In Holy Scripture over the past few weeks we’ve been hearing about events where Jesus associates his ability to provide an individual with healing, to that person’s faith – that person’s  willingness and ability to trust in, and accept healing from, Jesus.

And in today’s gospel (Mark 6:1-6) we hear the same message from a slightly different angle – we hear Jesus attribute his inability to perform any “mighty deeds” in Nazareth to the townspeople’s  lack of faith in him.

So it is with trust and faith that we continue to look to our Lord as his Spirit guides our lives and accompanies us through both good times and bad.  It is with trust and faith in Christ that we keep our hearts and minds open to God’s saving power.

And if we ever become concerned about those times when our faith might waiver, we don’t need to dwell on this. We just need to keep ourselves open to God.   And if we are concerned that our wavering faith could lessen God’s faithfulness to us – we can erase that thought.  Just consider today’s Old Testament reading (Ezekiel 2:2-5).  God sends the prophet Ezekiel out to appeal to those who have become “hard of face”, to those who have become “obstinate of heart”, even to those who have “revolted against” God.  God does not turn away from those who have lost faith.  God does not turn away from those who turn away from him.  On the contrary, God continues to reach out to draw them back to him.

And it is the same for us – even when our confidence in God might be shaken, even when our faith might waiver, even when we might turn away from God, God is always there for us. God is always reaching out to us, tugging on us, pulling us back to him, drawing us back into his love. 

God’s love, compassion, and forgiveness are infinite, triumphing over all – over any breach of faith, over any waywardness, over any sin. Christ made that possible.  So we can take heart in what the modern day evangelist, Rob Bell, likes to say – “There is nothing you can do to make God love you any less”.  God never abandons us, no matter what.  God is always here for us.  That’s one thing we can have faith in.