The Power Of Faith

 

To have faith is to be righteous. 

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Thursday of 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, Sept. 18, 2023
Texts: Romans 3:21-30; Psalm 130: 1-6; Luke 11:47-54 

We see, in today’s first reading, the power of faith. It is not the power of faith in term of ability it offers. It is not the one we witness in performing miracle. It is faith as power itself. It is power because it creates effect. Faith impacts on the life of us who hold on to it. The effect faith creates is righteousness; those who hold on to it are righteous. In the words of St. Paul: “The righteousness of God through faith in  Jesus Christ for all who believe.” Hence, it is contradictory to have faith and not be righteous. To have faith is to be righteous.  

What is this righteousness? The righteousness is not different from the one the law and prophet speak about. In the words of St. Paul: “The law and the prophets bear witness to it”. The oracles of the prophets are about the righteousness. The law tells us about it through its commandments, statutes, precepts, decrees, customs, etc. However, law and prophets could not impact the righteousness; they could not take away sins and makes us righteous. God only overlooked sins. St. Paul says, “In his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins”. 

Jesus Christ takes away sins and makes us righteous

Faith in Jesus Christ takes away sins and makes us righteous. St. Paul explains thus: “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ  Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Faith impacts the expiation of the blood of Jesus Christ to take away our sins and make us righteous. 

Faith does not only make us righteous, it also reveals that God is righteous. God makes us righteous because He is righteous. It makes it evident that our righteousness is a participation in God’s righteousness. St. Paul says, “It was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in  Jesus.” Jesus has worked for our righteousness; it comes to us as a grace, free gift from God. 

Transforming power is a saving power 

The greatest power of faith is not found in performing miracle but in being righteous. This means the greatest power of faith manifest in transforming our lives. What people often look for is power to work miracle, not transforming power. Transforming power is a saving power that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We know, today, that the sign of lack of faith is unrighteousness. If we are not righteous we are liars if we lay claim to faith. Where there is faith, there is righteousness.  

Jesus Christ, in today’s gospel reading, addresses those who accept the faith but are not righteous. Jesus Christ says, “Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.” Though we claim the faith but we are still witnesses to our former ways of life. We bear witness to our former ways of life instead of Jesus Christ  

Prayer  

God our Father, we thank You for Your gift of faith; may Your faith yield righteousness in our lives; help us to bear witness to Your life. Amen.  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke