The faith of a Polycarp

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

          It is the year of our Lord, Two thousand and fifteen. Many years since Bishop and Saint Polycarp was sentenced at the age of 86 to be burned to death.  When Polycarp was asked to denounce Jesus, Polycapr said "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" I feel the same way even though I am quite a few years shy of 86. I hope and pray I could meet my creator in such a brave, honourable and faithful way.

         It seems that little has changed in some ways after the 21 Coptic Christians were beheaded last week. I pray I will never be put to such a test for I am perhaps the weakest of Christians, a far cry from the Saints that have preceded me and who died in service to our Lord.

         For many of us it would seem unfathomable to live up to the standards of the Saints, let alone face death in place of denouncing our faith. Perhaps I am over dramatizing the lives of the Saints. Perhaps I am whitewashing the lives faithful people live. The challenges seem daunting and I see my own failures daily. Perhaps this is true of any faithful person who knows how they wish to live but also reflects on how miserably we seem to fail at times. I know I do. 

         If the lives of the faithful and Saints have any meaning; indeed, if Jesus' life has any meaning, it is that we are fully human and in so being we are sinners and saints.  ( OK, so Jesus was def not a sinner. ) But can I attain redemption by my faith alone? Can I attain redemption by trying my best even if I fail? Can I attain redemption by proceeding along in life with a sincere faithful heart knowing that I fail but aspire to great deeds all along the way? 

       A a sinner and saint, as a person who knows and appreciated the magnitude of the gift that Jesus has given us, perhaps, just perhaps, that is enough. It is by faith alone. Jesus said many times "your faith has healed you".  It would human arrogance to think we can attain perfection on this side of the grave ( if ever ) but it is faith and love that keeps us striving, keeps us getting up each time we stumble and fall.  By faith alone. 

          I pray that should I live to the age of 86 as Polycarp did, I will have the calmness, surety and faith to have always said yes to Christ because "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

         

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.