Readings: Genesis 15:1–6; Psalm 33; Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16; Luke 12:32–40

God’s promise to Abram that his descendants would outnumber the stars of heaven was meant to “blow his mind,” to take him to a place where not even his imagination, much less his self-reliant industriousness, could keep up. In the twenty-first century, we may have some notion (or at least some notation: 10^24?) about the number of stars in the universe, but the promises of God cannot so easily be domesticated — although of course that’s never stopped us from trying, from making them and other gifts into idols to distract us from the promising God.

Living by promises which we do not control and cannot manipulate to suit our own desires — but which, in God’s grace, introduce us to our own flourishing — is what the ancient (and long) sermon known as Hebrews calls faith. It’s the life into which we’re plunged in worship, where we meet the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, pioneer and perfecter of faith, and where by the pouring-out of the Spirit we’re given a foretaste of that to which God’s promises point.

There, too, we will hear, and have to deal with, Jesus’ uncompromising announcement: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It’s often said that whatever is worth having, is worth working for. Very good. But surely the real question is: How do we discover what’s truly worth having, and so truly worth working for?