Let It Go

Text: Luke 17:1-10

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Even after my time as a camp director I continued to be involved at camps in many ways as a volunteer. In 2014 I had the opportunity to help Camp Pioneer in Western NY secure the funding for a 60-foot climbing tower. Once it was built, I was one of the people trained as a facilitator to work with kids and adults to utilize the tower and its various features. There were two rock climbing walls, various other climbing obstacles, and challenge course elements, some of which were done at that full 60-foot height above the ground. What I found was that there were lots of people who loved to climb up the tower, but that there was a percentage of those who would make it to the top who were not happy to be there once they arrived. They were always harnessed and connected to either the tower or a belayer down below, but the thought of how they were going to get down was just too much for them. Because the only way down when we first built the tower was to rappel. And rappelling meant leaning backwards over the edge and trusting yourself to release the rope just enough to lower slowly all the way down to the ground.

After the first year we added a new element that allowed the climber a second option to get down from the top of the tower. But it wasn’t any easier for most people as it wasn’t a ladder or an elevator, even though many people suggested those as options. What we added was called the “leap of faith.” We built a small platform off one corner of the tower and the person would have their harness clipped into a rope that came from a device that hung out off the edge of the platform. All you had to do was hold on to the rope in front of you and step off the platform. There was then a very short freefall before the device would engage and lower you slowly all the way to the ground below. No matter how many times people would see others do it and arrive safely on the ground there were still some who just couldn’t bring themselves to take that step.

All of us know what it’s like to be immobilized by fear. We’ve all known moments when somehow we weren’t able to muster the courage or summon the energy to act upon a situation that needed attention. And in some ways, this is God’s design for us to help us preserve our earthly lives. There’s a reason people are afraid of heights. It’s because, without a rope, it’s a dangerous place to be. But there are also times when we just need to trust that the safeguards that are in place are sufficient to either keep us from suffering harm, or to allow us to experience something we might otherwise miss out on.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges us to trust his promises and to let ourselves go in a life of service. To let go of a situation we’d rather hang on to that might lead a brother or sister into sin. To let go of that fear of repercussions when the need arises to talk to a friend about their sinful behavior. To let go of one’s own sense of inadequacy. To be reminded that although we can’t always do it on our own, God can work his transforming power within us. St. Paul tells the Philippians, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” And what He strengthens is that faith that’s able to lean on Him no matter what. A faith that’s able to say to the distractions, the obstacles, and the fear that this life presents,

LET IT GO AND LET GOD LEAD YOU.

“Jesus said to His disciples, ‘temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come.!’” A faith that lets go is one that recognizes that temptation to sin is a constant and unavoidable reality of life. The devil is constantly at work in the world, and even more so among those who follow his enemy, Jesus Christ. As Christians we will constantly be under attack. And the devil knows exactly where to strike. If you’re prone to a particular sin, he’s going to attack right there. Over and over again. Because he knows you’re vulnerable. If your wandering eye is a problem, he’s going to make sure that temptations find their way into your view. If you’re prone to slander, he’ll place in your path unending opportunities to tear others down. If failure to prioritize worship and the Word is what you struggle with, you’ll always have ample excuses to choose from to justify the other things you place above them.

A faith that lets go takes these temptations seriously because they will lead us away from the right relationship we desire to have with God. And we certainly don’t want to downplay the fact that our own inability to avoid temptation can very easily become a stumbling block to someone else who sees our struggle and might be led down the same path. It’s scary to think of all the temptations that come our way on a daily basis, which is why the faith that lets go is the one that trusts that through God’s help we will be able to overcome the crafty tempter who is constantly seeking to derail us. With God’s help that wandering eye can become firmly fixed on the author and perfector of our faith. With God’s help that malicious tongue can be turned into a tool for uplifting and encouraging others, rather than slandering them. With God’s help the priorities of this world can be transformed into God’s priorities, keeping you sustained through a clear focus on His Word and worship of the One who has provided salvation.

Temptation to sin isn’t the only issue that Jesus is addressing in today’s Gospel. He says, “If a brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” A faith that lets go is one that trusts that calling out sin wherever it lives is what God desires His people to do. It’s not a very popular thing to do. Especially in a world where slogans like “Live and let live” or “Let everyone just be their true self” are deemed the ultimate example of love for your neighbor. But God specifically tells us to call out sin when we see it. Not to seek out fault where there is none, but also not to overlook sin and act as though that’s not what it is. The problem with this for us is that we have a fear of the consequences of telling someone else about their wrongdoing. We’re worried we’ll be seen as holier than thou. That there’s no way to keep a friendship with someone if we’re honest with them. And that we just won’t be able to come up with the right words to say. Or you might even say, “That’s your job, pastor, not mine.”

But faith that lets go stands ready to admonish a brother or sister in Christ, because his or her spiritual life may be at stake. The most unloving thing a Christian can do is to watch a friend walking in sin and act like they’re on the right path. The path to hell is wide and many will happily walk down that road, but the loving friend will direct their brother or sister to the narrow door. Even when it’s uncomfortable to do so. And when that sin is a direct affront to you, Jesus reminds us that we need to be quick to forgive. “If he repents, forgive him.” And not just once, but over and over again. Jesus says, “and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Because faith that lets go forgives when one senses a repentant heart.

Finally, the people of faith who let go and do all that’s commanded are ultimately the ones who are still able to confess, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” The problem we have with this is our human inclination to take credit for good works. To think that our ability to avoid temptation, to call out sin where it lives, or to forgive seven times in a day somehow merits God’s favor. As if our own self-discipline earns us a desired reward. Or that by risking our popularity to call out sin in a brother or sister means that God owes us a special blessing. Or that forgiving others more generously than they forgive us means that God will forgive us more often. The problem in all that is that in that thinking we fail to remember that God has redeemed us to be His own, and God makes us His own so that we might now reflect His likeness in our own behavior.

All of that sounds pretty unbelievable, and certainly a stretch to put into practice, but that’s what the power of faith can do. Because our faith in Christ connects us to the power that only comes from God. And that strength is what Paul was talking about when he said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Strength to do for another what he or she needs, realizing that only by letting go in faith can we begin to follow God’s calling. And we have Christ’s sacrificial love as the model for us. Through His work on the cross, He exercised the ultimate faith that lets go and He let His Father’s saving mission direct His life.

As a person of faith, be open the Spirit’s nudge as He exposes some of those temptations that you’re prone to fall prey to. Be willing to point out sin when necessary while recognizing your own shortcomings and always be quick to forgive when a brother or sister repents. And if you’re ever tempted to take credit for what you do in Christ’s name, remember that true faith credits God alone. True faith lets go of self and lets God have all the glory that’s due to Him.

And it doesn’t take much to have a profound impact on the world around you. When the apostles asked the Lord to, “Increase our faith!” Jesus said to them “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” I don’t really know what a mulberry tree is, but there are days that I feel like my faith could move one. Not every day. But when I remember where that faith comes from, I remember that I can let go and allow God to be in control of all things. Without fear and with full confidence that He will take care of everything.

And you know what, every time you do that, and God proves to you over and over that He’s got you, it gets easier and easier to trust Him with the bigger things. It’s like that first time I stood there on that platform considering taking the leap of faith. I knew my harness was on tight. I knew the carabiner and rope were strong. I knew the device had been tested and worked correctly. But it wasn’t until I fully trusted and took that step that I knew for sure I was going to be ok. And then I couldn’t stop doing it. Because letting go and knowing I’d be alright was a great feeling. And that doesn’t even compare to a life lived full of opportunities to let go in faith and then watch what God will do. May God give you the strength to let go in faith and enjoy His work in and through you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.