The Obedience of Faith
The ‘obedience of faith’ has been essential in the history of salvation because it exemplifies unity with God. The 'obedience of faith' is a prominent theme in the Bible, which can be seen in the lives of Abraham, Mary, and most of all, Jesus Christ – true man and true God. In His humanity, Jesus suffered; yet in His divinity, Jesus overcame His human limitations by being obedient to the will of the Heavenly Father. Likewise, when we unite ourselves with God we listen to His will in precedence to our own. The ‘obedience of faith’ becomes an act of love in the way it compels us to think and act beyond our human limitations.
Throughout Sacred scripture we see how the lives of people such as Abraham, Noah, and Mary entrusted their lives to God through their obedience of faith. Abraham, Noah, and Mary knew they would have to face difficulties and sufferings in knowing what God asked of them. However, their obedience was founded upon trust and faith that God would provide for them despite difficult circumstances. For example, it was difficult for Abraham when God told him to go to a foreign land that he had never been before. It was even more difficult for Abraham when God told him to offer up his son Isaac as a ‘burnt sacrifice’. It was difficult for Noah when God told him to build an ark as an instrument of salvation. It was also difficult for Noah when others ridiculed him because they did not believe and understand him. It was difficult for Mary when the angel Gabriel told her that she would miraculously conceive a child as a virgin. Mary knew the Jewish community would have difficulty believing this. Mary even faced the possibility of being stoned to death if people discovered her pregnancy and accused her of adultery. All of these stories of Abraham, Noah, and Mary are examples of peoples’ faith and love for God. These people of the Bible were willing to undergo persecution and humiliation because they trusted that God would provide for them.
The greatest example of the 'obedience of faith' is Jesus Christ because He was obedient to the will of the Heavenly Father, even unto death. Even though Jesus knew He had to sacrifice His life, he 'listened' to the Father's will. In His divinity Jesus united His will to the Father, and was able to transcend his human limitations. It was an act of love for the whole world, and it is a model for all us to live by.
Today, and even in the times of the Bible, we see the effects of people’s ‘disobedience of faith’. The ‘disobedience of faith’ comes at a great price, which is the degradation of society at large. The abuse of our freedoms in our modern age has led to many problems in our society such as broken families, addictions, drug abuse, abortion, pornography, homosexual “marriages”, euthanasia, greed, materialism, treating people as objects and commodities, illicit sex, a culture based upon convenience, and an increasing culture of secularism. Sometimes the ‘obedience of faith’ does not seem convenient in the eyes of the world, but God always reveals His purpose through the faith of His people, and in the fullness of time. If we can trust that God will provide for us no matter what the circumstance, then we can weather any storm through the understanding and commitment to ‘obedience of faith’.
References
[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 143, 144, 145, & 148.
[2] Holweck, F. (1907). The Annunciation. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 16, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541c.htm
[3] The Navarre Bible (RSV). “St. Luke: Commentary on 1:384”. New York: Scepter Publishers, 2005. Pg. 34.
[4] The Navarre Bible (RSV). “The Pentateuch: Commentary on Genesis3:15”. New Jersy: Scepter Publishers, 2006. Pg. 54:
[Victory over the devil will be brought about by a descendant of the woman, the Messiah. The Church has always read these verses as being messianic, referring to Jesus Christ; and it has seen in the woman the mother of the promised Saviour; the Virgin Mary is the new Eve.]