Have understanding?

"I believe, I believe...it's silly, but I believe"- Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street












A little girl sat in the back of a car, as her mom and her fiance drove through a suburban neighborhood. The little girl had been preached at over and over about having faith in things she couldnt see, or understand. She could not, for the life of her, get her mind wrapped around the concept of believing in something that she couldnt see, hear, or understand. However, she kept repeating the phrase, "I believe, I believe, its silly but I believe." Just then, a house came into view in the neighborhood they were driving through. It couldnt be, but there it was! It was the house she had dreamed of, and told a questionable fellow named "Santa Claus" that she wanted for Christmas. You may recognize this scene from the classic Christmas movie, "Miracle on 34th Street". It was a great scene from a great movie.

This scene illustrates a wonderfully rich aspect of Christian life. Before I continue lets look at a scene described in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6:

On hearing [the teachings of Jesus], many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

I absolutely love Peter's answer. He did not say, "yes we understand what you are saying so we are not leaving." His answer simply confirmed that they knew in whom they believed! They, perhaps, didnt understand the teachings of Jesus any better than the ones who left. However, they were not going to leave because they trusted in the Son of God to such an extent that logic and reasoning would have to wait, or was not as important as having faith in Jesus.

In the past few blogs I have touched on the aspect of faith that transcends reasoning and logic sometimes. Mature faith is simply able to comprehend/accept the unexplainable or unimaginable. For example, how do you explain the parting of the Red Sea in the Old Testament, or the raising of Jesus from the dead in the New Testament? Paul said it succinctly in II Timothy:

"..I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."

My experience has been over a period of 40+ years as a Christian, that faith comes first, then God provides the understanding and/or wisdom to grasp the concepts or implications of a situation. If all else fails, pray for patience as you wait for understanding, but by all means, never stop having faith because you dont understand. The unbelievers I have talked with in the past about the fundamentals
of the Christian faith usually find this "faith before understanding" a great stumbling block to believing in Christ. A scenario strikingly similar to the events and dialogue of John Chapter 6. The promise is there in the Scriptures that one day we who persevere in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ will see clearly what we only see dimly at this time. On that day, we will no longer have to ask for understanding. On that glorious day we will see Him face to face. We will then have full understanding in the presence of His love and majesty.

Blessings!
George