Today’s scripture gives us a great example of how our faith, thoughts, and prejudice lead us. After Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, he went back to his hometown with his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people who heard him were astounded. They were curious, asking, ‘Where did this man get all this?’ ‘What is this wisdom that has been given to him?’ ‘What deeds of power are being done by his hands?’ They became curious about Jesus and began remembering him from his childhood. In their recollection, Jesus was the boy of Mary.

This is an interesting point: they should have mentioned his father, instead of mother, saying, “the boy of Joseph.” But they said, “the boy of Mary,” which suggests they were still suspicious about Mary’s conception of Jesus. They also knew Jesus was a poor carpenter and uneducated. They knew Jesus’ family members and siblings well. Finally, they took offense at him. Their prejudice led them to reject Jesus and not trust him at all. Remember, faith is simply believing in what you hope for without any bias.

Let’s look at verse 5. It says, “He could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.” another version of the Bible says, “He could not do any miracles there…” (NIV). Do you think that Jesus really had no power to do any miracles or to heal the sick there? People sometimes misunderstood what Jesus meant by “a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.”  I wonder if a prophet or hero is literally dishonored in his hometown.

In the case of the Korean culture, they are very proud of their hometown if anyone famous is from there. I remember that when my younger brother went to a university, and got a Ph.D. degree, there was a banner hanging at the entrance of the town: “Congratulations to the son who is the pride of our town.” I think American culture is not much different. We celebrate our hometown’s graduates and prospective students of college/university by having a big party. If there are any successful people or any celebrities from our hometown, we might be proud of our hometown because of them.

If it is so, we wonder why Jesus said, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” It is because they might have prejudice based on what they knew. Therefore, we must open minds and open hearts. If you block your mind and heart with any bias, God cannot work for you. The way we open our minds and hearts to others is the way we open our minds and hearts to God.

Be careful about what kind of mindset you have because your mindset might lead your life. If you have a positive mindset, it will lead you positively; if you have a negative mindset, it will lead you negatively. Remember, as you believe, so it shall be!

The Gospel of John tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). I shared my story with you several times: when I was in the hospital due to a broken spine, a pastor and his wife visited me to pray with care and love.  They told me that if I read the Bible, I might walk again. But I didn’t believe them; rather, I believe that my doctor, who told me I wouldn’t walk again. So, I didn’t read it but threw it away. And as I believed, so it was. I couldn’t walk for three years until I got a second chance. Yes, God’s grace gives us a second chance. I met a pastor who told me Jesus is the healer: He said, “if you believe in him, you may be healed, and walk again.” Then, I believed, and it was done! I was healed with another surgery, and walked again. As I mentioned, faith is a free gift given from God. If you trust and build a good relationship, your faith grows in God.

Going back to the scripture, after being rejected by his hometown, Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Then he called the twelve disciples and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits (6:6-7). This marked a turning point in Jesus’ ministry, shifting from teaching his disciples to using them as instruments of the gospel. Through his disciples, the good news finally spread over the world. So, sometimes, the world rejects the people of God, then the process may seem bad. But it ultimately brings a good result in God’s work. Therefore, “let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Even if you see something seems bad, keep your trust in God, and God will make it happen as you believe and pray. Remember, just a few years ago COVID-19 seemed to bring the end of the world, but we are still here, then technology advancements have made the world smaller.  The Apostle Paul says, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Keep trust in God, and so it shall be by God. Thanks be to God. Amen!