West Point Grey United Church
WPGUC
Jun 29, 2025

The Dynamics of Living Out Our Faith

Luke 9:51-62

Faith is a tricky word. In some parts of the world, people no longer consider it  important, each with their own reasons and explanations. In other parts, people become  obsessed with matters of faith, and in many worse cases, faith is used as a tool to deceive  others. For me personally, faith is not only a noun but also an action—one that keeps  pushing me to live fully (mind, body, and emotions) in my relationship with God. However,  living out our faith is also full of dynamics; it is not a flat, linear experience and today, I am  going to share with you some lessons I have learned from Luke 9. 

These passages have two main parts from which we can draw messages: the  rejection of Jesus’ ministry and the invitation to discipleship. 

The first part shows us that rejection has been part of living with Jesus since the  beginning. The rejection by the Samaritans toward Jesus is a sensitive and complex issue.  It’s not as simple as hatred; it’s more multifaceted. There’s a historical tension between  the Jews from Jerusalem and the Samaritans. After King David’s death, massive conflicts  arose, resulting in the division of Israel into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom, known as  Samaria, and the southern kingdom, known as Judah (Jerusalem). These kingdoms  competed with each other, and at times, wars broke out between them. 

The situation worsened after their return from exile. The Samaritans intermarried with  people who were not descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel. This led the people of  Jerusalem to label them as “traitors” for not preserving the “purity” of their bloodline. This  historical background explains the animosity between them. The Samaritans refused to  welcome Jesus and his disciples because they were heading to Jerusalem. Meanwhile,  Jesus’ disciples, who were Jews from the southern kingdom, hated the Samaritans and  even wanted to curse them. However, Jesus did not allow this tension to impede his  ministry. This is why he reprimanded his disciples when they tried to curse the Samaritans.

Jesus didn’t just reprimand his disciples; he also taught them about the realities of  ministry and living in faith. This is something I’ve personally learned from this passage.  Jesus’ actions show us that rejection doesn’t mean the end of ministry. Sometimes, it  simply requires more time. In our lives, there are situations where we may not feel fully  accepted because of our faith. However, this doesn’t mean we should stop living out our  faith. Rejection is a reality that challenges us. We need to find ways to ensure our faith  remains relevant and impactful in the spaces where we live and serve. Of course, this is no  easy task. It requires courage, determination, and a commitment to live out our faith. 

As a Christian who grew up in a very diverse country, I have experienced how  challenging it can be to live out our faith. There have been many cases where churches  were forced to close, literally prohibited from functioning as places of worship, because  the surrounding community, non-Christians, opposed their operation in the neighborhood.  This issue is not solely about hatred between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia; it is  rooted in tensions, suspicions, and feelings of mutual threat that have existed since the  colonial era around 200 years ago. Unfortunately, these conditions have been inherited  and persist today, posing ongoing challenges for many Christians in Indonesia. However, it  doesn’t mean that we have to stop believing in Jesus. 

In the second part of this passage (verses 57–62), we encounter some challenging  teachings from Jesus directed at those who wanted to follow him. However, we shouldn’t  interpret these teachings literally. For example, in verses 57–58, Jesus’ words about having  no place to lay his head do not necessarily mean his followers would literally have no place  to sleep. Although, in some cases, following Jesus can involve great struggles. We may not  experience this situation in a safe country like Canada, but in Uganda, for example, three  people were burned to death for converting to Christianity. 

Beyond the literal meaning, Jesus’ words also carry a figurative message: following  him means embracing discomfort and even restlessness as part of living out our faith. In  verses 59–61, Jesus’ statements are not about rejecting familial love or the command to  honor parents. Instead, he addresses the tendency to find excuses to delay or avoid  commitment. His response challenges potential followers to reconsider their expectations  of ease and benefits. Jesus emphasizes that discipleship involves facing discomfort and  challenges to strengthen, not weaken, their faith. 

This dialogue between Jesus and the people in these verses also serves as an  invitation for us to deepen our relationship with God. It encourages us to recalibrate our  faith, emotions, thoughts, and commitment to live out our faith amid life’s dynamics.  Whether in times of joy or sorrow, abundance or scarcity, smooth or rough paths, we are  invited to continue living out our faith.

Let me share a bit about my journey. I was born into a Christian family and baptized at  the age of one. At 17, I enrolled in seminary in Indonesia to study theology because I felt  called to become an ordained minister. I’ve been serving in ministry ever since. Initially, I  believed that dedicating my life to God would make the path easier, but reality proved  otherwise. Three years ago, I faced a major challenge that led me to move to Canada. I  made this decision to continue answering my calling. However, being in Canada hasn’t  made things easier. I’ve faced discomfort and restlessness about my situation and future.  Still, I believe this journey isn’t an escape but a step toward living out my faith in a new way.

Sometimes, faith can feel irrelevant, unnecessary, or even senseless, especially  when our reality doesn’t meet our expectations. Yet, this passage reminds us that living out our faith means embracing the dynamics of life. Moreover, we must remember that Jesus  himself faced discomfort, rejection, and even death to open the door for us to live in God’s  abundant love. Sometimes, people become too focused on their problems and the  challenges they face, to the point that they forget they are still alive and need to keep  moving forward. Struggles can lead us to believe that faith no longer works, but we often  fail to realize that faith can empower us to accomplish more joyful and meaningful work— far beyond what we think we are capable of. And now, we are invited to live out our faith,  embracing every dynamic situation along the way.

My reflections end here, but I have prepared some reflective questions that you might  find helpful for deepening your faith journey: 

  1. How would you describe your life over the past week, month, year, five years, or  more? (I encourage you to be as detailed as possible, as this may help you reflect deeply  on yourself and your faith journey. You can write it down if you’d like.) 
  2. How do you engage your faith in dialogue with the realities of life you encounter  along the way? 
  3. Are you enjoying your faith journey? Why or why not? 
  4. What do you think about your current faith situation? 
  5. Is there something that feels like an obstacle impeding your faith or your  relationship with God? If so, what have you done about it?