Obedience…  What do you think of when you hear this word? Perhaps you think of an animal, a dog taught to be obedient to its master or an ox made to be obedient by the whip.  Maybe you think of a person made to give up their individuality to serve the needs of another.  There was that old movie recently remade called the Stepford Wives, a movie about rich husbands who trade in their wives for robots who will do their every bidding—robot wives who would be obedient to them.

The concept of adult human beings being “obedient” is a foreign concept to many of us today.  It goes against the grain of our sense of both freedom and individuality.  And yet, it is exactly what Saint Paul calls forth from us:  “Obedience of faith”.

 

What is obedience of faith?  It is doing the thing that you are spiritually led to do.  That’s it.  When an animal obeys it has heard your command and followed it.  The obedience of faith is hearing God’s command and following it.

 

On the one hand, obedience is the easiest thing of all, because you don’t have to think.  When God makes you feel that you must pray more, then you pray more, because it is God’s command. When you feel that faith should be more a part of your family life, you make it more a part of your family life, because God wills it.  If a co-worker seems spiritually distraught and you get a sense that they need to hear the Good News of God’s love for them, you tell them, because it is God’s command.

 

It sounds easy, but you and I both know that obedience of faith is one of the hardest things in life.  Who hasn’t felt the strong sense that they should read scripture more or pray more or live more faithfully?  And who hasn’t fallen short?  Perhaps you are engaged in just such a struggle on this very day.

 

Obedience is not an easy thing.  If you have ever tried to teach an animal to be obedient you already know this.  You can tell a dog who loves you dearly to “sit”, but as soon as you walk away from her she’ll jump right up to follow.  And you can say louder, “No.  Sit.”  But as you walk away you can see the dog struggling.  There in her mind is the desire to obey you, but also she wants so badly to be by your side.  

It takes a lot of training to teach an animal to trust obedience.  The animal needs to learn to be strong, learn to be patient, learn to quell its own desires, learn to trust your better judgment.

 

It takes a lot of training to learn to be obedient in faith.  Somehow sometimes people think it should be easy, as though you could simply speak the words, “I am going to read my Bible every night” and suddenly it will be so for all time.  But obedience is learned.  You go into training to learn obedience.  Especially at first it takes great effort and constant vigilance.  

 

In his convoluted sentence this morning Saint Paul acknowledges as much.  He speaks about God who is able to strengthen us… to bring about the obedience of faith.  And how does God strengthen us?  Through what means are we strengthened to meet the challenge of obedience?   Through the Good News and proclamation of Jesus Christ, through the ancient mystery that has been revealed according to God’s command.  

It may sound like an esoteric thing—after all, how can a proclamation strengthen us?  But this is where we need to start.  We need to reclaim the passion and excitement that comes from the knowledge that God has claimed the world for himself and is transforming this world, right now by the power of his Holy Spirit.  God has given his only-begotten son to transform the world.  To make us whole.  THIS is the knowledge that strengthens.  This is the knowledge that sparks the fire in our wills.  

Do not think it below yourself to hear the word of God and obey.  It is the will of the almighty God, after all.  If there is any voice to trust it is his.  And hear me when I say, “Do not expect miracles when what is needed on your part is discipline.”  Training for obedience is serious.  It is hard work.  Give it the attention and devotion that hard work deserves.

Finally, train yourself to not dismiss easily the voice of the Holy Spirit in your heart.  No, it is not your own voice saying “pray more.  Get closer to God.”  That is God.  Trust that God wants what is best for you and that his word deserves attention.

Amen.