How Does Jesus Handle Braking Faith (Hint: He Doesn't)

I have been mulling over the phrase “breaking faith with the Lord” by sinning against other believers for several weeks. Breaking faith is not a term used in every translation. I found it in the Complete Jewish Bible, the Amplified version and the Common English Bible- not typical translations I use, but I do look at several versions to get a well-rounded idea of Scripture. The Message says “breaking trust with God.” Most versions say, ”a trespass against the Lord.” The NIV says, “unfaithful to the Lord.” 

I like the visual the words breaking faith gives me. To think that I have broken faith with the Lord because of my actions toward someone makes me sad. It makes me want to do what I can do to mend the misunderstanding or hurt. It also makes me step back and become aware of my part in the situation and how I can avoid creating an undo ‘breaking' in a relationship. 

How Jesus did not break faith with the Father or others:

1. Jesus healed the sick, lame and demon posses on the Sabbath. If he would not have healed (no matter what day) the person and all watching (which were thousands) would have lost faith in his ability to heal. It would have broken their faith.
2. Jesus asked for water from a Samaritan woman. If he would have shunned her or scorned her, her life would not have been touched by Jesus thus breaking faith with the woman and all the people she told. Can you imagine this woman going back to her life and saying, “I saw the man who people say is the Messiah and he ignored me.” That would have broken much faith. 
3. Jesus ate with sinners many times and went to Zacchaeus house for dinner. If he would have shunned all ‘sick’ people he would not of had credibly when he said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have come to call the righteous but the sinner,” Mark 2:17. Thus, he did not break faith with sinners by acting like he was better than they were or like he could not associate with them. Can you imagine Zacchaeus saying to his friends, “This Jesus says he is here to heal the sick, but he won't even associate with us.”
4. Jesus followed the laws of the land by paying taxes. He said, “so we do not cause offense,” Matthew 17:26. What would of happened if he would have bucked the system and all the people saw he thought he was above the law of the land? There would have been uproar and Jesus and his followers would have been thrown into jail and stoned. He did not break faith with the leaders and demand his right as the Son of God.

There are many more examples of Jesus keeping faith alive and intact with people. For application, this made me think of how I break faith with my friends and family.

1. I have a friend who does not like her kids to watch Disney movies. If I show them at my house when they are there, I have broken faith with this person…so I never do. On the flip side, if I tell someone in a judgmental way that my kids don’t watch shows that are crude in humor or joking, sexy with adult topics, scary with horror or witchcraft, I am breaking faith with that person as well. Not because I am protecting my kids from trash, but because I am unconsciously telling the person I do not approve of their choices and that they are not good enough as people to be associated with. Believe me, I have been on the reciprocating end of that unspoken message and if defiantly broke faith. What to do? I always ask parent’s permission on any movie or show I plan to watch while I have their children.
2. I have a friend who tries to eat as all natural as possible. If I did not make a meal to accommodate her choice when at my house and if I basically say she can eat what I make, I am breaking faith with her. What to do? Be accommodating like Romans says. It will not shake my faith to eat all natural, but it will shake her faith in a friendship with me if I basically say with my actions that I don’t care how she eats, she can eat what I fix because we are at my house or she can go hungry. 
3. I have several friends who go to different denominations. Once my family was invited to a congregation to see a friend preform a song and we went. Several friends have invited us to different congregations to see their children get baptized and we went. When visiting some friends in other towns, we heard a great lesson and worshiped with musical instruments. I have a friend I visit that has a woman who teaches men and women in class on Sunday morning. If at any time I told these friends I could not attend church with them because it is not the way I do it, I would be braking faith with them. Why? They are serving the Living God and the Savior of us all and even if I do it differently, who am I to be so arrogant to think I have all doctrine correct? With each denial of their invitation, I make them think I am superior and that their worship, or baptism or lesson is not pleasing to God. People denying being with other Christians for reasons as petty as these only breaks faith and deems God to be powerless to work in all Bible-believing churches across the world.  
4. Gossip breaks faith! Even if the subject never finds out you talked about them, the person you talk to will start thinking, “This person will tell my secrets too at some point.” 

Breaking faith starts to build a wall between people, brick by brick, until you are so untrusting of people you shrink back from relationships that are not exactly like yours. That is a hard relationship to find…even in a spouse. Let's do all we can do to build one another up even if it is not what we usually used to. 

These are just some of my examples that come to mind. I’d love to hear your opinion of breaking faith with the Lord and other Christians.

Blessings!